Boston Celtics (43-21) at Oklahoma City Thunder (51-15)
Thursday, March 12, 2026
9:30 PM ET
Game #66, Road Game #35
TV: Prime Video
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, WWLS/WKY, Sirius XM
Paycom Center
Boston, MA
Boston Celtics (43-21) at Oklahoma City Thunder (51-15) Game #66 3/12/26
The Celtics complete their 3 game road trip with a stop in Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. The Celtics won the first game in Cleveland on Sunday and then lost to the Spurs on Tuesday night. The Thunder haven’t played since Monday. This is the first of 2 meetings between these 2 teams this season. They will meet for the final time in Boston on March 25. The Celtics are 47-59 against the Thunder overall all time and they are 22-30 in games played in Oklahoma City.
The Thunder won the Championship last season and in the off season, they did very little to change their team. They made no trades and brought in no new players. They lost Dillon Jones who went to the Wizards. They did re-sign Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell. At the trade deadline, They traded picks to Philadelphia for Jared McCain and they traded Ousmane Dieng to Charlotte for Mason Plumlee, who they waived.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 3.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 2 games ahead of 3rd place New York , 3.5 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 6.5 games ahead of 5th place Orlando and 6th place Miami and 7 games ahead of 7th place Toronto. The Celtics are 15-8 against Western Conference opponents. They are 22-12 on the road and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a loss in their last game. (The Knicks, Cavs, and Raptors are playing as I write this so that may change.)
The Thunder are 1st in the West, 2.5 games ahead of 2nd place San Antonio, 10 games ahead of 3rd place Houston, 10.5 games ahead of the 4th place Lakers and 5th place Minnesota, 11.5 games ahead of 6th place Denver and 12.5 games ahead of 7th place Phoenix. They are 15-6 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 27-6 at home and 9-1 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 5 games.
After this game at Oklahoma City the Celtics will head home where they will host Washington, Phoenix and Golden State. Next, it is one game at Memphis before a 3 game home stand against Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Atlanta. Then it’s back on the road for a 4 game trip through Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami and Milwaukee. They will then play two games at home against Toronto and Charlotte before one game on the road at New York. They will finish the season with 2 games at home against New Orleans and Orlando.
The Celtics may be shorthanded in this game with 4 players listed on the injury report at this time. The good news is that Payton Pritchard has been upgraded to available. Jayson Tatum is out for injury management after playing the last 3 games they may want to monitor his workload. Derrick White is listed as questionable due to a right knee contusion. Nikola Vucevic is out due to surgery on his injured finger. I have no idea who will start if both Tatum and White are out. I made a wild guess it will be Sheierman and Harper, Jr.
The Thunder may also be shorthanded for this game. Isaiah Hartenstein will miss a third straight game due to a bruised left calf. Jalen Williams is listed as out due to a strained right hamstring. Thomas Sorber is out for the season with a torn ACL. Brandon Carlson has been ruled out for a seventh straight game due to a back strain. Once again, I really don’t know who will start for the Thunder but took a guess at it.
Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Baylor Scheierman vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SG: Ron Harper, Jr vs Cason Wallace
SF: Jaylen Brown vs Luguentz Dort
PF: Sam Hauser vs Jaylin Williams
C: Neemias Queta vs Chet Holmgren
Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Hugo Gonzalez
Luka Garza
Amare Williams
Jordan Walsh
2-Way Players
Ron Harper, Jr
Max Shulga
John Tonje
Injuries/Out
Nikola Vucevic (finger) out
Payton Pritchard (neck) available
Jayson Tatum (injury management) out
Derrick White (knee) questionable
Thunder Reserves
Branden Carlson
Alex Caruso
Isaiah Joe
Jared McCain
AJay Mitchell
Aaron Wiggins
Kenrich Williams
2 Way Players
Brooks Barnhizer
Branden Carlson
Payton Sandfort
Injuries/Out
Branden Carlson (back) out
Thomas Sorber (ACL) out
Nikola Topic (G-League) out
Jalen Williams (hamstring) out
Head Coach
Mark Daigneault
Key Matchups
Baylor Scheierman vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He is shooting 55.1% from the field and 38.3% from beyond the arc. Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP and is one of the leaders to win it once again this season. He is the key to the Thunder’s winning ways. In order to slow the Thunder, the Celtics must slow down SGA. I’m just guessing that Scheierman will start at the point but White may play and it’s possible that Joe will go with someone else to start here.
