NBA
Regular Season Round 113: Boston C. - Golden St.W. 101-106
Date: March 1, 2015
The revitalized Celtics entered Sunday with a three-game winning streak, a swagger, and a new point guard who had given them new hope. The reality, though, was that the three wins came against teams that are not currently in position to reach the playoffs. So this game against Golden State figured to offer a telling gauge of progress. The Warriors have All-Stars and the NBA's best record, and they approach adversity with aplomb. The crowd at sold-out TD Garden arrived curious to see where Boston stood, by halftime it was stunned to see a 26-point Celtics lead, and by the end it was uncertain how to respond to a 106-101 loss. Should the Celtics be pleased they'd had a chance against the best, or disheartened that they'd let it slip away? 'I thought we should have won the game, Evan Turner said. 'There's no such thing as good losses. Celtics coach Brad Stevens told his team he was discouraged by the final result, but he said the game also had made him eager to move forward, eager to see where the possibilities created Sunday take them. Of course, in the short term, it just takes them to Cleveland, to face LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Tuesday. 'Everything we do, Stevens said, 'better lead to progress tomorrow. The Celtics were spectacular at the start against the Warriors, scoring 38 points in the first quarter. Isaiah Thomas entered with 2:31 left, and six minutes later he had 14 points. Then, over a one-minute stretch that started with 7:53 remaining until halftime, James Young, Jae Crowder, and Jonas Jerebko all drained 3-pointers. Jerebko's shot gave the Celtics a 56-30 lead over the NBA's best team, and some might have wondered if the scoreboard operator had hit the wrong buttons. Thomas later said the crowd was so exuberant, it reminded him of when he used to watch Kevin Garnett-led Celtics teams on television. Still, as Stevens paced the sideline and prepared for the Warriors' counterpunch, he remained appropriately uneasy. 'Twenty-whatever we were up in the first half felt like 3 to me, he said. 'And 16 at halftime felt like 2 against those guys. They just come back so fast. The Celtics have thrived recently with a smaller, more-skilled lineup that stretches the floor and leads to open 3-pointers when Thomas penetrates. But the Warriors are capable of countering a lineup like that with a similar but more-skilled one. Golden State played much of the fourth quarter with what was essentially a four-guard group, and when one of those guards is Stephen Curry, that doesn't hurt, either. 'Steph does what he does, Warriors guard Klay Thompson said, 'playing MVP level. A basket by Draymond Green with 3:26 left in the fourth quarter gave Golden State a 96-94 lead, its first since 4-3. With 1:43 left, Celtics rookie Marcus Smart drained a 3-pointer from the right arc to put the Celtics back in front, 99-98, but the Warriors scored 4 straight points to take a 102-99 lead. Avery Bradley tried to tie the score on a deep 3 from the right corner, but the ball bounced off the top of the backboard. Thomas corralled the offensive rebound and made a layup with 11.8 seconds left to make it 102-101. Curry was fouled, and after a brief discussion, Stevens and Thomas decided not to call a timeout after the free throws. Since the Celtics' guards are small, Stevens said, getting a shot off after pushing the ball upcourt could lead to the most-open option. Also, it wouldn't give Golden State an opportunity to discuss whether it should foul. Thomas blitzed upcourt and received a strong screen from Tyler Zeller, but his potential tying 3-pointer caromed off the back of the rim. 'I wasn't going to do anything that would've given us a better look, Stevens said. 'It was a great look. Thomas finished with 20 points on 8-for-21 shooting. Brandon Bass added 15 points and 12 rebounds. After shooting 15 for 28 in the first quarter, however, the Celtics went just 25 for 81. Curry had 37 points to lead the Warriors. Now, the Celtics are off to Cleveland with the understanding that they are certainly not at the Warriors' level just yet, but they are also not the same old Celtics. 'We know our potential, Bass said. Courtesy of: bostonglobe.com
