Stars align as healthier Thunder, Celtics match up

Oklahoma City looks to extend win streak against Boston's struggling star

Mar. 25, 2026 at 4:10am

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The Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending NBA champions, will visit the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night. The Thunder are riding a 12-game winning streak and have the best record in the league at 57-15. The Celtics, meanwhile, are coming off a loss to Minnesota and are dealing with Jayson Tatum's shooting struggles since returning from an Achilles injury. The game will feature a matchup of two of the NBA's top scorers in the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Celtics' Jaylen Brown.

Why it matters

This matchup between the league-leading Thunder and the struggling Celtics is an intriguing one, as it pits two of the NBA's top teams and stars against each other. The Thunder's impressive winning streak and Gilgeous-Alexander's historic scoring run add to the intrigue, while the Celtics' hopes of getting Tatum back on track will be a key storyline.

The details

The Thunder are coming off a 123-103 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night, extending their franchise-record winning streak to 12 games. Coach Mark Daigneault says the team doesn't focus on the streak, but rather on improving their habits and competing in each possession. Gilgeous-Alexander has scored at least 20 points in 132 consecutive games, breaking Wilt Chamberlain's NBA record. The Celtics, meanwhile, are dealing with Tatum's shooting struggles since returning from an Achilles injury, as he is averaging just 19.1 points and shooting 38.8% from the field in eight games back.

  • The Thunder-Celtics matchup will take place on Wednesday, March 25, 2026.
  • The Thunder had a franchise-record 16-game winning streak earlier this season.
  • Gilgeous-Alexander broke Wilt Chamberlain's NBA record of 58 consecutive games with at least 20 points in a row, with his current streak now at 132 games.

The players

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

The Oklahoma City Thunder's star guard, who is averaging 31.5 points per game this season, which ranks second in the NBA.

Jaylen Brown

The Boston Celtics' star guard, who is averaging 28.5 points per game, which ranks fifth in NBA scoring.

Jayson Tatum

The Boston Celtics' six-time All-Star and first-team All-NBA forward, who is averaging 19.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game this season after returning from an Achilles injury.

Mark Daigneault

The head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

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What they’re saying

“We don't really focus on the winning streak, we focus on the possessions. We don't even focus on the game, we focus on the possessions and trying to build the right habits and win the little battles that exist inside a possession and let them stack up throughout a game.”

— Mark Daigneault, Head Coach, Oklahoma City Thunder

“I wouldn't say normal slump, because it's the first time I went through something like this. I mean, it's just been a long time. It was a long time before I could shoot a basketball, before I could walk. So just trying to knock the rust off game by game.”

— Jayson Tatum

“I think if I was on a different team I'd be more frustrated, but I'm around good energy. So I think that's been one of the things that keeps me going.”

— Jalen Williams, Guard, Oklahoma City Thunder

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This game features a matchup of two of the NBA's top teams and stars, with the league-leading Thunder looking to extend their impressive winning streak against a Celtics squad trying to get their star player Jayson Tatum back on track after his return from injury.