The Golden State Warriors (7-1) showed their championship mettle, fending off a tough challenge from the Boston Celtics (7-2) to secure a 118-112 victory on November 7.
Stephen Curry put on a masterful performance, dropping 27 points, including a clutch 10-point outburst late in the fourth that swung the game in the Warriors’ favor. He rounded out his night with 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals. Buddy Hield sustained his impressive start with 16, including hitting 4-of-7 from distance helping the Warriors win their fifth straight.
Jayson Tatum led his team with a dominant 32 points and 4 assists. This was supposed to be his chance to get revenge against Steve Kerr, who benched him in the Olympics, but the Warriors had other plans. He was backstopped by Derrick White who remained in top form with 26 tonight, hitting 7 threes, complete with 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
The Warriors’ Bench Provided the Spark, While Curry Delivered in the Clutch
The early going was a bit sluggish, with both teams struggling to find their shot. But White got going for the Celtics, pouring in 12 points as they jumped out to a (14-3) start. Payton II then entered the game for the Warriors and injected some spark that helped them close the gap to (11-14), but the Celtics held a slight edge.
The Warriors’ bench continued to sizzle in the second with Anderson hitting three consecutive triples to give them a (33-29) lead. They finished the half on a 9-0 run, pushing their advantage to double digits.
The Celtics struck first in the third. White buried a pair of threes, closing the gap to (55-62). Then Tatum took over, pouring in three straight triples, putting them within (64-68). Curry answered with 6 quick points, but the Celtics wouldn’t give in, going on an 11-4 run to close the gap to just one point.
White stayed hot in the fourth, pushing the Celtics ahead (87-84), and added another three to make it (95-88). But the Warriors, with Curry at the helm, stormed back and seized the lead (104-99). The Celtics pushed hard, but Looney came up big down the stretch and Hield nailed a clutch three to secure the win.
Up Next
The Celtics host the Nets on Saturday while the Warriors travel to Cleveland.
