Alexander snipped the reporter’s tongue mid-question, his ambition leaping over the podium.  He’d been asked about the Boston Celtics, the defending NBA champions so clearly still in shape.

The C's led by 13 points late in the first half, but the Thunder erased that deficit with stifling defense throughout the final two quarters. They limited the Celtics to just 15 third-quarter points and held them to 9-for-46 shooting (19.