Tatum scores 27 points, Celtics rally to beat Thunder 111-94

OKLAHOMA CITY — Jayson Tatum scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half and the Boston Celtics rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-94 on Saturday night.

Jaylen Brown added 25 points to help Celtics evened their season record to close out a four-game trip.

Moses Brown scored a career-high 21 points and tied a Thunder record with 23 rebounds. Theo Maledon added 22 points for Oklahoma City.

Brown had 17 points and 19 rebounds in the first half as the Thunder took a 52-47 lead. He made 6 of 6 field goals and 5 of 6 free throws in just 16 minutes.

The Thunder led 80-76 heading into the fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown kept the Celtics in it with 13 points in the third.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Luke Kornet put the Celtics up 88-82 early in the fourth. The Celtics acquired Kornet from the Chicago Bulls in a three-team deal that involved the Washington Wizards.

A fast-break dunk by Tatum put the Celtics up 95-82, and Boston cruised from there. The Celtics shot 56% in the fourth quarter and outscored the Thunder 35-14. Oklahoma City made just 5 of 17 shots in the final period.

TIP-INS

Celtics: Evan Fournier, a guard who joined the Celtics in a trade with the Orlando Magic on Thursday, was out because of health and safety protocols. He’s averaging 19.7 points and 3.7 assists. … G Kemba Walker rested.

Thunder: Guard Austin Rivers is not with the team. He was acquired from New York in the three-way trade that sent George Hill to Philadelphia. … The Thunder announced before the game that veteran center Al Horford will be inactive the rest of the season while the team’s young players develop.

UP NEXT

Celtics: Host New Orleans on Monday night.

Thunder: Host Dallas on Monday night.


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