Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics clash in heavyweight NBA showdown
The Boston Celtics host the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night in what promises to be one of the season’s most exciting matchups. The Western Conference leaders take on the East’s number two seed at TD Garden with tipoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Boston enters as slight 3.5-point favorites on their home court.
Both teams are dealing with injury concerns heading into this high-profile clash. The Celtics might be without Kristaps Porzingis, who’s battling illness at home. Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum (knee) is listed as questionable, though Jaylen Brown is expected to play despite knee issues.
The Thunder will definitely be missing first-time All-Star Jalen Williams due to a hip strain. His absence is likely why oddsmakers have the Celtics favored despite OKC’s top seed status.
Aaron Wiggins will probably step into the starting lineup for the Thunder.
The Celtics are riding a five-game winning streak and should be feeling confident after Tatum and Brown both logged over 40 minutes in a similar high-profile test against the Lakers last week.
OKC is looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss to Denver on Monday night. They led for most of that game before falling by 13 points in what coach Mark Daigneault called “a flat performance.”
The game will be broadcast on ESPN, NBCS-BOS, FDSOK and NBA League Pass. Fans can also catch a free live stream through Jazz Sports.
For those interested in betting, NBA sportsbooks have set the line at Celtics -3.5 (-110) and Thunder +3.5 (-110) according to the latest BetOnline odds.
This matchup features two of the league’s most dynamic teams, with Boston’s championship pedigree going up against OKC’s youth movement that has surprisingly claimed the West’s top spot this season.
The Thunder’s depth will be tested without Williams, but they’ve shown remarkable resilience throughout the season when dealing with injuries.
TD Garden should be rocking for this potential NBA Finals preview.
