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3/20 Game Preview: Thunder at Celtics

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BOSTON -- Fresh off ending the Toronto Raptors' 11-game winning streak on Sunday in Toronto, the Oklahoma City Thunder bring their own six-game streak into TD Garden to face the short-handed Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.

Russell Westbrook, who recently became the fourth player in NBA history with 100 triple-doubles, posted his 23rd of the season Sunday, amassing 37 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists in the victory.

Westbrook has averaged 25 points, 11.2 rebounds and 10.8 assists during the winning streak, capped by the show he put on north of the border Sunday.

He also passed the 6,000-assist mark.

"I've been in that moment. You just feel everything is slowed down," said teammate Paul George, who had 22 points in the win. "He dictated the tempo. He dictated the game. And that's what it is, that's what it's like when you're a star player, a superstar player. You get in that moment."

The Celtics have won their last two games against the Thunder, including a 101-84 victory on Nov. 3 at Oklahoma City. But OKC has won its last two visits to TD Garden -- and this time faces a depleted Celtics team coming off a loss at New Orleans on Sunday night.

"I am a man on a mission," Westbrook said. "We've got to take care of business. This time of year, you've got to turn it up a notch."

Boston will not be getting healthier for this game as Kyrie Irving misses his fourth straight resting his sore left knee and Jaylen Brown is improving but still in the league's concussion protocol.

"I think he feels better and better," Celtics coach Brad Stevens, talking about Irving, said before Sunday's game. "He just doesn't quite feel 100 percent. So until that point then he'll be out.

"There was a chance that he would play (against the Pelicans). He just didn't quite feel that. And, again, we're going to make sure that he feels that way."

Stevens reported that Brown was "getting closer."

The Celtics have also lost Gordon Hayward (for almost the entire season), Marcus Smart (6-8 weeks with thumb surgery) and Daniel Theis (knee surgery, out for the year).

Irving scored 22 of his 25 points in the second half to lead the Celtics to their seventh straight of what would be a 16-game winning streak at OKC in November.

Westbrook scored 19 points and added 11 assists and six rebounds in that game but was just 7 of 20 from the floor.

Anthony Davis scored 34 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to help the Pelicans beat the Celtics on Sunday night, offsetting a big night by Boston rookie Jayson Tatum.

Tatum scored 23 points, but the Celtics dropped their third in the last four games.

"For whatever reason, I thought we looked a step slow, but obviously, we are going to have moments where we struggle to score with this group right now," Stevens said. "We also rushed some shots and then they got into that rhythm and got it going. (The Pelicans) have been a good offensive team all year and they were hard to stop."