In a season full of statements, the Boston Celtics made their biggest yet on Sunday.
The Celtics put up a historic first-half against the Golden State Warriors en route to a 140-88 drubbing of the team that defeated them two seasons ago in the NBA Finals. They did so while sitting their starters for the majority of the second half.
The game started as expected for a matchup of two competitive NBA teams. Stephen Curry tied the game a 21-21 with a jumpshot midway through the first quarter as the NBA’s marquee matchup of the day looked like a good one. Then the wheels fell off for the Warriors.
A pair of Jaylen Brown 3-pointers sparked a 14-0 Celtics run as Brown finished the first quarter with 19 points.
The Celtics extended the run to 23-1 to finish the first quarter with a 44-22 lead as Boston connected on 10 3-point attempts.
The second quarter belonged to Jayston Tatum. The Celtics All-Star took the scoring baton from Brown with 17 points in the second.
Curry, meanwhile, repeatedly chucked up and missed contested 3-point shots, all of which missed the mark, including a pair of air balls. By halftime, he’d shot 0-9 from beyond the arc in the worst 3-point shooting half of his career.
By halftime, Tatum had tallied 22 points, while Brown led all scorers with 25. They alone outscored the Warriors as Boston entered the break with an 82-38 lead. The 44-point advantage marked the largest halftime lead for the Celtics in the storied history of the franchise.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr didn’t bother to bring Curry and Klay Thompson back for the third quarter. Neither played after halftime. The Celtics, meanwhile, extended their dominance and their lead to 51 points in the third quarter.
With his Celtics holding a 99-48 lead, head coach Joe Mazulla called a timeout and mercifully pulled his starters. There was 7:16 remaining in the third quarter. From there, bench players from both teams finished out the game.
Brown finished with a game-high 29 points alongside three rebounds and three assists. He shot 11 of 19 from the field and 5 of 10 from 3-point distance. Tatum added 27 points, three rebounds, five assists and a steal. He shot 9 of 13 from the field including 4 of 5 from 3-point distance.
Curry finished with four points, three assists and one rebound while shooting 2 of 13 from the field including the aforementioned 0-for-9 effort from long distance. The point total was his lowest since March of 2022.
With the win, the Celtics improved their league-best record to 48-12.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