Neemias Queta vs Chet Holmgren
Holmgren is averaging 17.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.9 blocks per game. He is shooting 55.2% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the arc. Holmgren is a threat to grab rebounds and block shots near the basket and the Celtics need to try to keep him out of the paint. He can also hit threes and so the Celtics need to stay with him on the perimeter as well.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always the biggest key to winning. This is going to be a tough matchup for the Celtics as the Thunder are first in the league with a defensive rating of 106.2 while the Celtics are 5th with a defensive rating of 111.8. The Celtics need to tighten up their defense and make playing defense a priority especially against this Thunder team that plays lock down defense. It will be even harder for the Celtics on defense if both Derrick White and Jayson Tatum are out.
Rebound – Rebounding is also a key to winning. The Celtics need to rebound on the defensive end to keep the Thunder from getting second chance points and they need to rebound on the offensive end to give themselves extra possessions. The Thunder are 15th with 43.8 rebounds per game while the Celtics are 5th with 46.3 rebounds per game. Much of rebounding is desire and effort and the Celtics as a team have to put in the extra effort to grab rebounds.
Take Care of the Ball – The Celtics need to keep their focus and not turn the ball over. The Thunder are 1st in the league with 22.1 points off turnovers per game. They are also 4th with 9.7 steals per game. The Celtics have to move the ball because they are a much better team when they move the ball and don’t over dribble. But they must focus and make careful passes and not get sloppy. They also have to be aware when dribbling the ball so as not to allow the Thunder to get steals. The Thunder will make them pay if they get sloppy and turn the ball over.
Be Focused and Ready for a Tough Game – The Thunder are a very good team and they play exceptional defense. The Celtics have to be ready to go to the basket if they struggle from three. They also have to be ready to shoot from midrange if both the paint and the perimeter are defended tightly. The Celtics must stay focused on playing hard for 48 minutes and on playing tough defense and on playing the right way. They can’t afford to let the Thunder play harder than them.
X-Factors
On the Road – The Celtics are playing in their 3rd straight road game. The Thunder have the advantage of being at home in front of their fans and they have great fans. The Celtics need to overcome the distractions of travel and playing on the road in front of hostile fans. This is also the final game of a road trip and those are among the toughest games to win as the team is road weary and sometimes focus isn’t where it should be because of it.
Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor. How the refs call the game has a big influence on how the teams play. Will they let them play or call every little bit of contact? Will they call it evenly or will they favor one team or the other. It all effects the outcome of the game and the Celtics need to play the right way and not allow the officiating to take them out of their game. They can’t let bad calls and no calls take away their focus.
Boston, MA
Friend of Worcester woman killed in Virginia I-95 crash ‘cannot believe she is gone.’ – The Boston Globe
When Priscilla R. Mafalda left for Florida last week, she sounded exhausted but happy.
“Friend, I’m very tired, but thank God I’m finally taking some vacation time. I’m going to Florida,” she told her work friend, Thaiz Ramos, on Thursday.
Ramos said Mafalda promised she would call when she arrived.
“I am still waiting for that call,” Ramos said Sunday afternoon, “because part of me still cannot believe she is gone.”
Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, was identified over the weekend as the fifth person killed in the devastating Interstate 95 crash in Virginia that also claimed the lives of four members of the Doncev family from Greenfield, Massachusetts. Authorities said Mafalda was traveling in a separate vehicle, a Chevrolet Suburban, when it was struck by a passenger bus that failed to slow for traffic near a work zone.
Friends say Mafalda, who was born in Inhapim, Brazil, had built a life in Massachusetts. A GoFundMe, which refers to her as Priscilla Ramos, no relation to Thaiz Ramos, was created after her death and says relatives are raising money to return her body to Brazil for burial.
The GoFundMe said that her husband, Igor Ernesto, was also in the vehicle and hospitalized. Mafalda’s family and GoFundMe organizers could not immediately be reached for comment.
By Sunday , over $14,000 was raised.
Ramos worked with Mafalda for years at a Massachusetts house-cleaning company. She described her as “one of the kindest and hardest-working people I have ever known.”
