NBA 2021/22 on Tuesday, 03/22/2022
If you’re a Boston Celtics fan, you should definitely tune in for tonight’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Because you are rarely disappointed by the C’s as a spectator on the parquet at the moment!
From the high form of the guests can also derive a promising Thunder Celtics tip. Because The Greens are currently so dominant and spoiled for success that a clear victory over OKC seems inevitable.
In my eyes, there is no underdog that has a better chance of a surprising NBA overall win than the Celtics. Especially since Boston is one of the winners of the trade deadline and has done everything right on the floor since then.
In fact, with 18 wins out of their last 21 games, no team is currently enjoying a bigger upward trend than the C’s – that much is certain! And even 2nd place in the Eastern Conference ahead of NBA greats like the Bucks and Sixers continues to be an issue.
For that reason alone, fans of the Green and Whites can be sure that their favorites will have no reason to drop a gear in the game against the Thunder. Because shortly before the start of the playoffs, it’s all about every “win” for the guests.
The motivation curve on the side of the home side looks different! Because it’s no secret that the Thunder aren’t going anywhere with this squad! With a record of 20-50, even a spot in the play-in tournament remains mere wishful thinking.
And honestly, what can we expect from a franchise that is in the midst of a rebuild and has already lost eight straight games – six of them by a point differential of at least ten.
The comparison of both form curves alone makes it clear why a convincing win for the guests is the only realistic scenario in my eyes in the context of an objective Thunder Celtics forecast.
A deeper analysis reveals further reasons why the visitors will simply flatten OKC. That’s because coach Ime Udoka may have found the solution to a problem that would henceforth make the C’s a true title challenger.
Boston’s starting five has swept over their opponents like a wrecking ball so far! With a net rating of over 23.7 in a total of 417 minutes of play, the Green and White’s first suit is by far the most productive in the NBA.
However, the problem why The Greens are not “even” more dominant has primarily to do with the fact that their bench players have mostly left something to be desired. But it’s this area that the coach seems to have worked on successfully.
Because in last night’s 126-97 dismantling of the Sacramento Kings, the Celtics coach broke new ground! Jayson Taytum remains the centerpiece of the team. But this time, similar to field hockey, he stayed on the field while an entire “line” was brought in at the same time.
In fact, the C’s superstar and his four starting five teammates were allotted almost as much playing time as Taytum and four reserves Derrick White, Daniel Theis, Grant Williams and Payton Pritchard.
The key difference is that the “B selection” with Taytum at the helm outshot the Kings 40-19 during their playing time.
To be sure, I agree with many an NBA analyst that this was a clever move to better showcase the bench players. But before we can actually talk about a “magic bullet”, it will take several such performances.
For tonight, meanwhile, I’m relatively sure that the guests will once again fall back on the tactics shown against the Kings. Another defeat of the Thunder is inevitable for me, because OKC is not nearly as well positioned as Boston.
Incidentally, the best bookmakers also see it that way, and it is not for nothing that they are trading a success for the Greens at extremely low odds of 1.09 on average.
Summary: The Celtics are the team that has been the most convincing league-wide since the All-Star Break and can justifiably hope for second place in the Eastern Conference. 18 wins from the last 21 NBA games speak for themselves!
For OKC, on the other hand, the situation is disastrous! The ninth defeat in a row seems unavoidable – especially since the Thunder, weakened by replacements, have lost most of these games with a considerable points deficit.
The guests, on the other hand, ran the Kings off the floor 126-97 the day before yesterday in a new tactical composition! I expect a similar result against the shorthanded Oklahoma City squad.
My Thunder Celtics tip is therefore: Clear win for the Greens.
