Baylor Scheierman praised the team’s physicality after Boston’s 119-109 victory over Oklahoma City on Wednesday at TD Garden. “The level of physicality on both ends of the floor… we knew we were going to need to have to obviously win this game and I think we did that for the majority of the game tonight,” he said.
Scheierman highlighted the significance of the win. “We can compete with anybody in the NBA. Obviously, it’s just a regular season game… we’re happy to win it, but we’re moving on to Friday and getting ready for the Hawks,” he added.
On his defensive reads, Scheierman credited instinct and effort. “It’s just kind of the feel of the game, the read… just competing super hard on both ends of the floor,” he said, referencing his ability to make winning plays.
The forward discussed offensive rebounding, pointing to consistent effort. “Over the course of the game… continuing to crash every single shot… you’re able to get two, three, four second-chance opportunities,” Scheierman explained. He noted that maintaining this edge required team discipline and focus.
Scheierman also emphasized the impact of key teammates. “It was fire… great to have them both back… the garden was rocking,” he said about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who contributed 12 and eight rebounds, respectively. “They’ve always been phenomenal rebounders… it helps us get into our transition offense quicker.”
Regarding his season performance, Scheierman expressed confidence. “I’m not surprised. I’m super confident in my abilities… taking one day at a time, one game at a time,” he said. He reflected on the team’s prior close loss in Oklahoma City: “We felt like we could have won that one on the road… talking about the physicality and just the execution, I think we did at a super high level tonight.”
Scheierman discussed the importance of spacing with stars like Tatum and Brown. “As a guy like me, you kind of like that because it opens up shots for you… spacing is super important because that allows you to be open,” he said. On balancing offensive rebounding and positioning, he added, “It really just comes down to a feel thing… you’re not perfect all the time, but you have freedom to crash or stay.”
On integrating Tatum into the lineup, Scheierman shared excitement for the team’s potential. “It’s super exciting… now that we have him back and integrated… it’s just super exciting for what’s to come… taking a day at a time and feeling super confident.”
Scheierman concluded by emphasizing his defensive pride. “I take a lot of pride in it… my teammates and coaches trust me to go out there and defend them and follow the game plan… I just try to do that to the best of my ability at a high level.”
The Celtics snapped the Thunder’s 12-game win streak, led by Brown’s 31 points and Tatum’s 19 points and 12 rebounds. Oklahoma City was outscored 19-2 in second-chance points and shot just 12 of 37 from three. Boston will host Atlanta on Friday, while the Thunder return home to face Chicago.
