BOSTON -- Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and his players were on the same page about what cost them in Wednesday night's 118-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden.
Despite converting only 20 of their franchise-record 63 3-point attempts, the Celtics aren't dwelling on their lackluster shooting performance. Rather, they lament not being more aggressive against a physical Thunder squad.
"I thought we got amazing looks," Mazzulla said. "You have to match the level of physicality. ... There is a level of physicality you have to play with, and you also have to do your best to defend without fouling.”
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Boston's 63 3-point attempts were overshadowed by the time Oklahoma City spent at the free-throw line. The Thunder outshot the C's from the charity stripe, 35-12.
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Celtics star Jaylen Brown didn't attempt a single free throw and ended up fouling out late in the fourth quarter. He finished with a modest 10 points on 5-of-15 shooting (0-5 3-PT) and admitted he struggled to match the Thunder's aggressiveness.
"I give credit to OKC," Brown said. "Tougher team sets the rules. They had a good level of physicality tonight. I could be more physical. I could use my body more. I settled in some spots. I didn't meet the level of physicality tonight. Like, I got no free throw attempts, and that's unusual. So just making sure you get your body healthy, but I didn't meet the level of physicality tonight."
Al Horford also didn't attempt any free throws in the defeat, but the 38-year-old big man wasn't afraid to get physical against the youngest team in the NBA. He helped the C's keep it close with 18 points (6-12 3-PT), 10 rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and a steal.
After the game, Horford echoed Mazzulla and Brown's sentiments while noting that experiencing OKC's physicality prepares them for a potential NBA Finals showdown with the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.
"I felt like we did a lot of things we wanted to tonight. We got some good looks offensively," Horford said. "I felt like we did well, they just played a better game. I felt like (Chet) Holmgren was good for them and they made some timely shots in different areas, so we just gotta give them credit. They played really well, they play hard, and they challenge you, so they earned this win tonight.
"There was definitely times they got us off our spots and things like that, but it's a good experience for our group to play that style of play and play that team. They play really well, they're very organized, and they're very physical, but it's good information for us."
If the Celtics meet the Thunder again in June, they'll have to find a way to limit MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA finished with a game-high 34 points -- 10 from the free-throw line -- and seven assists. As Horford mentioned, big man Chet Holmgren (23 points, 15 rebounds) also was a difference-maker after missing the previous showdown vs. the C's.
With Wednesday's triumph, Oklahoma City completed a two-game season sweep of the reigning NBA champions. The Thunder also snapped Boston's five-game win streak while winning their seventh straight game on the road.
The Celtics (47-19) will look to bounce back Friday when they visit the Miami Heat (29-36).