The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to strike lightning in the NBA season, upending the defending champions Boston Celtics and Jayson Tatum, in its latest show of the might of the youth. The Thunder were without their second man, Jalen Williams, but another MVP performance from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander proved enough to down the Celtics 118-112.
However, Thunder’s aggressive play was yet again at the center of discussion as they finished the game 25-for-35 at the stripe while Boston was just 10-for-12. While many fans blamed the disparity between free throws was because of unfair officiating, Celtics star Jayson Tatum didn’t entirely think so.
Jayson Tatum Doesn’t Blame Free Throw Disparity
With Thunder earning a 15-point difference through free throws made, many fans blamed the defending champions’ loss on Oklahoma’s ‘foul baiting.’
“Foul baiting won em the 4th,” a fan argued.
Brown Says Celtics Lacked Aggression
“I didn’t get a free throw attempt tonight. That means I wasn’t aggressive enough or I wasn’t physical enough,” said the four-time All-Star. “Even when [the referees] choose not to call fouls or whatever it is, I’m [usually] still able to get at least one free throw attempt. I had zero, so that just lets me know that I wasn’t aggressive enough.”
Brown finished the night with 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists, while Tatum recorded 33 points on 12-for-23 shooting with eight rebounds and eight assists. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the scoring for the Thunder with 34 points, five rebounds, and seven assists to lock a playoff spot for Oklahoma.