Terms:
Field Goals : 2PM-A (2 point Field Goal made-attempts) 3PM-A (3 point Field Goal made-attempts) FTM-A (free throws made-attempt)
Rebounds : OFF (Offensive) DEF (Defensive) TOT (total)
Fouls : CM (Committed) RV (received)
Blocks : FV (In Favor) AG (Against)
Other terms : MIN (minutes) AST (assists) ST (steals) TO (Turnovers) PTS (points) RNK (ranking)
Regular Season Round 113: Boston C. - Golden St.W. 101-106
Date: March 1, 2015
The revitalized Celtics entered Sunday with a three-game winning streak, a swagger, and a new point guard who had given them new hope. The reality, though, was that the three wins came against teams that are not currently in position to reach the playoffs. So this game against Golden State figured to offer a telling gauge of progress. The Warriors have All-Stars and the NBA's best record, and they approach adversity with aplomb. The crowd at sold-out TD Garden arrived curious to see where Boston stood, by halftime it was stunned to see a 26-point Celtics lead, and by the end it was uncertain how to respond to a 106-101 loss. Should the Celtics be pleased they'd had a chance against the best, or disheartened that they'd let it slip away? 'I thought we should have won the game, Evan Turner said. 'There's no such thing as good losses. Celtics coach Brad Stevens told his team he was discouraged by the final result, but he said the game also had made him eager to move forward, eager to see where the possibilities created Sunday take them. Of course, in the short term, it just takes them to Cleveland, to face LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Tuesday. 'Everything we do, Stevens said, 'better lead to progress tomorrow. The Celtics were spectacular at the start against the Warriors, scoring 38 points in the first quarter. Isaiah Thomas entered with 2:31 left, and six minutes later he had 14 points. Then, over a one-minute stretch that started with 7:53 remaining until halftime, James Young, Jae Crowder, and Jonas Jerebko all drained 3-pointers. Jerebko's shot gave the Celtics a 56-30 lead over the NBA's best team, and some might have wondered if the scoreboard operator had hit the wrong buttons. Thomas later said the crowd was so exuberant, it reminded him of when he used to watch Kevin Garnett-led Celtics teams on television. Still, as Stevens paced the sideline and prepared for the Warriors' counterpunch, he remained appropriately uneasy. 'Twenty-whatever we were up in the first half felt like 3 to me, he said. 'And 16 at halftime felt like 2 against those guys. They just come back so fast. The Celtics have thrived recently with a smaller, more-skilled lineup that stretches the floor and leads to open 3-pointers when Thomas penetrates. But the Warriors are capable of countering a lineup like that with a similar but more-skilled one. Golden State played much of the fourth quarter with what was essentially a four-guard group, and when one of those guards is Stephen Curry, that doesn't hurt, either. 'Steph does what he does, Warriors guard Klay Thompson said, 'playing MVP level. A basket by Draymond Green with 3:26 left in the fourth quarter gave Golden State a 96-94 lead, its first since 4-3. With 1:43 left, Celtics rookie Marcus Smart drained a 3-pointer from the right arc to put the Celtics back in front, 99-98, but the Warriors scored 4 straight points to take a 102-99 lead. Avery Bradley tried to tie the score on a deep 3 from the right corner, but the ball bounced off the top of the backboard. Thomas corralled the offensive rebound and made a layup with 11.8 seconds left to make it 102-101. Curry was fouled, and after a brief discussion, Stevens and Thomas decided not to call a timeout after the free throws. Since the Celtics' guards are small, Stevens said, getting a shot off after pushing the ball upcourt could lead to the most-open option. Also, it wouldn't give Golden State an opportunity to discuss whether it should foul. Thomas blitzed upcourt and received a strong screen from Tyler Zeller, but his potential tying 3-pointer caromed off the back of the rim. 'I wasn't going to do anything that would've given us a better look, Stevens said. 'It was a great look. Thomas finished with 20 points on 8-for-21 shooting. Brandon Bass added 15 points and 12 rebounds. After shooting 15 for 28 in the first quarter, however, the Celtics went just 25 for 81. Curry had 37 points to lead the Warriors. Now, the Celtics are off to Cleveland with the understanding that they are certainly not at the Warriors' level just yet, but they are also not the same old Celtics. 'We know our potential, Bass said. Courtesy of: bostonglobe.com
