Jayson Tatum weighed in on the officiating after the Boston Celtics fell 118-112 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, though he made it clear he was not blaming the referees for the loss.
“You’re not gonna keep them off the line. They’re very intentional about that,” Tatum said postgame, via ClutchPoints. “We’re not gonna be the first team where they shoot five free throws or something crazy like that, but there’s a balance between that and 35 free throws.”
Oklahoma City attempted 35 free throws compared to Boston’s 18, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way by making 11 of his 13 attempts. The Thunder star finished with 34 points, helping his team clinch a playoff berth.
Tatum acknowledged that Boston needed to be more disciplined defensively but wanted consistency from the officials. “Granted, some of them were fouls, some of them we’ve gotta be better at,” he said. “I’m not saying that’s why we lost or it’s the refs’ fault or anything like that. That’s what you want, you want a physical game. That’s how it’s gonna be in the playoffs. You just want it to be the same on both sides, but that’s not why we lost at all.”
The Celtics fired a franchise-record 63 three-pointers, connecting on 20. Tatum led the way with 33 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists but also committed six turnovers.
Boston, now 47-19 and second in the East, saw its five-game winning streak snapped. Derrick White scored 22 points, while Al Horford contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Chet Holmgren played a pivotal role for the Thunder, finishing with 23 points and 15 rebounds. Oklahoma City improved to 54-12, maintaining its hold on the Western Conference’s top spot.
The game was tightly contested heading into the fourth quarter, tied at 88. With the score even at 98, Kenrich Williams buried a crucial three-pointer before Gilgeous-Alexander took over, sparking an 8-0 run to give the Thunder the lead for good.
Jaylen Brown struggled, scoring just 10 points on 5-for-15 shooting and missing all five of his three-point attempts before fouling out. Boston also committed 13 turnovers, which Oklahoma City converted into 17 points.
The Thunder, who have won 17 of their last 18 games, will continue their road trip after securing their postseason spot. The Celtics, looking to regain the top seed in the East, will try to bounce back in their next matchup.