Virginia State Police said the crash happened around 2:35 a.m. Friday in Stafford County, when a bus traveling from New York to North Carolina struck slowed traffic near a work zone, setting off a chain-reaction collision impacting Mafalda’s vehicle. It forced her vehicle into the Doncev family’s Acura SUV and several others. The bus driver has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, with additional charges pending.
This is a developing story.
Sarah Rahal can be reached at sarah.rahal@globe.com. Follow her on X @SarahRahal_ or Instagram @sarah.rahal.
Boston, MA
Where to watch Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Guardians: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 31
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Sunday as the Boston Red Sox visit the Cleveland Guardians.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Guardians?
First pitch between the Cleveland Guardians and Boston Red Sox is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, May 31.
How to watch Boston Red Sox vs Cleveland Guardians on Sunday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 6:32 a.m.
- Matchup: BOS at CLE
- Date: Sunday, May 31
- Time: 1:40 p.m. (ET)
- Venue: Progressive Field
- Location: Cleveland, Ohio
- TV: Guardians.TV and NESN
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for May 31 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
Boston, MA
Police Blotter: Cambridge meth chemist sentenced to prison; Boston firefighters make high-flying save
A “skilled” drug chemist who helped flood Greater Boston with methamphetamine will spend more than a decade in prison for his role in the enterprise.
U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV sentenced Schuyler Oppenheimer, who went by “SK” and conducted illicit trade with Chinese suppliers under the name “Michael Sylvain,” according to court documents, to 13 years in federal prison.
Oppenheimer, 35 of Cambridge, was arrested in July 2024 and pleaded guilty in January to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and two counts of wire fraud.
Authorities say that Oppenheimer’s drug business was partially funded through $40,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans.
FBI Special Agent Eric Poalino described Oppenheimer repeatedly in a lengthy affidavit supporting the charges as a “skilled” drug chemist. A rap sheet included in court documents shows drug charges — convicted or otherwise — dating back to 2008 and at the time of his arrest on July 18, Oppenheimer was on pretrial release for three pending cases.
In addition to his own record, law enforcement was already on to him because he is suspected “to historically have been a technician for other large-scale pill producers in Massachusetts,” according to Poalino’s affidavit.
That includes working for North Shore fentanyl kingpin Vincent “Fatz” Caruso, who along with his mother in 2021 pleaded guilty to operating a large-scale drug trafficking organization specializing in pressed fentanyl pills and was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison. Caruso and a lieutenant of his, Ernest “Yo Pesci” Johnson, who was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, gained notoriety through posting photos of their lifestyles to social media.
High-stakes save
Boston Fire Department firefighters saved a crane operator stuck in his cab at Conley Terminal in South Boston Saturday, despite the dangerous weather conditions.
The Department cheered the firefighters who worked “over 200 feet in the air under extreme weather conditions, high winds and heavy rain.” The department did not say how the crane got stuck.
Incident Summary
BPD responded to 249 incidents in the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. Saturday, according to the department’s incident log. Those included four robberies, one aggravated assault, two residential burglaries, three thefts from a car, two auto thefts, and 26 instances of miscellaneous larceny.
Arrests
All of the below-named defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
— Nicole Anderson, no address listed. Trespassing.
— Kesner Forestale, no address listed. Trespassing.
— Sean Ribeiro, 112 Southampton St., Boston. Trespassing.
— Peter Antonaros, 4 Doncaster St., Roslindale. Possession of Class C drugs.
— Korie Berry, 93-95 Hyde Park Ave., Jamaica Plain. Possession of Class A drugs.
— Kaitlyn Quick, 39 Boylston St., Boston. Warrant.
— Marina Coelho, 35 Northampton St., Boston. Possession of Class B Drugs.
— Jason Toomer, 5 Toplift St., Dorchester. External warrant.
— Xavian Alvarado, 434 Georgetown Drive, Hyde Park. Shoplifting more than $250.
— Aidan Walsh, 20 Powell St., Boston. Shoplifting more than $250.
— Suker Francois, 18 Livingstone St., Boston. Operating an uninsured motor vehicle.
— Donald Villard 151 Hallet St., Dorchester. Carrying a firearm without a license.
Courtesy/Boston Fire Department
Boston firefighters saved a trapped crane operator 200 feet in the air on Saturday. (Courtesy/Boston Fire Department)
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