Boston Celtics: 1 Stud and 1 Dud From Comeback Victory Against Thunder

The Boston Celtics had a big comeback victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night. Here is one stud and one dud from the victory. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics had a big comeback victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night. Here is one stud and one dud from the victory. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /
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Great teams find a way to win games when they have no business winning them. That’s exactly what the Boston Celtics did on Monday night in a 126-122 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder for their seventh win in a row to improve to 11-3 on the season.

The Cs came out flat in this game, and they lacked energy on both ends of the floor. Jaylen Brown was the only player that came ready to play for Boston, as he had 12 first-quarter points. Brown was excellent for the Celtics in the game, and he finished with 26 points, six rebounds, and six assists.

Jayson Tatum struggled from the field as his shot was not falling. Tatum shot 9-23 from the field and 1-9 from three but still managed to score 27 points. The Boston Celtics as a team had a poor shooting night as they shot 27% from three-point range. The Thunder took advantage of the C’s poor offense and were led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

The Thunder led by as many as 15 points in the game, and they looked poised for a big road win. Marcus Smart and Payton Pritchard — in the absence of Malcolm Brogdon — had other plans as they sparked a Celtics comeback. Smart was excellent for the Cs in the fourth quarter, and he made key plays down the stretch. The fourth quarter was impressive for the Celtics, and it highlights how they can take their game to another level when they need to.

Boston is on a hot streak right now, and they are tough to beat. Even on a poor shooting night, they still found a way to win. The Boston Celtics will travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Wednesday night. Here is one stud and one dud from tonight’s victory.

Boston Celtics stud: Marcus Smart

Marcus Smart was phenomenal for the Celtics tonight, and he was a key part of their comeback win. Smart controlled the game on both ends of the floor and finished with 22 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one block. Although Smart was a -11 for the game, he made big plays when he needed to.

Smart took over in the fourth quarter as he scored 10 points on 4-4 shooting from the field. He had a clutch stretch in the final minutes of the game that ultimately decided the game. In a stretch of plays, Smart had a clutch three, then set up Derrick White for a 3-pointer, and then a couple of plays later, he had a nice spin move for a layup. These are the winning plays that Smart brings to the table.

Overall, Smart is playing efficient basketball for the Cs, and he is playing arguably the best basketball of his career.

Boston Celtics dud: Grant Williams

I was going to pick Jayson Tatum for the dud, but he made some solid plays in the fourth quarter to cover up his poor shooting night. That means the dud spot goes to Grant Williams, who did not have a good night. Williams finished seven points, seven rebounds, and was a -4 for the game.

Williams also picked up a poor technical foul in the first half, which was his third of the season. This puts Williams near the top of the list for most technical fouls in the NBA. I don’t like this from Williams because he needs to be smarter as a role player. Williams was also benched in this game for Payton Pritchard. Williams needs to be more effective on the floor on Wednesday night.