Oklahoma
Boston Celtics (26-9) at Oklahoma City Thunder (29-5) Game #36 1/5/25
In what very well may be a preview of this year’s NBA Finals, the Celtics take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 3rd game of a 4 game road trip. The Celtics opened the trip with wins over the Timberwolves and the Rockets. this is the first of 2 games between these two teams this season. They will meet for the 2nd and final time in Boston on March 12. They split the series 1-1 the last two seasons with each team winning on their home court. The Celtics are 79-66 overall all time against the Thunder and they are 39-38 in games played in Oklahoma City.
The Celtics remain 2nd in the East, 4.5 games behind the first place Cleveland Cavaliers, who have win their last 8 games. The Celtics are now 2 ahead of the 3rd place Knicks, who won 9 straight before losing their last game to the Thunder. The Celtics are 12-3 on the road and they are 6-4 in their last 10 games. They are 4-2 against Western Conference opponents and have won their last 3 games.
The Thunder are in first place in the West. They are 6.5 games ahead of 2nd place Memphis and 7 ahead of 3rd place Houston. They are 9 games ahead of the 4th place Los Angeles Lakers. They are 15-2 at home and they are 10-0 in their last 10 games. They are 10-0 against Eastern Conference opponents and they currently have a 14 game win streak.
The Thunder made several key moves in the off season. The biggest move may have been signing Isaiah Hartenstein away from the NY Knicks. He has especially been important due to the absence of Chet Holmgren. They also traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso. They drafted Nikola Topic, who will miss the entire season with a torn ACL. They also drafted Dillon Jones and Ajay Mitchell, with an eye to the future. Finally, they signed undrafted Alex Ducas to a 2 way contract.
This is the third game of a 4 game Western road trip that started with back to back wins in Minnesota on Thursday and in Houston on Friday. After this game, they will finish the road trip in Denver on Tuesday. They will return home to face 2 more Western Conference teams, Sacramento and New Orleans. They then head to Toronto to face the Raptors again for the 3rd time. They will then host Orlando and Atlanta before their 2nd Western road trip of the month through Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers and Dallas.
Kristaps Porzingis returned to the starting lineup in the Celtics’ last game against the Rockets after missing 4 straight games with a sprained ankle. He should be ready to play in this game as well. Al Horford sat out Friday’s game for rest but is expected to return for this game. Jalen Brown has missed the Celtics’ last two games with a shoulder strain and is questionable for this game. I’m using wishful thinking and including him in the starting lineup. If he can’t play once again, Sam Hauser should once again get the start in his place.
For the Thunder, Alex Caruso will miss his 7th game with a hip strain. Cason Wallace will likely continue to start in his place. Chet Holmgren is out with a right iliac hip fracture. I expect Isaiah Hartenstein will continue to start in his place. The Thunder’s 3 two way players are all also out with injuries. Alex Ducas (back), Adam Flagler (finger), and Ajay Mitchell (toe) are all out for this game. Rookie Nikola Topic is out for the season with an ACL tear.
Probable Celtics Starters
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Derrick White
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Kristaps Porzingis
Celtics Reserves
Luke Kornet
Payton Pritchard
Neemias Queta
Sam Hauser
Baylor Scheierman
Jaden Springer
Xavier Tillman, Sr
Jordan Walsh
2 Way Players
JD Davison
Drew Peterson
Anton Watson
Injuries/Out
Jaylen Brown (shoulder) questionable
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Probable Thunder Starters
PG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SG: Cason Wallace
SF: Lugentz Dort
PF: Jalen Williams
C: Isaiah Hartenstein
Thunder Reserves
Branden Carlson
Ousmane Dieng
Isaiah Joe
Dillon Jones
Aaron Wiggins
Jaylin Williams
Kenrich Williams
2 Way Players
Alex Ducas
Adam Flagler
Ajay Mitchell
Injuries/Out
Alex Caruso (hip) out
Alex Ducas (back) out
Ajay Mitchell (toe) out
Chet Holmgren (hip) out
Adam Flagler (finger) out
Nikola Topic (ACL) out
Head Coach
Mark Daigneault
Key Matchups
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Jrue Holiday
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Jrue Holiday vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He is shooting 52.5% from the field and 35.6% from beyond the arc. Gilgeous-Alexander is tied for the lead in the MVP race and is the key to the Thunder’s winning ways. In order to slow the Thunder, the Celtics must slow down SGA.
-
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
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Jalen Williams
Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images
Jayson Tatum vs Jalen Williams
Williams is averaging 20.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He is shooting 48.1% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the arc. Williams can score both inside and out and so the Celtics must stay with him on defense whether he is in the paint or on the perimeter. Jayson Tatum has been playing very well on this road trip and the Celtics need him to continue that trend on both ends of the court in this game.
