Celtics Look to End Slide vs. Warriors: Live Updates, Highlights and Reaction
Boston CelticsvsGolden State Warriors
Isaiah Thomas scored 25 points to guide the Boston Celtics past the Golden State Warriors 99-86 Wednesday night at Oracle Arena. Kelly Olynyk put together an excellent game off the bench, tallying 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals and a plus-29 rating. Boston improved to 41-24, while dropping Golden State to 52-12 on the year. Klay Thompson scored 25 and Stephen Curry added 23, but the Warriors committed 17 turnovers and hit just six of their 30 three-point attempts.
- March 9, 2017
Spurs Lurking
While San Antonio is riding a nine-game winning streak, Golden State has dropped three of its last five games. The battle for home-court advantage is getting interesting.
Celtics 99, Warriors 86 (Final)
Boston holds Golden State to a season-low 86 points in an impressive win. The Celtics won the fourth quarter 27-12.
- Invalid Date
- March 9, 2017
Celtics 95, Warriors 84 (1:36 Remaining, 4th Quarter)
Eight turnovers for Golden State in this frame.
Eight.
Boston Pulling Away
Thomas buries a trifecta, and the Celtics have exploded for a 15-0 run and put themselves in winning position.
Celtics 90, Warriors 79 (4:39 Remaining, 4th Quarter)
My goodness, that happened quickly. What a stretch for the Celtics.
Out of the timeout, Boston grabbed a defensive rebound, Crowder hit a three, Avery Bradley jumped a pass and earned an easy dunk, then Olynyk knocked the ball loose before Thomas' bucket.
Simple Breakdown, Huge Swing
Curry lost his dribble despite not being pressured, and Boston turned the rare mistake into a Crowder triple and a four-point lead.
Warriors 79, Celtics 78 (7:10 Remaining, 4th Quarter)
Simply sensational movement on and off the ball.
3rd-Quarter Stats
Thomas scored seven points in the that frame. Remember, he averages a league-best 10.3 points in the fourth quarter.
Talk the Talk, Walk the Walk
Judging from Curry's gesture after pointing at Brown, it's pretty obvious Boston's forward was trash-talking the reigning MVP.
And hey, there's nothing wrong with that.
Warriors 74, Celtics 72 (End 3rd Quarter)
"Oh yeah!" Curry said to the rookie.
Get That Fan a 10-Day Contract
He made four three-pointers to win a car.
Golden State has four triples so far tonight.
Warriors 70, Celtics 65 (2:41 Remaining, 3rd Quarter)
Superb performance from Olynyk, who is a key reason Boston is still in this game. He also holds a team-best plus-10 rating.
Warriors 65, Celtics 63 (4:10 Remaining, 3rd Quarter)
"Oh, you mentioned a slump?"
Thompson took advantage of a long rebound and buried a second attempt at a three, ending the streak at 11.
Warriors 58, Celtics 55 (7:18 Remaining, 3rd Quarter)
Golden State has missed its last 10 three-point attempts.
2nd Half Underway
And Boston is already ahead.
A miscommunication between Thompson and Pachulia led to a wide-open three for Horford.
Just Keep Hanging Around
Boston has made plenty of mistakes through 24 minutes but remains within striking distance. Though the Celtics need Thomas to shake his slump and Jae Crowder to have a larger offensive impact, they're in good shape.
Warriors 50, Celtics 46 (Halftime)
Thompson scored a game-high 13 points during the opening half, followed by Curry at 12.
Golden State held Thomas without a point in the second quarter. Boston's point guard has missed his last five shots from the field.
It Was a Really Great Try?
The good news? Smart is a confident shooter.
The bad news? He's a pretty bad outside shooter.
Celtics 45, Warriors 44 (2:30 Remaining, 2nd Quarter)
It looked like Olynyk accidentally tipped in Steph's off-balance-underhanded-something-or-other shot.
Rough Half for Draymond
Hot starts from both Curry and Thompson have overshadowed a subpar first half for Green on the offensive end.
In 14 minutes, he's missed all three long-range attempts and is just 1-of-6 overall.
Celtics 40, Warriors 38 (5:13 Remaining, 2nd Quarter)
We'll keep you updated on David West. His absence means more playing time for McGee.
Warriors 36, Celtics 34 (8:10 Remaining, 2nd Quarter)
And just as we're discussing Boston's issues protecting the rock, Golden State gives up two live-ball turnovers that lead to a pair of quick buckets for the Celtics. Terry Rozier made one of the layups, giving him five points tonight.
Turnovers = Transition
And that's not going to help Boston beat the Warriors.
Golden State scored seven points off six turnovers in the opening quarter.
Warriors 28, Celtics 25 (End 1st Quarter)
Curry led Golden State with 10 points, but Thomas kept Boston close behind an 11-point effort. Jonas Jerebko, who missed Monday's game, added five off the bench.
Warriors 24, Celtics 17 (2:28 Remaining, 1st Quarter)
To this point, Golden State's frontcourt hadn't made a shot. JaVale McGee broke the slump with a skyhook, because of course.
Warriors 15, Celtics 12 (5:03 Remaining, 1st Quarter)
Thompson scored Golden State's first seven points, including this fadeaway that followed a terrific fake.
Boston, We Have a Problem
It's a temporary issue, but through four-plus minutes the Celtics still haven't scored in a half-court set.
Warriors 5, Celtics 2 (8:30 Remaining, 1st Quarter)
The Splash Brothers are officially in a shooting league of their own.
Countdown to Tipoff
Golden State is looking for a third straight win. Boston wants to avoid a third consecutive loss.
The ball goes up... soon.
- March 8, 2017
Keep or Cut with Warriors' Upcoming FAs
via Bleacher Report- March 9, 2017
Not Over Until IT4 Says It Is
Isaiah Thomas is a versatile scorer, and that offensive prowess has especially been on display in fourth quarters this season.
Durant's Secret Job
He's actually a medical professional. You didn't know?
Starters for Both Teams
Boston will use a different lineup than Monday because Al Horford has returned from injury. This five-man unit has opened a team-high 24 games this season.
Kevin Durant Injury Update
At this stage of the superstar's recovery, no-news news is the best kind of news for the Warriors.
- March 8, 2017
Early Free Agency Look: Pair Hayward with IT4?
via Bleacher Report
Leading Scorers
Thomas (BOS): 25 PTS, 3 AST, 3 STL Olynyk (BOS): 17 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 3 STL
Thompson (GS): 25 PTS, 3 BLK Curry (GS): 23 PTS, 6 AST