Celtics win sixth straight with 119-114 win over Golden State

He’s been called the greatest shooter who ever lived, and who are the Celtics to argue.

His side-saddle lefty-three while getting fouled by Grant Williams was proof enough in the second quarter – one of the 11 3-pointers the Warriors star crammed into his 47-point performance Saturday night.

But after trailing by as many as 16 points in the second, the Celtics came back to match the Golden State star and his teammates in a 119-114 win over Golden State that was one of their biggest of the season.

The win also extended their winning streak to six straight games – the longest active streak in the NBA.

On a night when Jabari Parker made a strong Celtics debut (turnovers on his first two touches, 11 points including three put-backs), and Jaylen Brown sat out with a non-COVID-related illness, Jayson Tatum (44 points) and Kemba Walker (26) carried a heavy offensive load.

Kent Bazemore, fouled by Grant Williams with 1:52 left, missed both free throws, leaving Golden State with a thin 109-108 lead.

Smart rebounded a Kemba Walker miss, and after arguably the longest pause the Celtics guard has ever taken before shooting, buried a three for a 111-109 lead with 1:15 left.

Though Kevon Looney tied the game with a tip-in, Tatum drove right back with 48.8 seconds left for a 113-111 Celtics lead.

Draymond Green missed at the rim, and with 23.7 seconds left Walker hit an up-top three for a 116-111 lead. Curry hit a last-ditch 3-pointer – his 11th – before Tatum was fouled with 13.1 seconds left.

The Celtics forward hit both for a 118-114 edge. Andrew Wiggins missed a desperation heave.

Curry had 38 points by the end of the third quarter and Tatum, who had 32, dished to Grant Williams for a quarter-ending 89-89 tie.

Golden State’s Jordan Poole opened the fourth with a three-point play, triggering a 7-2 Golden State run for a 96-91 lead.

But the Celtics hit back with a 9-2 run that was started by a Parker baseline jumper, prolonged by the forward’s third put-back of the night, and capped when Tatum kicked out to Smart for an open three and a 100-98 Celtics lead with 7:11 left.

Jordan Poole tied it with a drive, but Tatum drew a foul the next time down, and took the lead back when he hit one of two. Curry answered with his eighth trey for a 103-101 edge,

Play was stopped when Toscano-Anderson crashed head-first over the scorers table with 5:38 left, though the young forward walked back to the bench.

Smart came out of a timeout with his eighth missed trey, but made up for it with an assist on Tatum’s next foul. This time Tatum hit both for a 103-103 tie with five minutes left.

Andrew Wiggins knocked down a corner three, Tatum missed, Curry hit from downtown for a 109-103 Golden State lead.

Walker hit twice from the line with 3:40 left, cutting the margin to three points, but also fouled Curry attempting another three – the call was overturned by a coach’s challenge. But Thompson stole the ball from Curry, and Tatum cut the Warriors lead to a point with a 3-pointer (109-108).

Curry and Walker swapped misses, and Kent Bazemore was fouled by Grant Williams.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3snUrwF