3 takeaways from the Boston Celtics 110-88 win vs. the Golden State Warriors

MassLive

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown each scored 26 points to lead the Boston Celtics to a big road win over the Golden State Warriors. This also earned them a top-four spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Here are some takeaways from the game.

1. Let’s be Smart about this

Regardless of what Warriors coach Steve Kerr said about the play where Stephen Curry was injured, it was not a dirty or dangerous play. Marcus Smart is a hard-nosed defensive player who has been diving on the floor for loose balls since he was drafted. Coaches have to protect their players, and that is understandable, but don’t soil a player’s reputation on a clean play. Let’s move on.

2. Figured out roles

Not too long ago, everyone and their mother was saying that Tatum and Brown could not play together; that they could not evolve into playmakers for their teammates. Not only have they done that, but they are doing it so well that they have made the team better. 

Tatum does not have to be the guy who takes the most shots every night (last night it was Brown 21, Tatum 16) in order for the Celtics to win. They are learning how to defer to the other if he has it going, or if one has a favorable matchup, they now exploit that advantage, and the results have been outstanding.

Wednesday night’s win was the Celtics’ fourth straight vs. the Warriors, and it was a much-needed bounce-back victory.

3. Smart’s offense

While all of the rumblings about Smart were due to his defensive efforts, number 36 had a solid offensive night, too. He dropped 20 points (on 8-of-12 shooting; 4-of-7 from three), four rebounds, and 8 assists (0 turnovers) in 34 minutes of floor time.

He has shown all season long that he is very capable of being a legitimate NBA point guard and is rewarding Coach Udoka for the confidence he had in him. Turns out that the Celtics held on to the right point guard after all!

Tune in tomorrow night when the Celtics visit Sacramento to battle the Kings. The game will tip-off at 10:00 p.m.