The Celtics’ game with the Thunder on Thursday night should be one of the biggest games on the NBA calendar. OKC sits at 51-15, holding the best record in the league and looking to defend their championship. Boston has overachieved this season to the tune of a 43-22 record, good for second-place in the East, but looking every bit the part of the favorites to make it out of the conference.
This is a great measuring-stick opportunity for the Celtics to see where they stack up against truly elite competition. They are trying to reclaim their throne, and in all likelihood, this is the team they’ll have to go through to do it. This will be their first matchup of the season, with a rematch coming a few weeks from now in Boston.
It looked like the Celtics were going to have a similar opportunity on Tuesday night in San Antonio, but unfortunately, that game was marred by a controversial officiating decision to eject Jaylen Brown in the second quarter.
That makes Thursday night’s game feel even bigger, and the team and the fans are surely chomping at the bit to get back out there and prove themselves against the class of the league in a huge, nationally televised showcase.
Celtics should strongly consider resting stars
Despite all that, the Celtics need to think long and hard about resting some players in this game. Derrick White banged his knee late in the third quarter of Tuesday’s game, and he appeared on the injury report as questionable, joined by Jayson Tatum, who is listed as questionable for reconditioning.
White was able to play through the knee issue in the last game, and Tatum has looked incredible since returning, but this might be a case of saving these guys from themselves. The intensity and physicality in this game are going to be through the roof, and the Thunder have some players who toe the line between dirty and dangerous, notably Lu Dort, who was recently assessed a flagrant-2 for a cheap shot on Nikola Jokic.
But this isn’t about the Thunder players trying to injure the Celtics or anything like that; it’s just about being smart and managing your best players. The Cs have built a solid cushion in the standings, and at this point, it’s more about making sure everyone is in a good rhythm for the playoffs.
The Celtics have bigger fish to fry
There’s no reason to push a banged-up Derrick White or a freshly returned Jayson Tatum if there is even a shred of doubt. Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see how the Cs stack up with OKC at full strength, but it may not be best for the long-term goal of the season.
Even if both players sit, the Celtics have proven all season long that they have more than enough ammo to give the Thunder a game. We know we are getting a motivated JB after what happened against the Spurs. Payton Pritchard should be fresh off a rest, and all of the young, stay-ready boys should be itching for a chance like this.
Regardless of who takes the floor, this should be a great game, and a great chance for the Cletics to learn some things. Ideally, we will get to see the full starting lineup intact, but if not, just realize it’s all with the bigger picture in mind.