The Golden State Warriors pulled off an exhilarating comeback victory against the Boston Celtics last night, winning 132-126 in overtime. Steph Curry led the charge for the Warriors, scoring 33 points including the game-winning three pointer with under a minute left in overtime.
Warriors Overcome Injuries and Foul Trouble
The Warriors were dealing with injuries and foul trouble for most of the game, but still found a way to grit out the win. Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson all spent extended time on the bench with foul issues, forcing the Warriors to rely heavily on their bench.
Jonathan Kuminga and Anthony Lamb provided a huge spark off the bench. Kuminga finished with 14 points while Lamb added 11 points on 4-5 shooting from downtown. Despite missing key players for stretches, the Warriors’ depth and resilience shone through to get them the win.
Curry Bounces Back With Clutch Performance
Curry was coming off an unusually poor shooting night against the Pacers, where he failed to make a three pointer for the first time in his career. He bounced back in spectacular fashion last night.
After a slow start, Curry came alive late in the 4th quarter. He scored 10 straight points to bring the Warriors back from a 7 point deficit with just over 4 minutes remaining. Curry’s flurry of shots included a contested step-back three and an acrobatic driving layup to tie the game and send it to overtime.
| Stephen Curry 4th Quarter/OT Stats | |
|---|---|
| Points | 16 |
| FG % | 63% |
| 3P % | 75% |
| Clutch Shots | 4 |
Curry stayed hot in the extra period, nailing three more triples. But none was bigger than his rainbow three pointer with 47 seconds left to put the Warriors up by 5. The degree of difficulty on the shot was insane – Curry had to arch the ball high over Jaylen Brown’s outstretched arms. It was the ultimate dagger that deflated the Celtics for good.
Celtics Can’t Stop Late Warriors Surge
The Celtics controlled the game for the majority of the night. Boston jumped out to a 12 point lead at halftime and led by as many as 16 in the 3rd quarter. Jayson Tatum was scoring with ease on his way to a 34 point performance.
But the Warriors cranked up their defense in the 4th, forcing 6 Celtics turnovers that led to fast break opportunities. That fueled their late game comeback. Celtics players and coaches cited defensive miscommunications and sloppy turnovers as the reasons for their collapse.
“We just had too many breakdowns. Miscommunications on switches and things like that,” said Celtics big man Al Horford.
For the second consecutive Finals matchup between these teams, the Celtics were unable to protect a 4th quarter advantage. The Warriors have clearly established themselves as one of the premier crunch time teams in the league.
Looking Ahead
The Celtics still hold the best record in the NBA at 23-6. But this loss is part of a season-long trend of struggling against the league’s elite. Boston is just 1-5 this year against the top 4 teams in the standings. Improving those results will be critical to the Celtics’ title hopes.
On the flip side, the Warriors gained a much needed confidence boost with this marquee win. Their slow start to the season had some questioning if their championship window had already closed. But thanks to vintage clutch play from Curry and a total team effort, the dynasty looks far from finished. Golden State is ready to go on a run to climb back into contention out West.
This thriller felt like a potential Finals preview. If that matchup does materialize again, we’ll be in for a treat based on the display these teams put on last night. Warriors-Celtics could be developing into the NBA’s newest high-stakes rivalry.
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