Analysis: Boston - Oklahoma

On Monday night we will visit Massachusetts again, the TD Garden arena in particular, where Celtics will battle with Oklahoma Thunder.

Classification and teams’ condition:
Boston (4-5) is taking the 9th place in the West, Oklahoma (10-2) is the leader of the Conference.

Potential and team situation:
This season, these matches are crucial for Boston basketball players. After the final we will have all the answers. All experts argue that the team of Doc Rivers will undergo the changes of generations. There is nothing strange. Celtics is one of the oldest teams in the whole NBA, with an average age around 29 years, which may explain the weak shape of the Greens. The defeats to Indiana and Dallas do not cancel the chances of Celtics, but they show the truth: in order to have success in the NBA you must have not only a powerful starting five, but also back-up players, and TD Garden does not have such. Rondo, Garnett, Allen and Pierce can win some matches, but the matches against the leaders require the support of the reserve players.
A team from Oklahoma is an example of the fact that one can build a team that will play a major role in the league in 2-3 years. Watching the matches of Thunders against Phoenix or Memphis we can enjoy a first-class game. First of all, Scott Brooks prepared the team quite well in terms of speed, athletic and physical stamina. The Thunder’s game is not based only on a duet Westbrook - Durant. Such players as James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison, or Thabo Sefolosha help them. Kendrick Perkins, a former Boston player, is especially useful in defense, he shows that it was a mistake to decline his services before the start of the season.

History of the meetings:
Last season, Boston and Oklahoma shared the victories. Interestingly, Thunder has won twice at the TD Garden (104:109 and 84:89).

Tips and justification:
An excellent shape of Thunder, a good squad, intensity of the game, a team spirit – these are the arguments that indicate that we should be bet on Oklahoma’s victory.