Inside The Celtics

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Loss vs. Warriors: Boston Punked by Defending Champs in NBA Finals Rematch

The Celtics couldn't keep up with the Warriors mentally, were the less physical team, and got outhustled, failing to meet the moment in their first crack at Golden State since the NBA Finals.

Bobby Krivitsky

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
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Saturday night in San Francisco, the Warriors had the Celtics on their heels throughout the game. 

Between Golden State's free-flowing offense and Boston's bigs playing in deep drops to defend the pick-and-roll, the hosts repeatedly generated high-quality shots, dictating terms and processing the game faster.

Stephen Curry, who registered 32 points on 12/21 shooting, capitalizing on 6/11 threes, found his rhythm after a coverage breakdown in the first frame where the visitors lost him in transition, and he cashed in on an open three. Using that shot as a springboard, the two-time MVP generated eight points in 1:20.

Curry, who has a knack for drilling the shots that sting most, crossed up Sam Hauser before burying a step-back three from 32 feet to beat the first-quarter buzzer, turning his back to his attempt and running towards the crowd at the opposite baseline as it splashed through the net. That extended the Warriors' advantage to 33-25 after the opening 12 minutes.

And with the Celtics on a 7-0 run, cutting the deficit to four as the second frame neared its close, Curry swished a pull-up three from 33 feet, swiftly swinging momentum back to Golden State, helping the hosts take a 68-63 lead into the break.

He entered halftime with 17 points, then tacked on 15 more in the final 24 minutes. With defenders failing to stay attached to him, bigs playing below the level of the screen, and those guarding him committing the cardinal sin of going under the pick at times, he consistently created open looks while playing on and off the ball. 

Curry also dished out seven assists and grabbed six rebounds.

The hosts got a game-high 34 points from fellow Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, who produced 12 points in each of the first two quarters and repeatedly got free for floaters and mid-range jumpers.

Like Thompson, Jordan Poole, who registered 20 points, did much of his damage in the first half. Poole scored 13 in the first 24 minutes, consistently getting into the paint, repeatedly finishing floaters with a feathery touch. 

Boston needs to study this game thoroughly to best prepare itself for the rematch at TD Garden on Jan 19 and the possibility these two teams meet again in the Finals. But if looking for a positive defensively, it's that if the Celtics have Robert Williams, whose season debut could come as early as Monday against the Clippers, and Al Horford next time, their pick-and-roll coverage figures to look dramatically better. 

Offensively, Boston was at its best in the second frame, the only one it scored at least 30 points, putting 38 on the board while assisting on seven of 14 field goals, generating over 60 points in the first half for the ninth time in the last ten games.

But even without Andrew Wiggins, the defending champions had Jayson Tatum flummoxed throughout the night. The Warriors made it a point to show the Celtics' star multiple bodies when he touched the ball, which had Tatum moving like he was wearing cement shoes.

He scored two points on 1/6 shooting in the first quarter. He had ten at halftime, going 4/12 from the field, including 1/5 from beyond the arc. When the final buzzer blew, Tatum tallied 18 points on 21 shots, making only six, and going 2/9 on long-range attempts.

Boston needed Tatum to play more assertively, as he has throughout the season and did in the play below, as Draymond Green switches onto him, and Kevon Looney makes minimal effort to prevent Tatum from scoring at the rim.

But aggressive instances like that were rare from Tatum on Saturday. And with him having an off-night shooting-wise, it would've helped if he took a backseat to Jaylen Brown, shooting less and facilitating more. 

Brown scored 16 points on 7/13 shooting in the first half, then produced 15 while going 6/10 in the second. Along with his 31 points, he also led the team in rebounding, grabbing nine boards. He also dished out three assists -- Tatum had two.

And while Tatum's done such an effective job taking a page out of Curry's playbook, screening to create relatively easy opportunities for him and his teammates, in this game, it represented another boost the offense needed but didn't get. When these two teams play, Tatum can't leave that tool on the table.

The Celtics' new sixth man, Malcolm Brogdon, did his part to keep Boston in the game, registering 16 points on 6/10 shooting, making 2/4 threes, pairing it with five rebounds and four assists.

But with Golden State's defense limiting the effectiveness of Boston's ball movement, the Celtics, who average nearly 27 assists per game, distributed only 17. Hockey assists were as common as Halley's Comet. 

With the Warriors making it more difficult for Boston to create in-rhythm shots, the team that makes the most threes and boasts the highest shooting percentage from beyond the arc went 12/40 (30 percent) on its long-range attempts.

Golden State being the more physical team and outhustling their guests made a Celtics victory even more unlikely.

The Warriors turned 11 offensive rebounds into 21-second chance points and scored 46 from inside the paint. And in the second half, they kept Boston off the boards even as the Celtics sent four players after their misses, leading to Golden State's perimeter defenders leaking out for uncontested layups.

Fourteen of the Warriors' 19 fast-break points came in the second half, helping them closeout their 123-107 win.

Up Next

The Celtics' West Coast road trip next takes them to Los Angeles, first for a matchup against the Clippers Monday. The game tips off at 10:30 pm EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

Further Reading

Here's Where Celtics Star Jayson Tatum Landed on NBA.com's Latest MVP Ladder

Here's What Stood Out in the Celtics' Win vs. Suns: Dominant Defensive Performance Paves Way to Blowout Victory

Celtics Fans Will Love Jayson Tatum's Mentality After Blowout Win vs. Suns

The Top 5 Plays from Monday's Celtics-Raptors Game

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Raptors: Increased Energy and Better Ball Security the Difference-Makers in Second Half Surge

[Film Room] How the Celtics Stifled the Nets, Delivering Their Best Defensive Performance This Season

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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