NBA: Warriors win once again, outlasting a late-game rush by the Celtics
Boston, Massachusetts - The Golden State Warriors continued their winning ways on their Eastern Conference road trip, squeaking by the Boston Celtics on Friday night.
The Warriors beat the Celtics 111-107 for their third-straight win and fifth victory in the last six games.
After the historic game they played against the Knicks earlier in the week, this Friday night matchup featured Golden State getting back to business.
They came out in a big way during the first half, putting up 34 points in both the first and second quarters to lead Boston 68-54 at halftime.
But the Celtics made some serious adjustments in the third quarter to hold the Warriors to just 14 points, trailing them only by one heading into the final quarter.
Within the first 60 seconds of the fourth quarter, the Celtics grabbed their first and only lead of the game, but it was short-lived when the Warriors tied the game and jumped back up again, never to look back.
The rest of the fourth had the Celtics playing catch-up as time ticked away, even getting as close as two points but falling short by the final buzzer.
The player spotlight
Keeping up the momentum from his record-breaking Tuesday night, Warriors guard Steph Curry (33) still had the hot hand against the Celtics.
He added five more three-pointers to his all-time long-distance record, though his teammate Andrew Wiggins fared better from behind the arc, only missing two of his seven three-point attempts.
Curry didn’t just hit threes, though. One of his several two-point buckets did help seal the deal for Golden State with less than a minute to play in the game.
He finished the night 8-for-21 shooting overall, 5-for-14 from three-point range for 30 total points, five rebounds, and four assists.
The big picture
Now that the three-point record has been conquered by Curry, the Warriors can focus even more on their dominance in the NBA.
They once again have the league’s best record and might have the upper hand in holding on to it with another win over the Suns on Christmas Day – that is, if the Suns don’t go cold anytime soon themselves.
Look for Golden State to keep their top-tier luster in the meantime, whether they win big or small.
On Saturday, the Warriors will be north of the border to play against the Raptors, while the Celtics will stay at home to host the Knicks.
Cover photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire