OKC Rim Protection Bigger Issue for Celtics than Free Throws vs. Thunder

BOSTON — Mark Daigneault didn’t tout the Thunder’s double-big lineup before Oklahoma City faced the Celtics for a second time with Chet Holmgren available this time. Instead, he critiqued it, considered it a work in progress early in Holmgren’s return and then surprisingly scrapped it. The Thunder started Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace with Jalen Williams (hip) out and sent Isaiah Hartenstein to the bench.

“(Hartenstein) is a big who’s very unique to what we’ve had,” Daigneault said. “He’s been new, so it’s been an acquired process and he’s done a great job … we’ve been able to have some growing pains and still have some success, but it doesn’t mean that it was a finished product … as for matchups, we’re trying to not make assumptions … we’ve only Chet back with Hartenstein healthy for a short period of time. So we’re trying to … throw it out there in situations that may not even seem ideal to see what we have and see what we have to work on.”

Oklahoma City pivoted away from double-big to start Wednesday’s 118-112 win over the Celtics after starting Holmgren and Hartenstein together in nine of their last 16 games since Holmgren’s return from a hip injury. The move unlocked Holmgren’s offense while maintaining rim protection that limited the Celtics to 31 two-point attempts (67.7% FG) and 12 free throw tries. The discrepancy between the latter and the Thunder’s 34 free throws incited fans after the game, but Boston, led by Jaylen Brown, took the blame for not drawing more.

Not only would more paint looks unlock more free throws for the Celtics, but Boston converted every shot in the paint after halftime while falling to 5-for-27 from three. Joe Mazzulla liked the Celtics’ looks, noting a high points per possession, but generating a franchise record 63 three-pointers only allowed Boston to keep pace with Oklahoma City. The Thunder led for almost the entire game, and built double-digit advantages in the third and late in the fourth. Another wake-up call that a power emerged on their level out west. Oklahoma City outscored Boston, 50-27, in the second half in January, and held Brown scoreless for over 30 minutes between the two games.

“It didn’t feel like we took that many threes,” Brown said after refuting the notion that a recent knee injury slowed him in the loss. “They were trapping the paint a lot, we had some kick-out threes, got some paint touches. I was still able to get to the paint, and we got some swing-swing. Maybe some threes we took, we didn’t have to, maybe were a little ill-advised, but I feel like we got some good looks. They didn’t go down, and theirs did, but overall just being more physical. 0 free throw attempts, I didn’t get a free throw attempt tonight, that means I wasn’t aggressive enough or I wasn’t physical enough in my drives. Even when they’re not calling it … I’m still able to get at least one free throw attempt … that just lets me know I wasn’t aggressive enough.”

While Brown struggled, forcing difficult in-between shots, starting 1-for-7 and later fouling out, Jayson Tatum carried the offense by pulling Holmgren out of the paint on switches and mostly hitting him with the step-back. Tatum finished 12-for-23, buoying the offense early with threes and driving layups, but slowed to 1-of-6 in the fourth quarter with a live ball turnover alongside only one assist.

The problem the Celtics faced all night showed on the giveaway, where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fronted Tatum while Kenrich Williams, Lu Dort and Hartenstein collapsed into the paint. Boston saw zone looks in the loss, but more often spread out while Thunder defenders stunted at Celtics ball-handlers. Mazzulla noticed them show and recover against Al Horford, but despite the center’s recent strong shooting, Oklahoma City felt comfortable leaving him open above the break to disrupt Boston’s ability to enter the paint.

“I thought we got great looks,” Mazzulla said. “Our shot quality was 1.18 (points per possession) in real time. It was probably a little bit lower. I thought we got amazing looks. That’s just the shell of their defense. They protect the paint first, they fight, they try to get out.”

The Thunder thrive against most opponents by forcing droves of turnovers, which became their path to victory in the second half against the Celtics in January. One of the greatest defenses, statistically, across recent NBA history also allows the fifth-fewest restricted area shots per night, and the second-lowest efficiency there behind the Cavs (62.9%). They also cut off mid-range shots, and despite yielding the most corner threes in the league, they’ve managed by allowing the eighth-lowest percentage from that spot. Thunder opponents shoot 33.5% from three, the lowest mark in the NBA.

That formula works against Boston, a team that relies on matchup-hunting and above the break threes more than in the corner, where they rank 15th in attempts. Brown said Thunder mismatches proved harder to exploit, and while Celtics don’t turn it over often, averaging 14.5 giveaways across the two Thunder meetings marked a significant increase over their 11.9 per game, and enough for a 27-29 edge in the category. Boston won the offensive rebounding, 27-20, out-shot Oklahoma City by 10, and worked within 48-36 at the free throw line.

They still lost decisively in January with a free throw advantage. Worse, Jrue Holiday, Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard’s struggles from that night carried over into Wednesday alongside Brown’s.

If the Thunder can find a way to improve the Holmgren and Hartenstein combination, which they used sparsely on Wednesday with Kristaps Porziņģis out, Oklahoma City could have an answer for almost anything the Celtics can throw at them. Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams could also return. That’s if they meet again in June.

“We have a lot to get better at,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, checking his phone’s calendar. “To play the final game of the season in June is a long ways away. I would hope we’re not playing our championship basketball today … we got three months to get better.”