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Celtics Wrap: Boston Erases 17-Point Deficit To Shock Warriors 92-88

NESN by Joshua Schrock on Thu, Nov 16, 2017 at 10:45PM
The matchup of the NBA’s future lived up to the hype. The Boston Celtics went toe-to-toe with the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics on Thursday night at TD Garden and came out on top with a 92-88 win. Boston trailed by more than 15 points on multiple occasions, but the C’s continued to battle throughout and were tied with 20.2 seconds remaining in the game. Kyrie Irving crossed up Draymond Green and drew a foul on Kevin Durant with 14 seconds to play. The C’s star hit both free throws to give Boston a two-point lead. Durant missed a jumper to tie the game on the other end, and the Celtics secured the rebound to to extend their winning streak to 14 games. Boston held the Warriors to 88 points, 25 points below their season average, as all five Celtics starters scored in double figures. Jaylen Brown led the way with. 18 points, while Al Horford (18 points), Irving (16 points), Jayson Tatum (12 points) and Marcus Morris (12 points) all did their part to secure the win. The Celtics improved to 14-2 with the win, while the Warriors fell to 11-4. Here’s how it all went down:

STARTING FIVE PG: Kyrie Irving SG: Jaylen Brown SF: Jayson Tatum PF: Al Horford C: Marcus Morris

HAYWARD IN THE HOUSE Gordon Hayward made his first appearance at TD Garden since suffering a gruesome leg injury on opening night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

ULTIMATE WARRIOR The Celtics entered the game as the NBA’s No. 1 defensive team, but it was the defending NBA champions that came out with unbridled intensity on the defensive end. Boston took too long to get into its offensive sets, was beaten on the glass and went cold from 3-point range during a lackluster first quarter. The C’s shot 32 percent from the field and 20 percent from distance during the first stanza, as they trailed Golden State 28-18 after one. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with eight points and Nick Young added seven off the bench. Iring and Morris each had five for Boston.

HANGING TOUGH Golden State’s bench took advantage of the Celtics’ second unit to begin the second quarter. Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier and Co. struggle to put the ball in the hole which allowed the Warriors to jump out to a 16-point lead. But, as the C’s have been known to do, they battled back to close the quarter. A 6-2 Celtics run cut the lead to 12, then Jaylen Brown went on a personal 5-0 run to trim the deficit to seven. Two Horford free throws further sliced the lead to 47-42 at the break. Boston closed the quarter on a 15-3 run. Brown led all scorers with 11 points, while Durant paced the Warriors with nine. 19-0 The Warriors once again began to assert their dominance to begin the third quarter. Golden State opened the quarter on a 19-7 run, as Boston struggled to get going offensively against the Warriors’ hard-nosed defense. But the Celtics began to chip away at the 4:32 mark. Aron Baynes knocked down two free throws then Brown knocked down a midrange jump shot. After a Golden State miss, Brown drilled a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 10, and the second-year forward knocked down another trey 28 seconds later. A host of free throws tied the game and then a Tatum layup capped a 19-0 run that gave Boston a two-point lead. The Warriors would tie the game at 68 heading into the fourth.

FRANTIC FINISH The two teams traded blows throughout the entire fourth quarter but Durant gave the Warriors a two-point lead with three minutes to play. Irving, who had an off night, answered with an and-1 to give Boston a one-point lead. The Celtics had an opportunity to stretch the lead with 1:30 to play, but Smart turned the ball over and Klay Thompson canned a 3-pointer on the other end to give Golden State a two-point lead. But Irving made two free throws to tie the game, and then, with 14 seconds to play, Irving drove to the hole and drew a foul on Durant. He sunk both free throws to give Boston the lead. After Durant missed a midrange jumper, Boston grabbed the rebound and Tatum knocked down two free throws to nail down the win.

HIGHLIGHT OF THE GAME It was all Jaylen in the third quarter.

