Brown-led Celts hand Thunder first loss in month

Brown-led Celts hand Thunder first loss in month

-->

Skip to main content Skip to navigation

< >

Brown-led Celts hand Thunder first loss in monthBoston Celtics3hMurray drops 53, Jokic nearly has 20-20-20 gameDenver Nuggets51mNBA votes to mull Vegas, Seattle expansion bids15hShams CharaniaSilver: NBA ready to combat tanking 'full stop'8hTim BontempsDoc says Giannis progressing but not yet healthyMilwaukee Bucks3hEmbiid, George lead 76ers past Bulls in returnPhiladelphia 76ers7hOKC's Williams clears another test in 2nd gameOklahoma City Thunder1hVincent GoodwillEverything we know about NBA expansion: Why add two teams now? Why Seattle and Las Vegas?15hTim Bontemps and Bobby Marks'A lot of downside, but not a lot of upside': The balancing act facing Jayson Tatum and the CelticsBoston Celtics19hTim BontempsNBA Power Rankings: The Thunder reign while East teams riseDetroit Pistons19hESPNNBA draft stock watch: Latest buzz, scouting reports on 21 top prospectsSanta Clara Broncos2dJeremy WooEverything we know about NBA expansion: Why add two teams now? Why Seattle and Las Vegas?15hTim Bontemps and Bobby MarksRanking the 10 best and 10 worst NBA transactions since last summerNew York Knicks3dZach Kram'The Hoop Collective': Best quotes, latest intel from Windhorst's podcast15hESPN staffJ. Cole breaks down why LeBron James was carrying his latest 'The Fall-Off' vinylLos Angeles Lakers11hKalan HooksNBA Futures: Lakers, Spurs title odds shorten; Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets odds get longerOklahoma City Thunder9hDoug GreenbergESPN News ServicesMultiple AuthorsMar 25, 2026, 10:26 PM ETEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBOSTON -- Jaylen Brown scored 14 of his 31 points in a pivotal third quarter, and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-109 on Wednesday night, snapping the defending champions' 12-game win streak.

Jayson Tatum recovered from back-to-back rocky performances to contribute 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists as Boston earned a split in the two regular-season matchups between the past two NBA champs.

Brown added eight rebounds and eight assists, and his big quarter helped the Celtics take an 88-83 lead into the fourth. Boston's edge grew as high as 14 in the final period.

OKC got within six with 1:30 remaining, but a layup by Brown and two free throws by Derrick White helped Boston close out Oklahoma City's first loss since Feb. 25.

"I really wanted that win," Brown said. "That was well needed. We needed that as well. We know we can play with anybody, but when you get a win on your home floor against the team that has the best record in the league, it feels good, especially after dropping the game I feel like we should have won against Minnesota (a 102-92 loss Sunday). Very encouraging and it's a step in building the right direction."

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 33 points and eight assists. It was his seventh straight 30-point game against Boston, the longest streak vs. the Celtics since LeBron James had nine straight from 2004 to 2008. But Oklahoma City was outscored by the Celtics 19-2 in second-chance points and shot just 12-of-37 from the 3-point line.

Lu Dort added 14 points. Jalen Williams finished with seven points in his second game back following a 16-game absence with a hamstring injury.

The Thunder earned a two-point victory in the first meeting between the teams two weeks ago in Oklahoma City. But that game was played with both sides missing key players.

The Celtics were without Tatum, who hadn't returned from Achilles tendon rehab, White (bruised right knee) and Nikola Vucevic (finger). Oklahoma City didn't have Williams (strained right hamstring) or Isaiah Hartenstein (bruised left calf).

Vucevic again sat Wednesday, but the other four were on the floor for the rematch in a rare late-season pairing of elite NBA teams still with things to iron out before the playoffs. The Thunder entered atop the West and with the NBA's best record, while the Celtics came in boasting the East's second-best mark.

It marked the Celtics' first win against a team that entered 40-plus games over .500 since March 8, 2017, against the Golden State Warriors.

"I like the fact that we brought the physicality," Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said. "I like the fact that we brought our offensive organization. I like the fact that we executed. I like the fact that we took it to a different level defensively. And so now it's OK, where can we get better? How do we apply it to Friday's game (against the Hawks)? They're playing really well, they're going to challenge us in different ways, and how do we get better?"

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.