Honorable Mention
Kristaps Porzingis vs Isaiah Hartenstein
Hartenstein is averaging 12.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game. He is shooting 57.3% from the field and 0% from beyond the arc. He is a threat to score inside and is a very good rebounder and shot blocker. The Celtics need to keep him out of the paint and away from the rim.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always a key to winning. The Thunder average 115.4 points per game (10th) The Celtics average 119.4 points per game (4th). This is going to be a tough matchup for the Celtics as the Thunder are first in the league with a defensive rating of 102.9 while the Celtics are 6th with a defensive rating of 109.4. The Celtics need to tighten up their defense and make playing defense a priority especially against this Thunder team that plays lock down defense. The Celtics need to especially defend the paint since the Thunder are 10th in the league with 49.9 points in the paint per game.
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 18th with 43.6 rebounds per game while the Celtics are 8th with 45.0 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 23.4 points off turnovers per game. They are also 1st with 11.8 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 have not lost to an Eastern Conference team this season. They have also only lost 5 games. 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.
X-Factors
On the Road – The Celtics are playing in their 3rd straight road game. The Celtics have the advantage of having a mostly healthy roster but then, the Thunder have won 14 straight games in spite of missing some players. 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.
Coaching – Joe Mazzulla led the Celtics to a championship in just his second season but Mazzulla didn’t win the Coach of the Year last season. It was Thunder coach, Mark Daigneault that won the Coach of the Year honor. He is also the Coach of the Month for December this season. Both rosters are deep and talented and so coaching may be a factor in this game.
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. The Celtics should never be caught complaining to the refs while the other team goes in for a score.
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Costco is a trusted American retail brand with a cult-like following
Costco is a retail behemoth. Here’s more to know.
Contrary to popular belief, the internet did not kill retail and Oklahoma City is seeing an influx of new construction.
But a new retail survey shows a growing divide emerging between the success of newer shopping destinations and fading fortunes of those built in the age of disco balls and leisure suits.
Jim Parrack, who leads the retail division at Price Edwards, said the Oklahoma City metro at first glance is doing well compared to the national market in which rental rates are going up and new development is slowing amidst higher construction costs and rising economic uncertainty.
Large new retail properties in Oklahoma City include OAK, the mixed-use upscale development at Northwest Expressway and Pennsylvania Avenue, Grove Marketplace at NW 178 and Portland Avenue, and Rose Creek Plaza at NW 164 and May Avenue.
And a next-generation prototype Walmart Supercenter, meanwhile, is being built as part of Deercrest Marketplace at the corner of John Kilpatrick Turnpike and Rockwell Avenue. More announced retailers are moving forward in northwest Oklahoma City, including a Scheels store and a Crest Foods.
Legacy at Covell in Edmond is set to include some of the biggest names in retail and dining, including Whole Foods and a Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. And multiple new developments continue in Norman, including construction of a large development anchored by a Target store.
“Retail in general is doing better than people tend to think,” Parrack told The Oklahoman. “There is a lot of negative news nationally. But even nationally, retail is doing better than people often give credit for mainly because people are still spending money.”
Nationally, he said, not a lot of retail construction is being seen, which has helped occupancy rates and landlords are able to raise rents and are “doing pretty well.”
“There has developed, over the past couple of years, what I would call good centers and then there are centers that have fallen off pace. The good centers are those that are newer and have mostly national tenants.”
Older locations seeing rent stagnating
Parrack identified Oklahoma City’s two power retail corridors where much of the growth is happening as those at Northwest Expressway and Pennsylvania Avenue, and along the Memorial Road corridor between Portland and Western avenues, which Parrack said has the highest concentration of retail in the city.
“The other locations are those that are older, maybe aren’t configured right and have more mom-and-pop tenants,” Parrack said. “The surprising part to me is the gap between the two has widened significantly. We’re seeing certain centers, like Classen Curve, get $50 to $60 a foot in rent. There are some small strip shopping centers in that same range. And we haven’t seen those kinds of rents here ever.”
Older centers, meanwhile, are seeing rents stagnating between $12 and $14 a foot.
“The discrepancy is very noticeable,” Parrack said. “A lot of the older centers in the ‘70s are in that older tier. Sometimes the markets have grown away from them. But sometimes the centers just get old; the ceilings are low and maybe their spaces are too deep. Something is wrong with them.”
The tenant mix also weighs in, Parrack said, with centers with mostly local retailers unable to compete with the newer, national-tenant anchored properties.
“The rents haven’t moved, so the landlords have a hard time paying for tenant improvements and the local tenants don’t have as much quality credit. It’s a cumulation of events that are holding those centers down.”
One example of a struggling retail center is French Market Mall, which the report shows was over 50% vacant at the end of 2025 even though it is on a high-traffic intersection of NW 63 and May Avenue.
The property started out in the 1970s as an enclosed mall adjoining a Woolco, Furr’s Cafeteria, Trust House Jewelers, an IGA grocery, a Hallmark shop and a drugstore.
The mall portion was later shut down and replaced with a Burlington store.
“At some point, a number of these older centers just need to be repurposed, whether that means torn down for a new center, or re-imagined, an example being Mayfair,” Parrack said. “Half of that center has been torn down and part was remodeled.”
