Thunder Score Franchise-Record 150 Points in Win vs. Jayson Tatum, Celtics

Not even the team with the best record in the NBA was stopping the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday.

The Thunder set a franchise record with 150 points during a commanding 150-117 victory over Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics. OKC's previous high mark was the 149 it scored in a 2019 game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It was apparent from the early going that this wouldn't be a straightforward win for the 26-12 Celtics despite the differences in records.

The Thunder poured in 40 points in a dominant second quarter to take a 20-point halftime lead and never looked back as their offense shot 59.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from deep on the way to 20 made three-pointers.

Seven players scored in double figures for the victors, including all five starters. Tre Mann and Isaiah Joe provided a spark off the bench with 21 points each, and Josh Giddey stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, five assists, five rebounds and two steals behind 10-of-15 shooting from the field.

Frankly, the OKC roster that took the floor Tuesday is not supposed to be putting up numbers like this.

Go-to playmaker Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed the game due to a non-COVID illness, and rookie Chet Holmgren is out for the season with a Lisfranc injury he suffered before he even took the court for his first NBA game.

That is the franchise's star player and a foundational piece on the sidelines, but it was no matter against the championship contenders from Boston.

The Thunder are still just 16-21 on the campaign and are looking more toward the future with young players and plenty of draft capital, but they remain within striking distance of the Western Conference play-in tournament at this point.

They will look to keep things rolling Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.