This was to be one of the posters of the weekend in the NBA between the undisputed leader of the league this season, and the most victorious team in the NBA in February. But the match lasted six minutes, watch in hand. The first half of the opening quarter is an offensive festival, between two teams in legs and a scoreboard already in heat after four minutes: 17-16 for the Celtics.
The Warriors and Draymond Green challenge Jaylen Brown to punish by shooting, particularly behind the arc. A bad, very bad choice. The All-Star winger quickly gets up to speed (5/9 from 3-point range in the first act). And while the two teams are tied at 21 all after six minutes, Boston goes into overdrive for a rare lesson in domination. Everything succeeds for Joe Mazzulla's players, who recite their scales on their fingertips when Golden State completely sinks, like a Steph Curry muffled (0/9 by far!). The locals signed a 23-1 during the second half of the first quarter.
For his 26e birthday, Jayson Tatum receives as a gift from his teammates the right to limit efforts in the first quarter, to better reserve himself in the second. He makes all the right choices, alternating between aggression towards the circle and insolent success from afar. He alone scored more points over the period than all the Warriors combined.
The visual impression is incredible, as is the score: 82-38 at halftime. Steve Kerr did without Curry, Thompson, Green and Kuminga throughout the second half, Joe Mazzulla stopped the charges five minutes later for his irresistible starting five. This, without the gap being affected, 140-88 final score and an eleventh success in a row for Boston.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– Boston incandescent in the first quarter. With a 10/16 3-point shot, the Celtics set a record for winning shots in a single quarter in franchise history. Facing the C's attack with pace and confidence, the Warriors seemed terribly uninspired. 13 assists for no lost balls in the first 12 minutes, unheard of in a quarter in twenty seasons for Boston!
– Klay Thompson back in the infirmary? Once again in the starting five in the absence of Brandin Podziemski, the Warriors shooter could do nothing to prevent his team's rout. He especially did not take part in the second period, injured in the adductor, and was not present on the Golden State bench either. Diplomatic injury in the face of the one-sided scenario, or real concern in the Bay?
