What Stood Out in Warriors' Win Over Celtics: A Tale of Two Halves

Playing short-handed against a Golden State Warriors team that came into Boston tied with the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the NBA, the Celtics got off to a sluggish start. Minimal resistance defensively and on the glass led to a deficit that grew as high as 20 points. However, the Celtics started the third frame on a 7-0 run, and with the attitude and effort they played with doing a 180 in the second half, the game came down to the wire.

Here's what stood out from the Warriors' win over the Celtics.

Too Great of a First-Half Disparity on the Boards and in the Paint

In the first half of the game, the Celtics weren't physical enough and needed to play with more energy. They did an awful job of boxing out, and the Warriors took advantage of that, grabbing nine offensive rebounds. That helped them generate 24 points in the paint and 14 second-chance points.

Making matters more challenging for Boston, Golden State got to the line 15 times in the first two quarters, tacking on 11 points at the charity stripe. That included four that came after a questionable foul call when Stephen Curry jumped into Marcus Smart on his way down from a three-point heave beyond half-court. Ime Udoka got a technical for venting his frustration with the official's decision to send Curry to the line despite him being the one who initiated the contact.

Andrew Wiggins Has Monster Second Quarter

Plain and simple, Andrew Wiggins was a problem for the Celtics in the second quarter. The former first overall pick got going with back-to-back jump hooks early in the frame. Then, he knocked down an open corner three before stepping into a clean look from the mid-range. After that, he splashed three more triples, only one of which was well-contested.

Wiggins finished the second quarter with 18 points on 7/10 shooting, including making four of five attempts from beyond the arc.

Celtics Play with Purpose in the Second Half

The Celtics came out with far more energy and physicality to start the second half. They kicked off the third quarter with a 7-0 run. When they got stops, including the eight Golden State turnovers they produced in the final two quarters, Marcus Smart did a great job of pushing the pace, helping Boston score 12 fast-break points and 22 in the paint.

The difference in their play translated to the Celtics going on a 26-11 run in the third frame, helping them climb back in the game after getting down by 20. When the quarter ended, the Warriors had only scored 14 points, finishing the frame -13, their worst third quarter of the season.

Valiant Comeback Falls Short

After getting down by 20, the Celtics had too small a margin for error to overcome mistakes like committing four turnovers to Golden State's one in the fourth quarter. The same goes for the 10-2 run the Warriors went on in the final frame to help them leave Boston with a win.

However, the Celtics can take pride in their performance in the second half. They limited the Warriors to 10 points in the paint and five second-chance points. Their ability to get stops, combined with a concerted effort to play up-tempo in the final two quarters, made it easier for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to attack the basket. The former scored eight points in the paint, while the latter generated six.

Fourteen of Tatum's 27 points came in the paint and at the free-throw line. He also grabbed eight rebounds, dished out six assists, and only had one turnover. Brown scored 20 points on 8/16 shooting, including converting 4/7 shots from beyond the arc. He also pulled in nine rebounds, though he did turn the ball over a team-high five times.

Up Next

The Celtics host the New York Knicks on Saturday night. Tip-off is at 7:00 EST. Inside The Celtics will have content related to the game coming out before, during, and after. And follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter for updates and analysis from pregame to post.

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