The Boston Celtics dominated the visiting Golden State Warriors 140-88 Sunday afternoon, a big dose of revenge for Boston after coming up short in the 2022 NBA Finals. This time around, the Celtics were dramatically the better team, dropping a franchise-best 82 points in the first half en route to the club’s third-largest victory ever.
Birthday boy Jayson Tatum and his fellow All-Star Jaylen Brown led the way for Boston with 46 combined points. In total, the Celtics’ offense was firing on all cylinders. They kept the engine running hot, pushing the pace to the tune of 42 fast break points. Combined with Boston’s physical, stingy defense, the Warriors were faced to wave the white towel early in the third quarter in what was one of the most lopsided games you can find in the NBA.
Let’s take a look at a dramatic 140-88 Celtics victory over the Warriors here at TD Garden.
Celtics Lab 243: 10 lingering regular season questions for Boston's stretch run with Jake Issenberg https://t.co/RIQy380uRE pic.twitter.com/jC23154lOG
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) February 27, 2024
Boston offense
Once again, 3-point shooting was a major weapon for Boston, and the guys in green connected on 10 3s in the first quarter alone. Half of those came from Brown, who was afforded lots of space to work with by Golden State’s defense.
Whether a bad gamble or poor execution, this allowed the Celtics to jump out to a commanding lead. Credit Brown for taking full advantage. He finished the game with 29 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in just 22 minutes of action, and his strong showing was the main catalyst for Boston’s explosive open to the game. Tatum ended the night logging 27 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists in 25 minutes.
At halftime, the score was 82-38, another record milestone for the Celtics. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr elected to keep his starters on the bench to open the third quarter as a result. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla soon followed, leaving the team’s role players to finish the remainder of the game, who managed to dig out a third 50-point win for the club this season.
Wyc Grousbeck on the Boston Celtics dominating: 'Every win seems super important' https://t.co/7WOWsg9Xlr pic.twitter.com/Y8js1gnPFX
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 3, 2024
Boston's defense
The Celtics may have shot the Warriors out of the gym, but Boston’s physicality and length kept Golden State from going on any sort of scoring run of their own. Defense was a major factor in allowing for such a seismic beatdown.
Former MVP Steph Curry was held to 4 points on 0-for-9 shooting from deep. Boston’s size and intensity deeply disrupted his rhythm, resulting in one of his worst games as a pro. The rest of the Warriors didn’t fare much better. Lester Quinones led the way for Golden State with 17 points, most of which coming in garbage time.
Boston was better on the glass. They forced more turnovers. Yes, the Celtics hit their shots, but they held one of the best offenses in the entire NBA to a dismal 88 points.
Chicago's Patrick Williams on where Jayson Tatum belongs in the NBA's 2024 MVP race https://t.co/z0CFzlDpBg pic.twitter.com/gsdOJ6TkPi
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 3, 2024
Looking ahead
With the win, the Celtics 26-11 against teams with a winning record. Likewise, Boston is now 15-6 against the Western Conference for the season. Both these marks will be tested in the coming days.
The Celtics next face the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday night on the road, opening up a five-game road trip. From there, Boston heads out West for games against the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns.
The playoffs may be around the corner, but the regular season isn’t over yet. There’s still plenty to learn about these Celtics as they mount a run at banner.
Joe Mazzulla explains why Xavier Tillman compliments Boston's 'Stay Ready Crew' https://t.co/NDbwjjHpKk pic.twitter.com/Rx3CT4qJaO
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) March 3, 2024
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