Thunder–Celtics Finals Talk
Oklahoma City vs. Boston is being framed as a possible NBA Finals preview — both clubs are on track for deep playoff runs in updated projections and are key seeding players down the stretch. Analysts are pointing to their current form and remaining schedules as signals this matchup could reappear in June if both keep pace (espn.com).
ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Thunder a 65% chance of reaching the NBA Finals and ranks Boston’s Finals probability at 14.8% as of the Mar. 25, 2026 update. (espn.com)) Oklahoma City enters Wednesday with a 57–15 record and the top spot in the Western Conference; Boston is 47–24 and listed second in the Eastern Conference. (basketball-reference.com)) The regular season is scheduled to end April 12, 2026, so Oklahoma City — having played 72 games at 57–15 — has 10 regular-season games remaining, while Boston — at 47–24 through 71 games — has 11 left. (en.wikipedia.org)) Their most recent meeting was March 13 in Boston, a 104–102 Thunder win decided by a late Shai Gilgeous-Alexander jumper and a drawn foul by Chet Holmgren, per the ESPN game recap. (espn.in)) Team efficiency splits show OKC with a league-leading Net Rating of +11.2 and Defensive Rating of 107.3, while Boston’s Net Rating is +7.5 with a Defensive Rating of 112.6 on Basketball‑Reference. (basketball-reference.com)) ESPN’s projected playoff bracket positions Oklahoma City as the West No.1 slated to face an 8-seed play‑in winner and Boston as the East No.2 slated to face a 7-seed play‑in winner in the first round. (espn.com))
