The Warriors are starting to seem more indestructible each time they step the floor, especially proving that on Friday when they clocked the Boston Celtics 104-88 at the TD Garden. The win improved Golden State’s record to 10-2.
The Warriors turned a slim 55-48 halftime lead into an absolute drubbing in the third quarter. They hit 10 shots in a row, put a lid defensively on Boston and even Zaza Pachulia started dancing. That 20-3 run became a 30-point lead early in the fourth quarter.
“This wasn’t about what the Celtics didn’t do,” said ESPN broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy. “This is about how good the Warriors are.”
Klay Thompson produced the breakout game we’ve been waiting for, dropping 28 points on 12/21 shooting. It was the first time Thompson led the Warriors in scoring so far this season. His size advantage was distinct on the road in Boston.
“I’m not overthinking, I’m not overreacting to a few bad shots,” Thompson told ESPN’s Doris Burke on why he played well.
Kevin Durant’s blistering shooting percentage continues to get better. Durant went 10/13 from the floor on his way to 23 points and 10 rebounds. An off night from Steph Curry did not end up mattering one bit. Curry scored just 16 points points but threw a mesmerizing Alley-oop to Durant in the third quarter at the tail end of that 20-3 run. Boos for Durant slowly evaporated during the dominating win.
Pachulia quieted my criticism that Kevon Looney should start over him, snagging a season-high 12 rebounds. His dancing-on-the-pony moment was another example after ‘Drake Night’ of the Warriors letting loose and having more fun on the court.
And what more can we say about Draymond Green? It wasn’t his best night from the offensive end (3/11, 11 points), but he shut off the lane for the drive-heavy Celtics and added 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Like others have said, he’s been this team’s MVP to start the year.
It’s worth mentioning both Al Horford and Jae Crowded missed this game, really giving the Celtics zero chance against the star-heavy Warriors. Avery Bradley led Boston with 17 points and 10 rebounds; Marcus Smart left with an ankle injury in the second half after scoring 10 points.
The amazing thing about this blowout win is that the Warriors did not shoot well from the three-point line. The Warriors went 9/28 (just 32.1 percent) from downtown.
Steve Kerr improved his unbelievable regular season record to 150-26
The Milwaukee Bucks are next on the docket Saturday at 5:30 Pacific Time.