Morris drills game-winner to lead Celtics over Thunder, 100-99

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BOSTON – Kyrie Irving was decked out in all black, as was Jaylen Brown. 

The look was fitting for the somber mood many Celtics fans are in right now with Irving’s sore left knee being worse than initially thought

These are not the best of times for the Celtics as they try and cope with yet another rash of injuries.

The Celtics may not be where they want to be fit-wise. 

But that has nothing to do with their fight which was once again alive and well. 

And Boston’s gritty effort was rewarded with a 100-99 win over Oklahoma City. 

Marcus Morris drained the go-ahead basket, a 3-pointer, with 1.2 seconds to play.

Following an Oklahoma City time-out, Russell Westbrook’s desperation heave barely grazed the rim as time expired.

Boston was indeed on the comeback trail most of the fourth quarter.

With the Celtics trailing 95-92, Westbrook missed a 3-pointer that was rebounded by Jayson Tatum. 

However, Greg Monroe was called for a foul against Steven Adams that sent the 7-footer to the free throw line with less than a minute to play. 

Adams, who had 14 points and seven rebounds made both free throws. 

But as we’ve seen with this team, they play until the final buzzer. 

After a 3-pointer by Terry Rozier made it a 99-97 game, Oklahoma City’s Carmelo Anthony missed a pair of free throws, leading to a Celtics time-out with 7.7 seconds to play which set up Morris’ game-winning basket.

Boston opened the third quarter with a 12-4 lead capped off by a Tatum 3-pointer to lead 57-52. 

But once again the Thunder rallied back and went into the fourth quarter ahead, but not nearly as comfortable as they would have liked after Boston’s Shane Larkin made a 3-pointer at the buzzer that cut the Thunder’s lead to 75-73 after three quarters of play.

The game being so close down the stretch was indicative of how it began. 

Boston and its patchwork lineup stayed within striking distance in the first quarter, but found themselves on the short end of a 13-3 run near the end of the first quarter which ended with the Thunder leading 26-18.

The Celtics spent most of the second quarter on the comeback trail, but eventually blazed a trail of prosperity that allowed them to go on an 8-0 run fueled by Rozier that put the Celtics ahead 41-36.

But the Thunder, winners of six in a row coming into tonight’s game, bounced back with back-to-back baskets in a matter of seconds to make it a one-point game.

Oklahoma City went on to score eight of the last 12 points to lead 48-45 at the half.

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