UP NEXT Boston will be back in action Saturday when they take on the Atlanta Hawks. Tip-off from Phillips Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
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Irving, C's finish strong to top Warriors

NBC SPORTS BOSTON  By A. Sherrod Blakely November 16, 2017 10:47 PM

BOSTON – This was the moment Boston Celtics fans had been waiting for.

Tight ball game, a few ticks left on the clock against the best team in the land, and the game’s outcome in the hands of Kyrie Irving.

He came to Boston to write a new narrative in what has been a phenomenal career already.

And did he ever deliver, scoring seven of Boston's last nine points as Boston pulled off their biggest win of the season, 92-88 over Golden State.

Boston (14-2) extended their league-best winning streak to 14 in a row which will surely prompt some to see the Celtics as more than just a team off to a fast start but a team that could do the seemingly unthinkable at the start of the season - knock off the Warriors.

Kevin Durant had a chance to tie the game up but missed a baseline jumper that was rebounded by Al Horford.

Horford, who had a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds, passed the ball up court to Jayson Tatum who was immediately fouled.

He made both free throws with 6.7 seconds to play to secure the victory.

Slowing down the high-powered Golden State offense (they came in averaging a league-best 119.6 points per game)  was among the many challenges the Celtics had to contend with Thursday night.

Brad Stevens has seen Golden State bury teams in no time, and was determined to not see his crew suffer a similar fate, which is why he called a time-out early in the first after the Warriors took a 9-6 lead after Klay Thompson drained a wide open 3-pointer.

Golden State soon began to put some separation between itself and the Celtics doing what they’ve done to most teams this season which is dominate play at both ends of the floor.

Boston struggled to contain Golden State’s shooters while at the same time not capitalizing on the few opportunities to make the Warriors pay for the few mistakes they made defensively.

It didn’t take long before this battle between the league’s best teams, started to show signs of a potential Golden State blowout with their lead peaking at 45-29 in the second quarter.

But Boston responded with an 11-2 run sparked by strong play defensively and some timely shot-making by Jaylen Brown.

The Celtics continued to surge ahead and were well within striking distance as the half ended with Boston behind 47-42.

Brown finished with a team-high 22 points.

Boston appeared to have made it a one-possession game after an Irving driving lay-up was waived off due to basket interference.

Golden State once again pulled away early in the third quarter, seemingly on the verge of once again putting the Celtics in a major hole.

And just like we saw in the first half, the Celtics scratched and clawed their way back into the game with Jaylen Brown leading the charge.

Trailing 66-51, Boston closed out the third quarter with a 17-2 run with Brown scoring eight straight and a total of 10 points during the Celtics spurt.

After forcing a miss with 4.1 seconds to play, Stevens called a time-out in order to give his team a shot at going into the fourth with the lead.

Terry Rozier got the in-bounds pass and dribbled up court before launching a deep 3-pointer that hit the side of the rim as time expired.

That was one of the few plays that didn't work for the Celtics down the stretch in a game that serves as the biggest win of the season and certainly one of the biggest for Stevens during his four-plus seasons here in Boston.
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In a thriller, Celtics keep streak alive against defending champs

Al Horford sends a bounce pass to an open Jaylen Brown who slams down a one-handed dunk. Brown then steals the ball and hammers home an emphatic dunk to get the bench fired up. (0:33)

ESPN BOSTON Chris Forsberg ESPN Staff Writer

BOSTON -- Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr arrived to his pregame media session in Boston on Thursday night to find an overflow throng of media on hand for a battle of streaking NBA conference leaders.

Asked about the significance of the matchup, Kerr deadpanned, "Huge game. Huge. The fate of the universe rests upon the results of tonight's Celtics-Warriors matchup."

And yet for much of the night, it kinda felt like it actually might.

Kyrie Irving isn't afraid of change

Kyrie Irving has a new team, a new diet, and now he's trying to alter a reputation as a player who couldn't win without LeBron James. Each one motivation to prove he made the right choice to gamble on himself.

TD Garden buzzed with a playoff-like intensity throughout the night, including when an injured Gordon Hayward sat with assistants behind the Boston bench in the first half, drawing an ovation when he was shown on the JumboTron, but especially as the Celtics twice rallied from double-digit deficits while pushing the defending champions for the full 48 minutes.

