The Golden State Warriors are no joke. They’re in the midst of an historic run and could finish the regular season with the most wins in NBA history.
But how exactly do this year’s Warriors stack up with the 1985-86 Boston Celtics, who are considered one of the greatest — if not the greatest — teams of all time? Would the old-school C’s teach the new-school Warriors a lesson if the squads went toe to toe?
Bob Ryan wrote an awesome mock game recap for The Boston Globe over the weekend. It featured made-up quotes, a detailed description of how things would play out on the hardwood and even a box score. It’s impossible to determine how exactly a modern team would fare in a different era, especially given how different basketball is nowadays and how unorthodox the Warriors are, but Ryan’s piece was very entertaining, in large part because he let his imagination run wild.
In the end, the old-school Celtics defeated the new-school Warriors 110-106 in Ryan’s imaginary showdown. It was a back-and-forth game that was decided when Larry Bird drilled a post-up, turnaround 13-foot jump shot over the outstretched arm of Andre Iguodala with 11 seconds remaining. Stephen Curry subsequently missed a 3-point attempt, and the C’s iced the game with two free throws.
Bird led the C’s with 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. Robert Parish grabbed 15 rebounds. Kevin McHale finished with 25 points and nine boards.
As you’d expect, Curry performed well in Ryan’s make-believe matchup despite Golden State suffering the loss. The reigning NBA MVP nailed six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 36 points. Draymond Green and Klay Thompson chipped in 20 points and 18 points, respectively.
Ryan’s entire piece definitely is worth a read, although Warriors fans might have a different opinion on how everything would unfold in the imaginary clash for the ages.
Click for Ryan’s mock game recap >>
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
