Marreese Speights helped the Golden State Warriors win the 2015 NBA Championship by bringing explosive energy off the bench, averaging 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 15 minutes per game. He made another title run with the Warriors the following season, winning 73 regular-season games before losing in the Finals to the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers.
Despite being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers (2016-17), then to the Orlando Magic (2017-18) and, now, no longer playing in the NBA, the fiery forward maintained belief in his former teammates’ ability to win another championship — until last night.
During the contest, Speights’ emotions ranged from confidence the team would turn things around against the Celtics, tweeting that people shouldn’t count the Warriors out, with “nothing [being] safe” at Oracle Arena …
… to, very soon after, taking a 180-degree turn: “[Nevermind],” Speights tweeted, “not this group.”
The Warriors’ 128-95 beatdown by the Celtics was their worst home loss in the Steve Kerr era. The team’s previous 33-point home-court loss happened in 2009.
