The Boston Celtics were held to a season-low 27 points in the second half of Sunday afternoon’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
On average nights, the formidable offense of the Boston Celtics typically posts an offensive rating of 120.6, good enough for third-best in the NBA. In Oklahoma City, their offensive rating was held to 94.7 due to the swarming defense of the Thunder.
How did the Thunder guard the Celtics?
The Celtics run a 5-out offense designed to create open 3-point shots. This system spaces 5 capable 3-points along the perimeter. When an offensive player attacks the basket, they draw help defenders, opening up opportunities for three-pointer attempts.
The Thunder countered this by switching on the Celtics’ pick-and-rolls to prevent the ball from reaching the basket. Switching on pick-and-rolls can create a variety of secondary issues, including mismatches.
The Thunder frequently had smaller players, such as Aaron Wiggins and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, switched to larger centers like Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford due to their switching strategy. However, they countered these mismatches with physicality and active hands to force turnovers. In the possession below, Horford fronts Gilgeous-Alexander in the post, but Gilgeous-Alexander is able to use his length to poke the pass away and force a turnover.
Swarming Help Defense
The Thunder have emphasized aggressively helping against perimeter players over the last two seasons, and against the Celtics, it was no different.
This strategy also helped to combat mismatches. When scorers like Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown attempted to attack the basket, Thunder players filled into the gaps to wall off the paint. The Thunder excel at this strategy due to their roster of lengthy, agile players who can quickly recover to their assignments after providing help defense. These same players are also often able to deflect passes, a big reason why the Thunder forced ten turnovers against the Celtics in the second half.
In the play below, Wiggins cuts off Tatum at the top of the key to seal off the paint, forcing him toward the sideline. The Thunder rotate behind the trap on Tatum and ultimately force a difficult shot.
The Dorture Chamber
Luguentz Dort was a key force for the Thunder’s defense in the second half, living up to his nickname, the “Dorture Chamber.” Jaylen Brown, Dort’s matchup in the second half, scored just 0 points after recording 21 points in the first half. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault shared insight on why that was the case.
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