Payton Pritchard thinks the Thunder got away with more than a few fouls during last year’s playoffs. Speaking with reporters, the Celtics guard said Oklahoma City’s physical style pushed the limits of what’s allowed in today’s NBA and revealed that Boston is using that same toughness as motivation for their own defense this season.
“When you see OKC and them win the championship, they got away with a lot of hands, fouls, a lot of physicality. Stuff like that,” Pritchard said, via Bobby Manning. “The NBA, I feel like, in the playoffs is allowing a lot more physicality now. But you’ve got to learn how to play through it and be more physical. We’re emphasizing it. It’s been good.”
The Thunder have been no strangers to success over the past two seasons. In 2023-24, they finished at the top of the West as one of the youngest teams in the league. Over two years later, and they’re NBA champions after back-to-back 50-win seasons. As the reigning MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the way for them and he’s coming off an impressive campaign, where he put up 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game on 47.6% shooting.
Still, the Thunder are often criticized for their way of manipulating the officiating. On one end, they have guys like Shai drawing fouls on defenders at a ridiculous rate. On the other end are players like Lu Dort and Jalen Williams, who like to bully their opponents with force, strength, and (allegedly) stealthy fouling. The rough and physical play style is what helped the Thunder secure the top-rated defense in the NBA at 107.5.
Of course, this isn’t the only time that someone has complained about the way OKC games are called. The Thunder, like other franchises, have been doing it for years, and executives across the league are calling for a crackdown to protect the health of their players. Today, while most teams use a softer approach on defense, the Thunder are one of the few with a lingering reputation for physicality.
Going into next season, it’s going to be harder for the Thunder to get away with the contact but that doesn’t mean they’ll stop trying. In fact, the practice will likely spread across the league, starting with Pritchard and the Celtics. As a team with championship experience, the Celtics are itching to compete and that means employing whatever methods they can to win the title.
Only if the Celtics match that energy can they hope to compete with the NBA elite. Getting with the modern times and taking full advantage of the officiating might seem like overkill but it’s starting to become a key component to advancing deep into the playoffs. For a team like the Celtics, it’s one of many steps in the process of maximizing their title chances and bringing glory back to the franchise.
For Pritchard, the message is clear: if the refs are letting teams like OKC play that hard, Boston has to bring the same edge. The NBA is rewarding physical defense again, and the teams willing to embrace that style will be the ones standing in June. For a veteran group still chasing another title, the Celtics are ready to fight fire with fire.
