Recap: Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker Help Celtics Outduel Warriors, 119-114
AP Photo | Michael Dwyer
Jayson Tatum scored 44 points and Kemba Walker added 26 as the Boston Celtics overcame Jaylen Brown’s absence and Stephen Curry’s 47 points to beat the Golden State Warriors 119-114. This marked their sixth straight victory.
Marcus Smart scored 16 points and newcomer Jabari Parker added 11 as the Celtics overcame another double-digit deficit to snap the Warriors’ four-game winning streak, sweeping the season series. Curry went 16-25 (11-19 from beyond the arc) while posting his tenth straight 30+ point game. Andrew Wiggins scored 22, Kent Bazemore added 16, and Jordan Poole came off the bench to chip in with 12.
The Warriors looked like they were going to run away with things in the first quarter as Curry scored 14 points and Bazemore added 6 points to offset Tatum’s 13 to end the first, leading 33-24. Tatum added 10 more in the second period and rookie Payton Pritchard hit a couple of Curry-like 3 point shots to score 8 in the quarter.
Golden State kept up the offensive onslaught as Curry, Wiggins, and Bazemore each had 8 points to take a 66-50 lead with 1:06 left in the half after Curry buried a three-pointer. Boston then used a Tristan Thompson putback, a three-point play by Walker, and two buckets and a technical free throw from Tatum to close the second quarter on a 10-0 run. This cut the Warriors’ lead down to 66-60 going into the locker room.
Boston continued the run in the third quarter as Walker hit three three-pointers over a 2:22 stretch to begin the third as the Celtics took the lead at 71-68. They then pushed the lead up to 78-71 as the run to begin the quarter swelled to 18-5. Curry continued to connect from deep scoring 13 points in the third as the Warriors lead 86-82. Parker scored 3 points and Tatum hit a three, along with making a great pass to Grant Williams for a dunk as the quarter closed with the game tied at 89 apiece.
Jordan Poole scored five points and Wiggins hit a bucket to give Golden State its largest lead of the fourth quarter. The score was 109-103 with 4:10 to go in the game after another Curry three-point field goal.
Walker made two free throws, Tatum hit a three, and Smart followed with one of his own to lead a quick 8-0 spurt that gave Boston the lead at 111-109. Walker and Curry traded three-pointers as Boston had a 116-114 lead with 18.1 seconds left. Tatum hit two free throws and Walker nailed one to close out the scoring.
The Celtics managed to extend their winning streak to six in this one, taking down Curry and the rest of Dub Nation. Their next game will come on Monday, April 19 when they take on the Chicago Bulls. That one tips off at 7:30 p.m. (EST) on NBC Sports Boston.
