Kristaps Porzingis scored 27 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks to lead the Boston Celtics to a 135-100 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, securing the NBA’s top record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

 

Jayson Tatum scored 24 points and Jaylen Brown had 23 points and seven rebounds for Boston, which won its 11th straight home game and advanced to 60-16 on the season.

The Celtics trailed for only 62 seconds during the game.

Boston led by as many as 16 points in the first half, but Oklahoma City reduced the lead to six in the third quarter. The Celtics led by ten after three quarters and opened the fourth with a 12-4 surge to go up 105-87.

 

Josh Giddey led Oklahoma City with 17 points. Luguentz Dort scored 15 points. The Thunder had 14 turnovers and shot only 5 of 24 from beyond the arc.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC’s All-Star and leading scorer, sat out for the fourth time in five games due to a bruised right quadriceps. Jalen Williams missed his second consecutive game due to a sprained left ankle.

 

Prior to the game, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stated that Porzingis’ ability to be both a rim protector and floor spacer on a roster loaded with shooters has been the most difficult assignment for him this season with the Celtics.

 

In the first half, the 7-footer recorded 17 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks in 15 minutes.

 

Porzingis also highlighted one of the Celtics’ most effective attacking sequences. Payton Pritchard dribbled into the paint, was halted under the hoop, and then tossed the ball to Sam Hauser in the corner. As Brown crossed half court, Hauser swiftly swung the ball to him. Brown then drove and threw a no-look, behind-the-head ball to Porzingis on the wing for his third 3-pointer of the game.

 

The shot gave Boston its greatest lead of the half, 50-34. The Celtics led 61-47 at halftime. It was the 50th time this season they’d scored 60 or more points in the first half, tying the franchise record set last season.