In their first six games coming out of the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics looked like a broken team. They went 1-5, with a couple of blowout losses on national TV, plus a confounding defeat to the lowly Chicago Bulls. There were questions aplenty about the future of the team and their star point guard Kyrie Irving, as well as many interesting quotes from players and coaches alike.
All of which only made it more surprising when they waltzed into Oracle Arena on Tuesday night and dismantled the Golden State Warriors. In a game they never trailed, the Celtics cruised to a 33-point victory, handing the Warriors their worst home loss of the Steve Kerr era.
The Warriors lost by 33 points against the Celtics. That is their worst home loss since Nov. 28, 2009 (also by 33).
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 6, 2019
Warriors starting lineup that night? Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Corey Maggette, Vladimir Radmanovic and Mikki Moore.
There was never much doubt about this one, as the Celtics jumped out to an 11-0 lead and never looked back. The Celtics forced 21 turnovers, knocked down 14 3-pointers and had more assists (38) than the Warriors had field goals (34). Leading the way for the Celtics was Gordon Hayward, who put in perhaps his best performance with the Celtics, finishing with 30 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals off the bench.
It should be noted that the Warriors were without Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney, who are key parts of their team. Thompson's absence, in particular, left the Warriors quite vulnerable on the perimeter, and Looney is a versatile defender in his own right.
Still, this was a thorough and convincing performance from a Celtics team that played it's best basketball in weeks. One game does not make a season, of course, but this was an encouraging night for the Celtics.
