For the first and only time this season, the Golden State Warriors made the trip to Massachusetts for their yearly date with the Boston Celtics. Two teams with only one loss on the season walked in, but only one would walk out with that same title. On top of that, it was Jayson Tatum’s first chance to go up against Steve Kerr since the benchings on Team USA. (Also, Stephen Curry.)
Golden State smothered Boston in the first half, pressing up on pick-and-rolls and completely disrupting a Celtics offense that has looked unstoppable almost all season so far. But Boston wasn’t going to go down without a fight. A second-half surge brought them all the way back, but they couldn't finish the job, as the Warriors earned a 118-112 win in Boston.
Here are three studs and three duds from the Celtics’ win over the Warriors on Wednesday night.
Stud - Derrick White
As soon as the game started, Derrick White had something going. He made his first three threes and was the only guy on the Celtics roster who could find a rhythm. And they needed it.
Boston’s offense was sputtering, but White provided them with a glimmer of hope. And as the game went on, his hot streak continued.
From draining deep triples to crashing the offensive glass to beating Lindy Waters III off the dribble for a bucket, White’s impact was all over this game.
Tatum figured things out in the second half, but as he was struggling in the first, White was there. And even when the Celtics superstar found his footing, White was still there to fill in the gaps.
Boston needed him, and he stepped up.
Dud - First half Jayson Tatum
The first half of this game was Jayson Tatum’s worst of the season. A quick glance at his scoring efficiency may not lead an onlooker to that conclusion, but the Warriors' defense had him in a torture chamber.
Golden State was blitzing screens, giving Tatum no space to drive, shoot, or pass. The result was a string of bad decisions, including some forced shots in a desperate attempt to generate any sort of rhythm.
Usually, since Tatum plays the entire first quarter, the Celtics are able to jump out to a lead, but Golden State shut him down better than any team has this season.
He picked things up in the third quarter (in a huge way), but the first half was a brutal watch.
Stud - Neemias Queta’s perimeter defense
Though it wasn’t necessarily one of the top storylines of the game, Neemias Queta’s perimeter defense stood out in this one.
Curry and the Warriors tested him early on. It seemed like Curry was attacking Queta on a switch every time Golden State was on offense. And Curry got past him, but Queta played the matchup well.
As the contest rolled on, other guys started going at Queta, too. But Queta was moving his feet nicely, and Boston seemed comfortable leaving him on an island.
Queta wasn’t perfect (though his monster dunks in the fourth were fun and critical to Boston’s momentum), but his defense is making big-time strides.
Dud - Celtics first-half offense
As noted while discussing Tatum’s rough play, the Celtics’ offense looked dreadful in this game. They’ve made their money putting up near-40-point first quarters all season, yet when halftime rolled around on Wednesday night, they only had 40 total.
Golden State’s press defense in the pick-and-roll was wreaking havoc for a Boston offense that thrives out of that space. It created a very ugly product in the first half.
To make matters worse, the Celtics were struggling to convert on their open threes and layups, too. It was just an all-around bad first half of basketball on the offensive end of the floor.
Stud - Jayson Tatum’s third quarter
After a rough first half of basketball, Tatum came to life in the third. As did the rest of the Celtics lineup (on both sides of the ball).
Despite not grabbing a single rebound or dishing out any assists, Tatum’s scoring propelled Boston back into the game.
He scored 17 points in the third quarter, shooting 5-of-7 from the floor and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Finally finding his three-point shot, Tatum was able to dominate.
The Celtics superstar worked off his teammates, and once he found a rhythm, some of the isolation looks were falling, too. Everything went right for Tatum in the third.
Dud - Defensive rebounding
A brief look at the box score shows a relatively even number of offensive rebounds for both teams. But the Warriors’ came at crucial points in the game. Points where Boston needed to hit the glass.
Moses Moody’s rebound and bucket to end the half. Gary Payton II getting to the ball first with 4:18 left in the fourth quarter in a one-point game. Kevon Looney's (pseudo-)rebound off a Draymond Green airball with two minutes left in the game. (And two more offensive boards on the next possession.)
Just as the Celtics were in striking distance, a flurry of Warriors offensive rebounds closed the door on a comeback. The Celtics just let the ball slip through their fingers a few too many times.