The Thunder won a thriller against the Nuggets and extended its winning streak to five games. After two full days of rest, Oklahoma City now travels to face Boston at 8:30 p.m. Central on Amazon Prime. 

Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein remain sidelined, but Chet Holmgren makes his return after missing the past two games. Nikola Vučević is out for the Celtics, while Jayson Tatum and Derrick White are questionable to play. 

Check out three key matchups for this potential NBA Finals preview. 

40.5% of Boston’s total points this season have come from beyond the arc, which is the third-highest rate in the league according to NBA.com. On the flip side, the Celtics rank 29th in percentage of total points that have come from inside the paint. 

It’s even more important than usual to knock down triples from Boston’s perspective because Oklahoma City excels at protecting the paint and deterring rim attempts. Chet Holmgren, in particular, is a formidable obstacle for the Celtics’ drivers. Look for Sam Hauser and Baylor Scheierman to be featured as shooters in this matchup. They are combining to shoot 39% on 9.4 three-point attempts per game this season. 

Meanwhile, Boston’s defense surrenders the fourth-highest three-point attempt rate across the association. Can Isaiah Joe and Jared McCain punish the Celtics? They are shooting a combined 43.7% on 12.1 attempts per game from deep since the Feb. 5 trade deadline. 

Boston needed Jaylen Brown to be a high-volume scorer this season with Tatum recovering from a torn Achilles, and the former third overall pick has delivered. Brown is averaging 28.3 points per game and comfortably leads the NBA in field goal attempts per 75 possessions. 

Whether Tatum suits up or rests, the Celtics require another scoring masterclass from Brown in order to take down the reigning champs. 

Enter Luguentz Dort. The defensive ace has defended Brown for 38 possessions since Oct. 2023 and held him to two points and zero assists. It’s a small sample, but Dort is a poor matchup for Brown given his strength and Oklahoma City’s elite help defenders. 

Should the Thunder hold Brown to a modest night, then it removes the Celtics’ margin for error. 

Despite missing the Thunder’s previous 20 games with an abdominal strain and sprained ankle, Ajay Mitchell had no rust and torched Denver to the tune of 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field. 

His ability to get downhill and attack the basket perfectly complements Oklahoma City’s other reserves, who typically operate as off-ball shooters. If Mitchell can stabilize the second unit by scoring efficiently and setting up teammates, then the Thunder should dominate the bench minutes.