And it was Kyrie Irving, ditching his protective facemask early in the third quarter despite playing with a facial fracture, who fearlessly attacked the basket in the final minute. His free throws put Boston out front to stay in a 92-88 triumph.
Jaylen Brown (team-high 22 points) helped spark Boston in the second half. Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

The Celtics have now won 14 straight games since starting the season 0-2. The Warriors had their seven-game winning streak snapped.

Second-year forward Jaylen Brown scored a team-high 22 points and essentially willed Boston back into the game on two occasions. Irving overcame shooting woes to chip in 16 points on 4-of-16 shooting.

The Celtics trailed by as much as 17 in the first half but, even as Boston's offense struggled mightily (30.2 percent shooting overall through two quarters) its defense gave it a chance to rally by holding the Warriors without a field goal over the final 5:25 of the half. Brown gave the Celtics a jolt of energy late in the half, his hustle on display on both ends, and Boston clawed within five at the intermission.

Unfazed, the Warriors pushed their lead back to 17 seven minutes into the third quarter. This time Boston embarked on a 19-0 run and Jayson Tatum's baseline drive put the Celtics out front 68-66 in the final minute of the frame. The Warriors had more turnovers (5) than field goal attempts (4) during Boston's four-minute burst. Brown scored 10 points during Boston's run.

Steph Curry labored through 3-of-14 shooting and finished with just nine points. Kevin Durant scored a game-high 24 points on 9-of-18 shooting for the Warriors.

112288

80 - 2 THE DREAM LIVES ON!

112288

WELL THAT WILL SHUT THE BIG MOUTH OF SIR CHARLES!

WHAT A GREAT GAME............WE COULD HAVE WON BY DOUBLE FIGURES.

THIS GAME WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE FOUNDATION BLOCKS THAT WILL BE THE NEW CELTIC DYNASTY!!!!

SAD TO SAY, SMART IS PLAYING HIMSELF OUT OF THE LINEUP AND OUT OF THE TEAM.....HIS GAME HAS REGRESSED!


112288

This is more a trademark win than a signature win.

Ugly-Games-R-Us

112288 wrote:WELL THAT WILL SHUT THE BIG MOUTH OF SIR CHARLES!

WHAT A GREAT GAME............WE COULD HAVE WON BY DOUBLE FIGURES.

THIS GAME WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE FOUNDATION BLOCKS THAT WILL BE THE NEW CELTIC DYNASTY!!!!

SAD TO SAY, SMART IS PLAYING HIMSELF OUT OF THE LINEUP AND OUT OF THE TEAM.....HIS GAME HAS REGRESSED!


112288

I saw Barkley too at halftime. He is bitter because he never won a title. He sees all those banners in Boston Garden.

I also agree on Marcus Smart. Something very odd is going on.

Golden State acts entitled. They remind me of LeBron and Wade whooping it up only to choke against Dallas in the Finals.

That was probably the signature win to end all signature wins until a big playoff win, getting into the Finals, something big.

I doubt Golden State is concerned about signature wins.

They are relying on four guys who are not robots. They looked lazy to me throwing up too many threes.

It looked like Durant would ruin the winning streak, but he missed a few at the end.

I think Irving has the injury/mask excuse for his lousy shooting. He was very good at his free throws. Good job by Jaylen hitting most his own and supplying good scoring punch.

There are a couple very easy games coming up. Unless they are trap games, this winning streak could keep going on for quite a while.

But yeah, otherwise, I am fixated on Smart. He does deserve credit for tonight. Their guard stars put up lousy stats.

If we trade Smart, that'd be a tough hit on the defensive identity. But if he is lame on offense, and you could seal his loss on defense or contain the damage of losing his defense, then it's that contract time for perhaps moving on.

There are other possibilities. His value drops and he comes back on a humble contract. Or he gets offered Turner money and leave. Or Danny matches.

He needs to snap out of it.

