Watch Thunder @ Celtics live on Sky Sports Arena from 10pm on Sunday evening
Monday 9 March 2020 05:53, UK
When the Boston Celtics last faced the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brad Stevens' team were in great form and they went on to claim a seventh consecutive victory – but they enter Sunday's home game against the Thunder dogged by inconsistency.
Since that 112-111 victory on February 9, the Celtics have gone 5-5, including dropping three of their last four.
The leap in Jayson Tatum's game – he averaged more than 30 points per game across the month of February – has been off-set by some inconsistent play and other performers not being available through injury.
Marcus Smart was disappointed but resolute after Boston's loss to the Utah Jazz on Friday.
"We're going to figure it out," the Celtics' sixth-year guard said.
The time to do that, though, is narrowing with just 20 games left to play.
Smart tried to be positive about the Celtics' recent struggles, though he also had some pointed criticism, saying he disagreed with coach Stevens' assessment that effort was not the issue, using an expletive to describe the effort.
"We gave them the first couple punches and then, after that, our effort died down," Smart said. "We picked it up toward the end, but it was too late at that time."
Boston's only win in the last four came over the woebegone Cleveland Cavaliers.
Stevens said he thought one of the major issues came down to being healthy.
Kemba Walker has been on a minutes restriction since returning from missing five games due to left knee soreness.
Both Jaylen Brown (hamstring) and Gordon Hayward (right knee) have missed the last two games and are expected to be out again Sunday, though Stevens left the door open to Hayward's return.
"That's the way the league works," Stevens said. "You play as well as you can."
Walker said he was hopeful the minutes restriction would soon be lifted.
"I'm just coming in and out the game pretty fast," Walker said. "Just gotta keep working through it and trying my hardest not to frustrate myself."
After Sunday's game, the Celtics will play seven of their next nine games away from home.
The game is the last in a three-game road trip for the Thunder, who have won at the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks in their two previous outings.
Oklahoma City has won 11 of its last 12 on the road, with its only loss during the streak – which started in the first week of January – coming against the Bucks in Milwaukee.
After dropping their first six games away from home to start the season, the Thunder are 19-5 on the road since.
"We've got to keep it moving," Thunder point guard Chris Paul said.
While the Celtics have been banged up lately, Oklahoma City has enjoyed a period of relative health.
Rookie forward Darius Bazley has not played since the last meeting with the Celtics, missing 10 consecutive games with a bone bruise in his right knee. He's not far from a possible return, though he will not play Sunday.
Everyone else that's played this season has been healthy recently.
"We've got basically 20 auditions before the playoffs," Paul said. "We've got to start building the right habits and making sure we're ready for the stretch run."
Watch the Thunder face the Celtics from 10pm on Sunday on Sky Sports Arena and Main Event. That's part two of an epic double-header, after the Lakers take on the Clippers on Sky Sports Arena from 7.30pm
