On paper, it was Boston\u2019s first two-game losing streak in two months.<\/p>\n
In reality, it was proof that the Celtics can hang with the NBA\u2019s best, even at far less than full strength.<\/p>\n
Two days after giving Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs a scare in San Antonio \u2014 they trailed by one with 6:38 to go before fading late in a 125-116 loss<\/a> \u2014 the C\u2019s nearly upset the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> on their home floor Thursday night, losing 104-102 on a pair of Chet Holmgren free throws with 0.8 seconds remaining.<\/p>\n Boston played the former without Payton Pritchard, Nikola Vucevic and Jaylen Brown (who was ejected late in a stellar first half<\/a> for arguing with officials), and the latter without Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Vucevic.<\/p>\n Add in last Sunday\u2019s 109-98 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a>, which the Celtics led by 20-plus before a late Cavs rally, and it was an all-around encouraging road trip for Joe Mazzulla\u2019s squad despite the 1-2 result.<\/p>\n \u201cEffort was good,\u201d Mazzulla told reporters after Thursday\u2019s loss. \u201cIt\u2019s effort, toughness, execution. I thought our effort and toughness was great. When you play two great teams like that, obviously every possession matters, so a couple of possessions that didn\u2019t go our way, it\u2019s the difference in the game. But I thought we played very well, and credit to the guys. And now we have the possessions that we know we have to get better at.\u201d<\/p>\n At 43-23, the Celtics still sit second in the Eastern Conference standings with 16 games remaining. They rank third in net rating and point differential, trailing the Thunder and Detroit Pistons in both, and look the part of a team that\u2019s now the betting favorite to represent the East in the NBA Finals.<\/p>\n As Boston heads home to play six of its next seven games at TD Garden \u2014 first up: a Saturday evening matchup against the actively tanking Washington Wizards (6 p.m.) \u2014 here are three additional takeaways from its three-game gauntlet:<\/p>\n Big-time bench<\/p>\n Only three Celtics finished Thursday\u2019s last-second loss with positive plus\/minus marks. All three were bench players: Ron Harper Jr. (plus-15), Jordan Walsh (plus-12) and Luka Garza (plus-9). And Hugo Gonzalez\u2019s minus-3 was better than any Boston starter.<\/p>\n The Celtics being able to field a difference-making second unit \u2014 against arguably the NBA\u2019s deepest team \u2014 while playing without three rotation players underscored one of the main reasons for their success this season: the major leaps taken by players who weren\u2019t NBA regulars a year ago.<\/p>\n Harper, a 25-year-old wing on a two-way contract, has scored 33 of his 106 career points in the last two games. Walsh, who\u2019d been out of the rotation since Tatum\u2019s return, played his best game in weeks against OKC. The Celtics have outscored opponents by 17 points with Garza on the court since Vucevic, the team\u2019s top trade deadline pickup, fractured his ring finger<\/a> last Friday \u2014 an injury that will sideline him for at least the next two weeks.<\/p>\n Gonzalez had 11 points, two offensive rebounds, two steals and a block Thursday night, holding the Thunder\u2019s supporting cast to 1-for-8 shooting. (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went 3-for-4 against the rookie, but no Celtic could contain the reigning NBA MVP in his 13-for-18, 35-point, nine-assist showing.)<\/p>\n