Smart could basically be a rental at this point and a good one at that. I am not sure Golden State can keep their run together throwing all their money at divas with nothing left to fill the roster.

And we will be much better later in the year than we were tonight. Irving is dealing with a broken face.

Horford and Brown willed the win for my final comment. And Kyrie with his free throws. The free throw shooting won it with defense. We humbled them. I think they may have some issues in upcoming games. We may have figured something out about them. Or are we really this good?

Golden State only scored 60 points over the last three quarters.

Big, big win.

And how many words will be spilled on Marcus Smart? I will assume the other boards are probably whining right now.

Marcus Smart is a good problem to have. He isn't even a problem. We are beating teams with defense and that's what he does best. What will be, will be. I'll be happy either way if he stays or goes. If he starts shooting good, you have to keep him. You might have to keep him anyway. That's a #6 pick we drafted. It's not like picking #2 Evan Turner off the scrap heap.

AGAIN.....WE OUT REBOUNDED OUR OPPONENT 51-47!

WE ARE STARTING TO WIN THE BATTLE OF THE BOARDS.

WHO IS OUT THERE WHO IS A SHOOTER?????????

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Phil Pressey

SPOT ON!

SMART SHOOTING THIS BAD.......HE IS A-LA RONDO AT THIS POINT! EITHER THERE IS A PERSONAL - FAMILY PROBLEM GOING ON OR HE IS IN A BAD SLUMP.

PERHAPS DANNY SHOULD GET A SHOOTING COACH TO TRY TO FIX HIM.

WE SHOT LIKE 32% AND STILL WON.........WHAT AN AMAZING TEAM WE HAVE THIS YEAR.

112288

Boston Celtics showing their MO tonight.  Grind it out, stay close, match intensity, and give the opposition nothing easy.

They still have a year or so before they could beat the Warriors 4 games in a series. But you add one more top 5 pick and Gordon Hayward to this team - and the league better watch out

EDIT: Just watching Steph Curry giving the Celtics no credit. He said it was one of those nights when they shot poorly and the refs gave the Celtics the game with foul calls. Poor form from such a great player.

112288 wrote:AGAIN.....WE OUT REBOUNDED OUR OPPONENT 51-47!

WE ARE STARTING TO WIN THE BATTLE OF THE BOARDS.

WHO IS OUT THERE WHO IS A SHOOTER?????????

112288

Key dates:

January 5
10-day contracts may now be signed

January 11
NBA London Game 2018 -- Philadelphia 76ers vs Boston Celtics (London)

February 8
NBA Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET)


Rozier is not a liability on offense, but then you'd probably have to rely on Larkin to back up Kyrie if you trade Smart.

I think it'd be nice to get a center. Another shooter wouldn't hurt, but that could be Larkin.

This looks like a team that could win it all this year:

Irving/Larkin pg
Brown/Rozier sg
Tatum/Brown sf
Horford/Morris/Baynes/Theis/Tatum bigs.

That's nine guys who could win it all. Danny can make a trade with Smart (or Rozier), everyone else left on the roster (except Hayward) and draft picks to find the tenth and eleventh piece of the title puzzle.

There's no way Danny won't make a trade, imho. I'll be surprised if he doesn't.

This is off-topic, but Houston has 90 points towards the end of the second quarter.

They better go after Barkley for dissing the Celtics.

Barkley owned his mistake----for once

I don`t know if this has been discussed .Jaylen Brown`s best friend died Wednesday. He almost didn`t play . Gutty performance.

https://sports.yahoo.com/lets-clear-celtics-nba-finals-front-runners-east-070057850.html

Celtics wore them down over the course of the game. Great win.

I don;t why everyone is on Smarts' back today.

I saw a guy who's defense and blocks helped us to a win. He has never been a good shooter, nothing new here. Last night he didn't keep chucking the ball up either.

Take Smarts defense away and we lose last night.

and why are we calling for trading or adding this or that player...last time I saw we have the best record in the NBA.

yes, lets trade away someone now......

kdp59 wrote:I don;t why everyone is on Smarts' back today.

