SGA Says Thunder Failed Celtics' 'Test' in Trending Video, Jaylen Brown 'Really Wanted That Win

The Oklahoma City Thunder had their 12-game win streak come to an end in Wednesday's 119-109 loss to the Boston Celtics, and star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a blunt assessment for his team's performance.

"It's a game that you see where you really are, and they test you," Gilgeous-Alexander told reporters after the loss. "We got a test tonight; we didn't pass it."

The Thunder were facing a motivated Celtics squad, as star guard Jaylen Brown admitted after the game, "I really wanted that win. 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."

Thunder-Celtics Highlights

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Brown scored 14 of his 31 points in the third quarter to help Boston pull away in the second half. Oklahoma City trailed by as many as 14 points in the final period before cutting the lead to six, but the Celtics were able to stave off the rally.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who had a game-high 33 points along with eight assists in the loss, praised Boston for bringing the intensity each time the two teams meet.

"Every time you play a Boston Celtics, you get a playoff feel. No matter what day it is. No matter who's out there. They're super well-coached. They have really good players," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I think it's one of the premier organizations to play against, and they bring it every night. No matter who's out there. Have a culture. They check all the boxes, and that's why they've been successful for the past years."

Wednesday's matchup could have been a potential NBA Finals preview, as the Thunder lead the Western Conference with a 57-16 record, while the Celtics rank second in the East at 48-24. Both teams are starting to get back to full strength with the recent returns of Jalen Williams (hamstring) and Jayson Tatum (Achilles), respectively.

The defending champion Thunder will try to bounce back when they return to action on Friday against the Chicago Bulls (29-43). The Celtics will also be active that day in a matchup against the Atlanta Hawks (41-32).