Boston Celtics Stifle Golden State Warriors to Get Back in the Win Column
The Boston Celtics held the Golden State Warriors to a season-low 86 points in a win that gets Boston back into the win column on their road trip.
After a two-game slide, the Boston Celtics got back on track handing a rare home loss to the Golden State Warriors. The Celtics snapped Golden State’s 54-game home winning streak at Oracle Arena last season, and tonight they were dominant again winning 99-86.
Kevin Durant’s injury surely didn’t aid the Warriors, but they are still one of the best teams in the West.
Isaiah Thomas led the Celtics with 25 points, while Kelly Olynyk added 17 of his own. Olynyk also added 5 rebounds and 5 assists to his stat line.
In just their fourth home loss this season the Warriors had 18 turnovers.
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Boston found success with the offense being run through Al Horford. The Celtics battled and their first lead came midway through the 2nd quarter, 38-36. Golden State though took the lead at halftime with a 40-38 lead.
The teams remained close in the 3rd, but a Steph Curry 3 at the buzzer put the Warriors ahead 74-72 as the 4th quarter began.
Momentum swung the Celtics way when Jonas Jerebko picked up a loose ball, resulting in a Jae Crowder transition 3 and an 83-79 lead. Boston went on a 15-0 run, pushing their lead to 93-79.
Golden State fans thought they had a chance when Crowder missed back to back three pointers, but each time Boston hustled for the offensive rebound.
The Celtics are now sitting in the second spot in the East. They’re 2.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, and 1.5 games ahead of the Washington Wizards.
As it stands, the Celtics would face the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Of course, the Celtics will need to finish strong to maintain their position. Boston has just 17 games left to play. The importance of each game grows as the season progresses, and the Celtics can still improve on their way to the playoffs.
Next: The Celtics Will Earn the East's #2 Seed
Perhaps the Wednesday matchup with the Warriors was an NBA Finals preview. If so, the Celtics may actually have a shot at an NBA title as Golden State continues to falter.