Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker Combine for 53 Points as Celtics Beat Thunder

Both the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder came into Sunday riding multigame winning streaks. The Celtics kept theirs alive.   

Led by a strong performance from Jayson Tatum, the Celtics defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-111 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. The Thunder had the chance to tie the game in the waning seconds, down three, but Marcus Smart picked Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's pocket, ending any shot at overtime. 

Kemba Walker's 11 points in the fourth quarter proved crucial, helping give the Celtics a nine-point advantage with 1:40 remaining. The Thunder made a spirited comeback attempt but fell short. 

The Celtics are hot at the moment, winners of seven straight after Sunday's results, while the loss snapped Oklahoma City's four-game winning streak and was just its second loss in its last 11 games.

The win moved the Celtics to 37-15 and 1.5 games behind the Toronto Raptors for the second seed in the Eastern Conference, while the Thunder are now 32-21 and currently the sixth seed in the West, though they hold an identical record to the Dallas Mavericks, currently in seventh.

Key Stats

Jayson Tatum, BOS: 26 points, 11 rebounds

Danilo Gallinari, OKC: 24 points

Kemba Walker, BOS: 27 points

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC: 24 points, six rebounds

Jaylen Brown, BOS: 17 points

Dennis Schroder, OKC: 22 points, seven rebounds

Gordon Hayward, BOS: 13 points, 10 rebounds

Chris Paul, OKC: 22 points, five assists, five rebounds

Tatum's 2nd-Half Surge Fuels Celtics

Tatum found his stroke in the second half, with 19 of his total points coming in the final 24 minutes. 

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Tatum has been cooking in February, averaging 29.5 points per game in the month coming into Sunday's contest. And his shooting has been en fuego, as he's shot 52.6 percent from three during that stretch.

He's also scored 20 or more points in nine straight contests. 

The Celtics' seven-game winning streak is due partly to Tatum's elite level of play. He continued that Sunday, and the Thunder never quite had an answer for him in the second half. 

When Tatum aggressively attacks the rim and doesn't settle for long jumpers, he becomes a different player. He was excellent at the rim Sunday and was Boston's best player, especially in the second half. 

Gallinari Remains Crucial for OKC's Playoff Push   

The Thunder had to be happy Gallinari wasn't in Miami on Sunday.

The star forward was nearly dealt to the Heat before the trade deadline, only for those talks to fall apart. The Thunder needed every one of his 24 points Sunday to keep things close, though his efforts were ultimately in vain. 

Still, Gallo is going to be key for a Thunder team that looks like a lock to make the postseason. The Thunder have fantastic balance with him, CP3, Schroder and SGA, and while trading him to Miami would have made sense in the long run—the team is unlikely to re-sign him in the offseason—his presence is important in the short term.

Getting more postseason experience for players like Gilgeous-Alexander, Schroder, Nerlens Noel and the rest of the team's young core is vital going forward. Gallo will help the Thunder accomplish that goal.

What's Next?

The Thunder host the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night at 8 p.m. ET, while the Celtics travel to Houston to face the Rockets on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. ET.