When the Celtics visited Golden State final January, they gained by 40. By way of three quarters, their newest go to was equally one-sided.
Boston led by 29 with lower than 12 minutes remaining Thursday evening — then wanted to outlive a livid Warriors comeback to safe a 121-110 victory on the Chase Middle in each groups’ first recreation again from the NBA All-Star break.
Jaylen Brown, recent off the primary All-Star begin of his profession, registered a 23-point, 15-rebound, 13-assist triple-double to steer the Celtics to their seventh win within the final eight video games.
Payton Pritchard added a game-high 26 factors off the bench, together with eight of the 19 that Boston scored within the fourth quarter. Pritchard, who’s topped 20 factors 5 occasions in six video games since being shifted from starter to sixth man, hit six 3-pointers whereas tallying seven assists and 6 boards.
Former Celtics huge males Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis each got here off the bench for Golden State, which was taking part in with out injured stars Stephen Curry (knee) and Jimmy Butler (torn ACL).
Horford struggled as a shooter in his first recreation, going 2-for-10 to complete with 5 factors and eight rebounds. Porzingis, who was traded from Atlanta earlier this month, began slowly in his Warriors debut however scored 12 factors on 5-of-9 capturing to assist gasoline his crew’s fourth-quarter rally.
It was the primary look for the oft-injured Porzingis since Jan. 7, and his and Horford’s first time suiting up in opposition to Boston since their departures final summer time.
The win kicked off a four-game West Coast swing for the Celtics, who will go to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET) earlier than ending with a back-to-back in Phoenix and Denver subsequent Tuesday and Wednesday.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla didn’t tinker along with his beginning lineup throughout Boston’s eight-day layoff. The Celtics despatched out the identical prime unit they used of their last video games earlier than the break: Derrick White, Baylor Scheierman, Brown, Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta. Pritchard and trade-deadline pickup Nikola Vucevic remained of their bench roles.
These influence reserves, together with Ron Harper Jr. and Jordan Walsh, helped Boston construct a 10-point lead halfway by means of a fast-paced, high-scoring first quarter.
Harper, a two-way participant who’s seen significant minutes in 4 of the Celtics’ final 5 video games, hit each of his 3-point makes an attempt throughout his opening shift. Walsh and Scheierman every hit an early three, and each added fast-break finishes on the rim. Boston did a lot of its first-quarter scoring within the paint, together with a sequence of nifty spins and step-throughs by Brown.
Scorching 3-point capturing saved Golden State in it by means of one quarter, however the Celtics sprinted forward early within the second. They scored on their first six possessions of the interval and 7 of their first 9 as a part of a 17-2 run. Porzingis was on the fallacious finish of a number of of these Boston buckets. In his first 4 minutes of flooring time as a Warrior, the previous C’s heart was a minus-15.
An overhead Hauser move to a slicing Vucevic put Boston up 53-34. The Celtics’ lead reached 23 factors later within the quarter as they unfold the ball round (21 assists earlier than halftime) and buried 11 first-half 3-pointers.
By the 8:59 mark of the second quarter, all 10 Celtics gamers who’d entered the sport had registered not less than two factors and one rebound.
Boston closed the half with factors on 5 of their last six alternatives, together with two threes every by Pritchard and Hauser. Pritchard added a pull-up jumper within the lane to cap a 15-point first half and ship the Celtics into the locker room with a 74-51 cushion.
The Celtics opened the second half with a 13-0 run and coasted by means of the third quarter, their lead peaking at 34 factors.
One of many second-half highlights was Pritchard, moments after sinking a 3 that clinched Brown’s triple-double, tying up Porzingis to drive a leap ball. Neither of the previous teammates needed to relinquish possession, resulting in a post-whistle tug-of-war that drew smiles from each gamers. (Pritchard, who’s generously listed at 6-foot-1, misplaced the following leap to the 7-2 Porzingis.)
Along with his crew up 102-73 getting into the fourth quarter, Mazzulla lifted most of his starters. However he reversed course after the Warriors staged a 10-0 run that included turnovers by Scheierman and Walsh. Mazzulla reinserted White, Hauser and Vucevic, and after they couldn’t stifle Golden State’s cost, he subbed in Brown, as nicely.
A steal-and-score by Gary Payton II lower Boston’s result in 111-99 with six minutes to play. Pritchard responded with back-to-back 3-pointers, however a Horford layup made it an 11-point recreation with lower than three minutes remaining. Solely then did the comeback bid lastly stall.
Horford misfired on a nook three, and Brown hit a fadeaway on the following possession. Brown then fed Queta for a dunk that iced the sport with a minute to go.
