Everything you need to know about the Celtics’ 92-88 win over the Warriors in quickie form.
HEADLINES
14 in a row: The Celtics trailed by as many as 17 points in the third quarter, but clawed back into the game on the back of Jaylen Brown, Kyrie Irving and their defense. The winning streak is franchise’s longest since the 2010-11 season. Boston remains on top of the overall standings at 14-2. .
Defensive struggle: We knew the Celtics would struggle on offense at times, but this game turned into a rock fight for the better part of the final three quarters as two of the league’s best defenses asserted their will. The two teams combined to shoot 37 percent from the field, providing tenacious defense for the better part of the final three quarters in a thriller.
Kyrie Irving ditches the mask midgame: The All-Star point guard started the game 2-of-9 from the field, and ditched his protective head gear just one and a half games after suffering a fractured bone in his face. Irving had said on multiple occasions that he would need to wear it for multiple weeks for protection, but the need for better eyesight prevailed on an off shooting. He finished the game with 16 points on 4-of-16 shooting, including several crucial ones at the free throw line down the stretch.
TURNING POINT
The Celtics turned the game around midway through the third quarter with a 18-0 run that erased a 17-point Warriors deficit in under four minutes of game action. Brown and Al Horford led the way during the run, which came while Kyrie Irving sat on the bench.
TWO UP
Jaylen Brown: The shooting numbers weren’t pretty overall (7-of-18) but the swingman was one of the few guys brought aggression and energy against a feisty Warriors defense all night. His sensational third quarter (11 points) carried the Celtics back into the game and he even drilled his free throws (5-of-6), an area that he’s been struggling in all season. He finished with a team-high 22 points. Even more impressive: he did it after learning of the death of his best friend on Wednesday night. Brown wasn't even sure he could play.
Al Horford: The big man showed he was mortal from behind the 3-point line (0-of-4) but he continues to be one of the most efficient scorers in the game, going a perfect 7-of-7 inside of the arc. He added a team-high 11 rebounds with his 18 points and helped fortify the defensive backline with Aron Baynes during the C’s comeback run in the third quarter.
TWO DOWN
Marcus Smart: The shooting slump continued for the reserve point guard but the uglier part of his game to me was the shot selection. Between some early 3-point shots at the top of the key and some forced jumpers that were ill-advised, the C’s offense continues to flounder most of the time he’s on the floor with the bench unit.
Kyrie Irving for the first three quarters: He wasn’t in any sort of an offensive flow from the opening tip and the point guard’s outside shooting continues to be woeful even after ditching the mask in the third quarter. With no LeBron James to take the Warriors’ defense attention away, Irving saw a bevy of double teams and traps all night and couldn’t overcome them, before finally finding some rhythm and a friendly whistle during crunch time.
INJURIES
None
TOP PLAY
Brown steals, Brown slams! #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes pic.twitter.com/wvzDggz4RZ
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 17, 2017