Mayfair Village, built in 1948, was one of the city’s earliest suburban shopping centers. The retail hub was built along both sides of May Avenue between NW 47 and NW 48. Some pieces of the shopping center were torn down and replaced with new buildings, notably Mayfair Market, which made way for a CVS, and a nearby shopping strip that was torn down to make way for an Aldi grocery store.
An extensive rebuilding of the shopping center followed its 2020 purchase by Caleb Hill, Nick Preftakes and Mark Ruffin. They renovated some of the buildings and then cleared other sections that were then redeveloped as fast food restaurants and a gas station.
“More centers are going to have to be redone like that,” Parrack said.
Jason Little and Charles Lewis with SHOP Companies recently brokered a $17 million sale of four buildings that make up the heart of the reimagined Mayfair to a real estate investment arm of Humphreys Companies. He said the shopping center has just one vacancy — a Starbucks that closed as part of a national shutdown of some of its locations — and that lease continues.
When that lease transitions to a new tenant, Little said he expects the former Starbucks will lease for close to $50 a foot. He credits that price expectation to the efforts undertaken by Hill and Preftakes.
“You’re talking about an asset that when they acquired it had single digit rents,” Little said. “By bringing new construction and historic architecture together, they’ve been able to create something marketable.”
In other areas of town, Parrack said west Oklahoma City, more recently, has had the lowest vacancy rate, which he sees as a reflection of new housing in the area especially near Yukon and Mustang. He said Moore and Norman continue to thrive with little old retail and ongoing construction of new retail.
Parrack said the metro’s three malls are performing at different levels.
“Penn Square continues to do the best sales of any of the local malls. Simon owns it and Simons knows what they’re doing. But even at Penn Square there are some temporary tenants that Simon controls. And I think they realize that in competition with OAK they are needing to invest some money in the mall.”
Quail Springs Mall, meanwhile, is a step down in sales, Parrack said.
Sooner Fashion Mall in Norman is the smallest of the three, and like other smaller malls, is struggling.
“It shows with them in that they have more vacancy than the other two,” Parrack said. “It doesn’t help that they have a Sears that has been closed for all these years.”
Parrack does not expect the city to see another dying mall like Crossroads or Heritage Park anytime soon.
“The thing with malls is even when they die, they take forever to die,” Parrack said. “It’s kind of a gradual thing. Their business slacks off. They lose a couple of tenants. But all bigger retail centers have these tenants with co-tenancy clauses that if certain tenants leave or the occupancy goes below a certain level, then tenants can pay half rent or a percentage rent.”
Newer mixed-use developments like OAK, Chisholm Creek and The Half are being well received by the market, though Parrack notes The Half, leaning more toward entertainment than retail with a mix of offices and apartments, is less cohesive than the other two destinations.
“It’s hard to walk from one deal to another at The Half,” Parrack said. “It’s more of a destination with each of the tenants there. But it is in a great location. The people that are there do well. OAK is something we’ve never had before, and it’s the closest thing we have to Utica Square in Tulsa.”
The demise of brick-and-mortar retail prompted by Amazon is greatly exaggerated, Parrack said.
“The last holiday sales period saw 75% of sales being at brick-and-mortar stores,” Parrack said. “That percentage for holiday sales has held steady for a while and I think most of these retailers have figured out the optimal way for them to continue.”
Women’s Basketball
March 28, 2026
South Carolina vs. Oklahoma – Sweet 16 NCAA tournament extended highlights
March 28, 2026
Watch the highlights from No. 1 South Carolina and No. 4 Oklahoma’s matchup in the Sweet 16 of the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament.
SACRAMENTO, CA — Oklahoma women’s basketball is looking to advance to its first Elite Eight since 2010 when it faces South Carolina in the Sweet 16 on Saturday.
The No. 4 seed Sooners previously defeated the No. 1 seed Gamecocks 94-82 in overtime on Jan. 22.
OU has won nine of its last 10 games, including defeating Idaho in the first round of the Women’s NCAA Tournament and Michigan State in the second round.
The matchup will be a battle of two of the best offenses nationally as the Sooners rank fourth in scoring offense while South Carolina ranks third.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of OU’s Sweet 16 contest against the Gamecocks:
Watch Oklahoma vs South Carolina live with Fubo
When does Oklahoma play in March Madness? What time is Sooners basketball game vs South Carolina in NCAA women’s basketball tournament?
- Date: Saturday, March 28
- Time: 4 p.m. CT
- Location: Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California
How to watch Oklahoma vs South Carolina in NCAA Tournament: Time, TV channel, live stream
Oklahoma vs South Carolina airs on ESPN at 4 p.m. CT Saturday.
Streaming options include FUBO.
Oklahoma vs. South Carolina in NCAA Tournament score prediction
South Carolina 93, Oklahoma 81: The Sooners keep it competitive early behind Aaliyah Chavez. But the Gamecocks’ size and depth prove too much in the fourth quarter. Dawn Staley hasn’t lost in the Sweet 16 since 2019 and that won’t change Saturday.
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at csulley@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
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