The Oklahoma City Thunder delivered another impressive performance on Wednesday, securing a 118-112 victory over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played a pivotal role in the win, earning significant praise from Jaylen Brown.
“That boy good. You know what I mean? That boy is good,” Brown remarked about Gilgeous-Alexander during the post-game press conference in Boston. “Big fan of his game. Shifty, crafty around the basket. Knows how to use his body well, draws fouls. He’s been hitting the 3-ball well, too.”
This praise came after yet another exceptional performance by Shai. Against the Celtics, one of the best teams in the league and the defending champions, the Canadian guard posted 34 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds in 39 minutes on the court. His performance made him the game’s leading scorer (Jayson Tatum finished with 33 points) and played a crucial role in the Thunder’s victory.
“He’s a tough cover,” Brown acknowledged. “Definitely a guy that you watch and you study to be better if we end up playing him down the line… He’s been playing some good basketball. You got to tip your cap.”
Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics dribbles against the New York Knicks during the second half at TD Garden on February 23, 2025.
Brown analyzes loss to Thunder
In the same press conference, Jaylen Brown discussed the reasons behind the Celtics’ defeat. “I give credit to OKC. Tougher team sets the rules,” the forward said. “They had a good level of physicality tonight.”
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On the Celtics’ performance, Brown noted: “It was just one of those games… one of those games where we couldn’t get anything going offensively or defensively. You know, maybe some tough calls that could’ve went the other way or not, but OKC was definitely the tougher team for a large stretch.”
For Shai, it was a key win
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was thrilled with the Thunder‘s performance and the victory at TD Garden. “It’s huge,” he said. He then emphasized the significance of the opponent, considering Boston won last year’s NBA title. “They’ve done what we’re trying to do… They’ve, like I say, achieved what we’re trying to accomplish. There’s no better test in the NBA. You play for late June, and they’re the team that won in late June. So, playing against them is always fun and is always a really big challenge and something that we get to test ourselves against. I guess we passed two tests so far.”
Shai also reflected on OKC‘s key to success. “That’s what happens when you trust the game plan; you trust each other offensively, and you do the little things to earn a win,” he said. “Every night is going to pose an opportunity to pose a win, and we did those little things to do so.”
