The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder have an impressive protection. That’s not an opinion — it’s a truth.
They’re, for lack of a greater phrase, a ache within the butt to cope with. They’ve depth, they’ve switchable perimeter defenders they usually have two frontcourt choices that current two very completely different but efficient defensive kinds that make you second guess the mere considered approaching the basket.
In two video games versus the Thunder, the Celtics had equally promising first half showings earlier than falling behind late within the recreation.
The Celtics have scored lower than 100 factors simply 5 occasions this season, shedding every of these video games. In opposition to the Thunder on Jan. 5, it was their lowest-scoring recreation of the season, managing simply 92 factors on 97 possessions and being held to 27 factors within the second half on 20% taking pictures.
The Thunder have held opponents beneath 100 factors 19 occasions this season, boasting the league’s greatest defensive score (107.1 factors per 100 possessions) and web score (+12.6).
And the factor is, there’s no actual straightforward option to rating on them. OKC permits the fewest factors within the paint per recreation (43.6) – a 2-point distinction from No. 2 Orlando’s 45.6 factors – and defends the 3-point line higher than anybody (33.6% opponent 3P proportion) with extra contested 3-point appears to be like than anybody (18.8 per recreation).
All of those parts factored into the primary matchup between the 2 in January, however the largest ingredient to Boston’s flat second half was OKC’s excellent assist protection. The Thunder continuously threw aggressive assist protection and double-teams to Boston’s initiators, however extra importantly, they have been sensible in how they rotated off the ball to negate any potential benefits out of these doubles.
Discover how late within the shot clock plenty of these makes an attempt have been. Particularly within the second half, OKC saved passing lanes clogged inside, whereas their excessive pick-up factors and intense on-ball stress made guys like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum work to only go the ball off to the following best learn. The Thunder completed that recreation with 16 deflections (they after all lead the league in that hustle stat with 22 per recreation).
However what concerning the issues Boston was in a position to do efficiently in that recreation? They’d 4 gamers rating in double figures by halftime regardless of taking pictures 27% from three. In any case, one thing needed to work proper?
Quite a lot of that success got here of their early offense. Boston caught the Thunder out of place in a number of cases earlier than the shot clock struck 20, like with this Kristaps Porzingis slip-screen into an empty paint simply six seconds into the shot clock.
Or this imposing straight-line drive from Tatum that he initiated with 18 seconds left on the clock.
Early offense and fast selections saved the protection on its toes, one thing that was lacking within the second half, the place the ball felt glued to at least one participant far too deep into the shot clock.
Final night time, the Celtics opened with a 3-point barrage, setting an NBA document for makes an attempt from the perimeter in a half with 36, connecting on 15 of these. The creation of these pictures was largely on account of Boston’s patented drive-and-kick recreation, which efficiently labored the ball inside and gained the battle towards OKC’s rotating defenders as soon as it was kicked out to the 3-point line.
This primary quarter possession 5 minutes into the sport might be the very best instance of what modified between the primary matchup and what we noticed final night time. All 5 Celtics touched the ball, beginning with an entry go to Al Horford, who had the mismatch on Cason Wallace on the left block. Reasonably than slowing issues down with a post-up, which might have introduced quick assist, Horford switches sides on the ground, and OKC is a step behind the remainder of the best way.
It’s no straightforward feat creating profitable dribble penetration, however Boston managed to do it comparatively properly out of the gate, and as soon as they received the kickout, their selections with the ball have been fast and purposeful. OKC is a powerful rotational staff, as we noticed within the final matchup, however the Celtics have been in a position to create house for his or her shooters by way of their aggression attending to the paint.
The Thunder made a pleasant adjustment within the second quarter, working out of a 2-3 zone for big components of that interval and in spurts all through the second half. It took Boston a couple of minutes to actually break it, however as soon as they did, they continued to generate open appears to be like for themselves.
This was largely on account of an explosive general efficiency from Tatum, who bruised his manner by way of that further inside line, whereas additionally making the most of the house a zone affords shooters by way of his off-screen pull-up recreation.
We’ve seen Boston play a superb first half towards OKC although. Was the second simply as unhealthy as the primary time round?
Regardless of one other 3-point taking pictures nosedive, I’d say it was a extra promising half of basketball this time. Taking pictures 5-of-27 from three isn’t precisely one thing to face up and applaud, however the course of in producing these pictures was no less than extra coherent in comparison with the extra muddled show in January.
OKC largely threw the zone apart in favor of their extra conventional protection. The ball stress was aggressive and their assist was extra suffocating, and it was starting to appear like a flashback to the primary matchup till halfway by way of the third quarter.
Regardless of their perimeter recreation shrinking, Boston was nonetheless in a position to work its manner inside, with Tatum discovering a mid-range stroke and Jrue Vacation and Jaylen Brown forcing their option to the cup on a number of events to maintain the sport tied heading into the ultimate stretch.
This acrobatic bucket late within the quarter from Tatum featured the type of excessive screen-and-roll and spacing that appears extra acquainted in a matchup towards this yr’s Knicks, and it was created by the specter of the shooters on the ground regardless of a chilly stretch lingering by way of that 12-minute span.
The Celtics shot 39% from the ground within the fourth quarter and 3-of-14 from three, and there have been quite a lot of possessions that OKC’s protection outright gained, however the Celtics did themselves no favors with misses on 4 open 3-pointers that have been created by way of beforehand profitable strategies. The video package deal under options all 4 of these missed pictures, three of which got here off kickouts and the opposite on a Horford pick-and-pop.
OKC is a scary staff, a real contender out of the West that I don’t see any staff beating 4 occasions in a sequence format. They’re additionally a really robust matchup for the Celtics, even with Porzingis within the lineup. These two losses create legitimate considerations if this have been to be a rematch within the Finals, however Boston’s extra coherent offensive course of no less than creates a barely clearer image of what the Celtics must do in an effort to recover from the hump towards this Western Convention big.