I saw a guy who's defense and blocks helped us to a win. He has never been a good shooter, nothing new here. Last night he didn't keep chucking the ball up either.

Take Smarts defense away and we lose last night.

and why are we calling for trading or adding this or that player...last time I saw we have the best record in the NBA.

yes, lets trade away someone now......

He was +15 last night so he must have been one outstanding good luck charm while on the floor

Apparently Coach Stevens doesn't have a problem with Marcus Smart. Otherwise why does he keep him in, especially in crunch time?

As for me, I'm enjoying the hell out of 14-2 and a great, great win over the Warriors. This team has something special that I haven't seen since the last time we took a banner home: a not to be denied will to win!

Berlin-T    

Of course, I loved that win, but post here only to say Smart is a key to this team's success. He might not hit a shot for the next 10 games, but if we win, who cares? He's a nightmare for other teams' guards. He's a good distributor, excellent rebounder and I believe his shot will return - probably when we need it most. He's clutch, his teammates love him, and his shooting problem seems to be that he's over-thinking, worried he'll miss because he's been missing. As long as we're winning and he's not gunning all night long, I say let's cheer him on. Hawk

hawksnestbeach wrote:Of course, I loved that win, but post here only to say Smart is a key to this team's success. He might not hit a shot for the next 10 games, but if we win, who cares? He's a nightmare for other teams' guards. He's a good distributor, excellent rebounder and I believe his shot will return - probably when we need it most. He's clutch, his teammates love him, and his shooting problem seems to be that he's over-thinking, worried he'll miss because he's been missing. As long as we're winning and he's not gunning all night long, I say let's cheer him on. Hawk

...and another +1.

You can move this win into the signature column.  Put it at the very top.

The Celtics seemed a bit intimidated playing against the Warriors.  No one was stepping up and then Jaylen Brown took over the game and was the best player on the court for either team.  His best friend from school had committed suicide and Jaylen was playing with a heavy heart.  He was hurting big time and proceeded to take that hurt out on the Warriors.

This was a strange game in many respects as both Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving and Clay Thompson could not find their range.  GS came into the contest averaging 119 PPG.  They have been unstoppable.  

There has been an on-going argument about defense vs offense.  Most fans believe offense is the key.  I have always disagreed with that assumption. Defense wins championships.  This fact has been proven time and time again.  Golden State got shut down on offense by the Boston Celtics.  That is the reason for the win.  That is the reason for the headlines and that is the reason Boston is riding a 14 game winning streak.

Charles Barkley was super negative and remarkably dismissive last night even for him.  He had to walk back his prediction but he still does not get it.  He still cannot understand why Boston has won 14 straight.

The reality is now staring us right in the face.  This team, this year without Gordon Hayward could make a run to the championship.  There is still time to add a player to the team but we have only played 16 games and the team particularly the bench is still trying to find their offensive identity.  

dboss

Boston's record against teams .500 and above is 8-2 and leads the NBA. They are 6-0 against teams under .500 which means they are avoiding those trap games. The Celtics are playing well against everybody.

dboss

Game ball goes to Jaylen Brown, who should be an all star, I don't care what his stats say. In a game dominated by superstar wings, he's our best defender. Great move by Brad opening 2nd half with Jaylen on Durant, he didn't stop everything, but he stopped him enough. Throughout history team with the best record usually has 2 or 3 players in the all star game on it for that record, we ask Jaylen to defend the best scorer/player at wing and we have the leagues best record and best defense.....so he must be doing something bigger than his stats.

Yeah Smart did play some good defense and he blocked a shot, but his offense was so ugly, was hurting me to watch....still an incredible game with defense setting the tone and our defense and energy wearing out the older team, and the most energetic player both ends was Jaylen Brown. Loved his block flying out of nowhere on KD and his steal and Dominque like jam off Curry, then those 3's in such a tight game were huge. Hes our defensive stopper, not Smart. Kudos to Kyrie for making key plays, getting to the line at crunch times, even though he had an off game, he made the big plays down the stretch. Big Al was great all around, doing all the things to keep us in the game.