Stud and Duds: Marcus Smart, Celtics beat Thunder 100-85

After missing most of the 2014-15 season with a foot injury, the Oklahoma City Thunder were very excited to get a fully healthy Kevin Durant back into the lineup. “In certain situations when we’re catching the ball in certain areas of the floor, there’s times where we do a terrific job of it. But sometimes we don’t do such a great job and that’s something that as we’re trying to build and get better at those things, that they’ll see it more often”. Last season, Boston was an okay defensive team, 12th in the league, and that was enough to get them into the postseason.

Westbrook scored 27 points shooting 5 of 20 from the field.

Center Steven Adams was the only other Thunder player in double figures with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

“I got no answers for that”, Kanter said of his team’s offensive performance. The Thunder come into this game 6-3 Straight Up (SU) and 5-4 Against The Spread (ATS). Guard Isaiah Thomas scored 20 points and handed out eight assists.

The Thunder were held to just 36 percent shooting and were outrebounded by 13.

“We just have to lock in and do what we’re supposed to do, and do it for 48 minutes”, Westbrook said.

Smart, who also had to guard Oklahoma’s Russell Westbrook, was still able to shoot 9-of-14 from the field and haul in eight rebounds. He would have hit double digits if he hadn’t missed three free throws. “I’ve been used to it. For Brad to draw up a post play for me and the guys to trust me, it feels good”. “This is the gym he always shoots it well in, right?” I think Oklahoma has a special place in his heart. He was so hyped up that, after being called for a questionable reach-in foul after stripping Westbrook on the perimeter late in the second quarter, Smart earned a technical foul (and maybe tip-toed the ejection line) while barking at referee Zach Zarba about the call.

– Bradley played his first game in five days Sunday, but he didn’t show too many signs of rust.

As it turns out, Durant has sat out OKC’s last four contests against Boston with various ailments and hasn’t played a game against the Celtics since January 5, 2014. They pushed the lead to 11 early in the third quarter, but the Celtics rallied and trimmed their deficit to 74-72 by the end of the period. But no. He had a good game. “That was a big key. We were really just active defensively”.

Oklahoma City, meanwhile, had its wheels fall off the proverbial wagon as Westbrook shot 1-for-11 during the second half and 0-for-5 during the fourth quarter. The Thunder gave the ball away 18 times against Boston…. Stevens was quick to point out that Boston deployed much of its nine-man rotation, especially Smart and Avery Bradley, on Westbrook.

Oklahoma City has a flawless 2-0 record when opponents score fewer than 100 points. Thunder G Anthony Morrow got his second start of the season, but he finished scoreless in 15 minutes….