NBA: Jaylen Brown, Celtics halt Thunder's 12-game win streak

Jaylen Brown scored 31 points and added eight rebounds and eight assists to help the Boston Celtics snap the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder's 12-game winning streak with a 119-109 win Wednesday. The game featured the last two NBA champions.

Jayson Tatum contributed 19 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists for the Celtics, who trailed by 13 in the first quarter. Boston also received 14 points from Payton Pritchard, who made 4 of 6 shots from beyond the arc.

Oklahoma City stayed within six points with 1:30 remaining, but a Brown jumper gave Boston a 117-109 lead with 47.3 seconds left.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 33 points and eight assists. The reigning NBA champion was highly efficient, making 10 of 12 field goals and 10 of 12 free throws. Lu Dort added 14 points, hitting four 3-pointers.

Boston struggled early, shooting just 7 of 24 (29.2%) in the first quarter and falling behind 31-20. Pritchard’s 3-pointer capped an 11-0 run that gave the Celtics a 49-46 lead with 1:15 remaining in the first half, but Oklahoma City scored the final seven points to take a 53-49 lead into halftime. Eleven Thunder players scored in the first half.

The Celtics tied the game at 71-all on two Brown free throws and took a 74-73 lead on a Baylor Scheierman 3-pointer with 5:07 left in the third quarter. Boston held an 86-81 lead after a Pritchard jumper with 30.4 seconds remaining in the third and led 88-83 entering the fourth.

Three Tatum free throws gave Boston a 96-87 advantage with 9:49 to play. The Celtics extended the lead to 103-92 on a Brown three-point play with 7:32 left, and two Brown free throws pushed the lead to 108-94 with 6:09 remaining. The Thunder could not get closer than six points after that.

-Field Level Media/Reuters