The Splash Brothers sink the Celtics!

After two bad losses to the Pacers and Utah, the Warriors answered in style against the best team in the league. A feel-good win before embarking on a six-game road trip East that promises to be full-bodied. Like Jayson Tatum, the Celtics, without Al Horford, had their worst game of the season.

It was Draymond Green and Klay Thompson who intervened and started fights against Jayson Tatum. The intensity is there on both sides, but the players’ adrenaline translates into disastrous personnel choices from Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. We’ll have to wait for a hot shot from Stephen Curry at the end of the first quarter to see the Warriors take their first lead (33-25).

Only Malcolm Brogdon is playing with the enforced local defense, but Jordan Poole’s seven points lead to +11 (44-33). This is the moment Boston chooses to tighten up its defense, but every time it comes back to within two, Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry make the dust talk (65-54). Jayson Tatum’s awakening on defense allows him to find his rhythm and back up the explosive Jaylen Brown. The Celtics get four turnovers from their opponents and they return to the locker room at -5 (68-63).

The Celtics attest to that, as does Blake Griffin, a skilled and active rebounder impulse but then Thompson and Poole, playing carrots, shoot themselves with two consecutive layups to see the lead return to +10 (84-74). Five consecutive points from the Splash Brothers drives the score home a little more, and Jayson Tatum’s turnover symbolizes the difficulties of the Celtics (95-81).

Golden State’s second five does not release the pressure and increases the difference to +17, but the Celtics do not give up. Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown raise their voices and Boston goes 13-4 (107-99) to throw the Warriors cold at the Chase Center. With less than five minutes to play, Jayson Tatum has an opportunity to put Golden State in doubt, but he misses two free throws. Instead of going back to -6, the Celtics this time conceded a 7-0 that put them in the KO

WHAT TO REMEMBER

– Courtesy of Splash Brothers. If the Celtics were looking for revenge when they arrived at the Chase Center, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were waiting for them. Both guards were explosive in the first half, shooting 16 of 26, including 6 of 11 from 3-point range. That’s as much as the entire Boston team! Their 41 points set the tone for a Golden State team ready to take on the best team in the league.

– Two missed free throws that increase the money time. At -17 in the last quarter, the Celtics managed to find a second wind to beat the Warriors 13-4, who began to lose their composure. With five minutes to go, Boston was already in the bonus for several minutes. A foul on Di Vincenzo on Tatum gave the Celtics two more points and cut their lead to six. Tatum, who is shooting 86% of his free throws this season, misses both. The setback cut short his team’s last stand, and the Warriors raced to regain the lead and put a cap on a match they had mastered from start to finish.

– The Warriors defense stifles the league’s best offense. Since the beginning of the season, the Celtics’ offense has been moving forward with historic efficiency in the NBA. Conversely, the Warriors have struggled to establish the foundations of their defensive identity, but tonight they found the resources and toughness to dominate Boston. Behind Draymond Green and Kevon Looney, they limited Boston to 43% shooting, including just 30% from 3-point range and 17 assists (49%, 40% and 27 averages this season). Boston scored 107 or fewer points for just the fourth time this season.

TOPS/FLOPS

✅ Clay Thompson. “Splash Brother” lives for big matches and tonight he gave his current answer. He scored 24 of his 34 points in the first half while also replicating a once-All-Star-worthy defense.

✅ Stephen Curry. The Warriors star played fair the entire game. He allowed Poole and Thompson to ignite the game before regaining control to put the Dubs home in order. He finished with 32 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, 57% shooting.

✅ Jaylen Brown. As in the finals, Brown was extremely aggressive and was the only Celtic who floated against the Warriors defense. He scored 31 points on 13/23 shooting and nine rebounds.

✅ ⛔Jordan Poole. Explosive from the opening minutes, established in the absence of Wiggins, Poole certainly scored 20 points, but was only successful at 31% on extremely questionable shot selection.

⛔ Jason Tatum. The Celtics star is back in a June nightmare. Even without Wiggins up front, he would never have found his place. He finished with 18 points, but 6/21 shooting.

NEXT

Golden State (14-13) : The Warriors begin a six-game road trip Tuesday at Milwaukee.

Boston (21-6): The Celtics travel to Los Angeles on Monday to face the Clippers.