THE Oklahoma City Thunder got a big boost ahead of the NBA restart, showing fine form in their first game in four months.
With Steven Adams displaying solid form, the Thunder scored a 98-84 win over the Boston Celtics in an NBA tuneup match on Friday in Orlando (Saturday, Manila time).
Billy Donovan was pleased with Adams’ game as the big man from New Zealand came up with 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting.
“This was the one thing that stood out to me once we started playing a couple weeks ago, [Adams] has done a great job with his conditioning,” Donovan was quoted as saying by nba.com.
“I could tell even our first day of practice … he had really good stamina and I think a big part of his success tonight was just his overall stamina and his activity in the things he did tonight.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also had 17 points, while Abdel Nader added 11.
Enes Kanter came up with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds for Boston.
Jaylen Brown had nine points, Daniel Theis and Marcus Smart added eight apiece and Gordon Hayward scored seven.
Jayson Tatum went 1 for 6 and wound up with three points.
The Thunder next take on the Philadelphia 76ers then he Portland Trail Blazers.
Boston plays the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets.
The NBA season restarts on Thursday with the Utah Jazz facing the New Orleans Pelicans before the Los Angeles Lakers take on the LA Clippers.
The Celtics’ first match in the seeding games is against the Milwaukee Bucks on July 31.
Oklahoma City plays the Utah Jazz on Aug. 1.
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