The Boston Celtics showed up in Oklahoma to face the OKC Thunder without big man Robert Williams III, but with Thunder star Shai Gilgeous Alexander also missing the contest, the Celtics took the court like a team that appeared to have assumed they had a W in hand simply by showing up to the game.
Then, reality smacked them in the face, with Boston seeing Marcus Smart (7 points, 8 assists) ejected and an all-time record for points allowed over the first three quarters of a game set as the Celtics fell to the Thunder 150-117 in just the third game Boston has ever allowed at least that many points in team history.
This was an embarrassing play in terms of focus and execution that should stay with this team for the rest of the season, if not their lives. This being the part where we usually point out what players played well for Boston, but on a night like this, no one rises to that level.
Let’s take a look at some of the best plays captured in images from the Celtics’ 38th game of their 2022-23 campaign.
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