Even though the Thunder were without stars Kevin Durant (shoulder) and Russell Westbrook (knee) they are still one of the top teams in the league and they showed why in their convincing 101-83 win over the Celtics Friday night at TD Garden.
The C's actually led by one after the opening quarter, but then were outscored 50-31 in the second and third quarters to allow the Thunder to run away with the win. Jeff Green led the Celtics with 16 points followed by Gerald Wallace's 13.
Oklahoma City was led by Serge Ibaka, who had 21 points and seven rebounds.
Boston will be in action Sunday (6:30 p.m., CSNNE) against the Nets when Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett make their first appearance at the TD Garden since being traded to Brooklyn.
What they'll be saying: Rajon Rondo was in the lineup despite missing Wednesday's game against the Wizards and played 22 minutes, finishing with five points and eight assists. The biggest issue for the C's was their defense as they allowed the Thunder to shoot 54 percent from the field, while they themselves shot a miserable 19 percent (5-for-27) from 3-point range. The team will now prepare for what will be an emotional game Sunday when Pierce and Garnett make their return to Boston.