 BOSTON C. (coach: Joe Mazzulla)101 |
| FIELD GOALS | REBOUNDS | FOULS | BLOCKS | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | NAME | MIN | 2PM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | RB | AS | F | RV | ST | FV | AG | TO | PT | RNK | +/- |
| 41 | ABiQU, biQZus | 41 | 8-0 (35%) | 8-1 (44.4%) | 5-5 (5%) | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 65 | 64 | 5 |
| 5 | mQidlRF, SLRQF | 43 | 0-61 (46.4%) | 5-6 (5%) | 8-4 (11.9%) | 8 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 68 | 6 | 5 |
| 45 | miss, mQijdIj | 48 | 1-68 (05%) | 5-5 (5%) | 4-3 (90%) | 0 | 9 | 68 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 60 | 62 | 5 |
| whIBis, osiaih | 87 | 0-65 (05%) | 4-66 (89.4%) | 6-6 (655%) | 6 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 85 | 65 | 5 | |
| 66 | wuQjRQ, qLij | 82 | 3-66 (41.3%) | 5-6 (5%) | 8-8 (655%) | 5 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 65 | 63 | 5 |
| 33 | cRllRQ, wFlRQ | 89 | 9-64 (04.2%) | 5-5 (5%) | 4-4 (655%) | 4 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 69 | 69 | 5 |
| CQITdRQ, ziR | 89 | 4-65 (45%) | 6-9 (63.4%) | 5-5 (5%) | 1 | 66 | 69 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 68 | 5 | |
| YIujD, ziBRs | 60 | 5-6 (5%) | 6-3 (80%) | 8-3 (05%) | 5 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 5 | |
| zRQRMVI, zIjis | 68 | 5-5 (5%) | 6-6 (655%) | 5-5 (5%) | 8 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 5 | |
| wIUil | 48-92 (36.5%) | 2-46 (80.2%) | 64-69 (91.0%) | 86 | 47 | 15 | 86 | 69 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 656 | 76 | |||
 GOLDEN ST.W. (coach: Steve Kerr)106 |
| FIELD GOALS | REBOUNDS | FOULS | BLOCKS | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | NAME | MIN | 2PM-A | 3PM-A | FTM-A | OFF | DEF | RB | AS | F | RV | ST | FV | AG | TO | PT | RNK | +/- |
| 84 | GQRRj, gQiFBIjd | 33 | 8-9 (82.1%) | 8-1 (44.4%) | 3-1 (11.9%) | 8 | 7 | 66 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 63 | 61 | 5 |
| 45 | CuQQF, AURphRj | 42 | 7-63 (13.4%) | 0-2 (18.0%) | 3-3 (655%) | 5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 49 | 44 | 5 |
| 66 | whIBpsIj, KliF | 42 | 9-64 (04.2%) | 8-65 (85%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 85 | 64 | 5 |
| 7 | oDuIdili, SjdQR | 44 | 4-3 (90%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 6 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 67 | 5 |
| 35 | miQjRs, HiQQasIj | 45 | 4-9 (38.7%) | 4-9 (38.7%) | 8-8 (655%) | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 69 | 64 | 5 |
| 43 | vaLajDsUIj, Ahiuj | 85 | 8-0 (35%) | 5-5 (5%) | 4-4 (655%) | 6 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 |
| 68 | mIDuU, SjdQRT | 67 | 6-1 (61.9%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 3 | 1 | 65 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 66 | 5 |
| 65 | vRR, giLad | 2 | 6-4 (44.4%) | 5-6 (5%) | 6-8 (05%) | 4 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 5 |
| 9 | HIladiF, zusUaj | 1 | 5-5 (5%) | 5-8 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | -6 | 5 |
| 67 | miQMIsi, vRijdQI | 0 | 5-8 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5-5 (5%) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | -8 | 5 |
| wIUil | 82-16 (30.7%) | 68-43 (40.4%) | 63-69 (28.3%) | 60 | 35 | 00 | 67 | 62 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 65 | 651 | 651 | |||
Terms:
Field Goals : 2PM-A (2 point Field Goal made-attempts) 3PM-A (3 point Field Goal made-attempts) FTM-A (free throws made-attempt)
Rebounds : OFF (Offensive) DEF (Defensive) TOT (total)
Fouls : CM (Committed) RV (received)
Blocks : FV (In Favor) AG (Against)
Other terms : MIN (minutes) AST (assists) ST (steals) TO (Turnovers) PTS (points) RNK (ranking)
