Celtics Wrap: Boston Battles Back To Beat Warriors 105-100 For 10th Straight

The Celtics entered Friday night’s matchup with the Warriors looking to extend the NBA’s longest active win streak, and they did just that.

It certainly wasn’t easy, but Boston defeated Golden State 105-100 in Game 1 of a five-game road trip for its 10th straight win.

Jayson Tatum (24), Jaylen Brown (22), Kemba Walker (20) and Marcus Smart (15) all finished in double figures for the Celtics.

Alec Burks led the way for Golden State with 20 points.

The Celtics improved to 10-1 with the win, while the Warriors fell to 2-11.

Here’s how it all went down:

STARTING FIVE
PG: Kemba Walker
SG: Marcus Smart
SF: Jaylen Brown
PF: Jayson Tatum
C: Daniel Theis

TOUGH START
The Warriors got off to a much better start on the offensive side of the ball, opening 7-of-12 from the floor compared to Boston’s 2-of-9 line. Golden State led 16-8 midway through the first quarter.

De’Angelo Russell paced the Warriors early and would do the same for the remainder of his 12 first-quarter minutes, scoring 10 points to lead all scorers.

Boston started just 3-of-15 from the field without forcing a single turnover on the other end. The Celtics often have found success this season by letting defense dictate their offense, but Friday’s initial formula didn’t resemble that strategy.

Despite Tatum and Walker combining for an 0-for-8 first-quarter shooting clip, the Celtics were able to stay within striking distance thanks to a solid second half of the frame, trailing 32-23 after one.

BATTLING BACK
Tatum quickly got clicking in the second, resulting in a then-game-high 13 points less than four minutes into the quarter. Much of this was thanks to the Celtics’ shift back to their team-oriented play that’s helped them jump to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. Of course, that starts with Smart on the defensive end.

Smart ➡️ Tatum ? pic.twitter.com/DSBdtvJsD5

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 16, 2019

Golden State’s 15-point lead was gone by the 6:39 mark of the second quarter, as Boston cut the deficit down to one after a quick 10-2 run.

The Celtics took their first lead of the night with just under three minutes to go in the half and took it into halftime with a 52-51 lead.

Tatum had a game-high 17 points at the break on 5-of-12 shooting.

WARRIORS HANG AROUND
Walker’s struggles continued to start the second half. The All-Star point guard was 1-for-11 from the floor in his first 23 minutes. The Celtics were able to hold onto their lead for the majority of the third, however, until Golden State was able to flip the script.

Brown went three-for-three from deep en route to 13 third-quarter points, helping the Celtics take a 76-71 lead into the fourth.

Downtown Jaylen Brown ? pic.twitter.com/B7jiyiI505

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) November 16, 2019

Brown had 21 points after three, making Friday his fourth straight 20-plus point effort.

BACK-AND-FORTH WE GO
Roughly 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Warriors announced they’d be without Russell for the remainder of the game due to a sprained right thumb, dealing a another tough blow to their offense.

Despite the injury, the Warriors took a one-point lead at the 10:10 mark of the fourth. After extending that lead to four, back-to-back 3-pointers from Tatum and Walker allowed Boston to regain the lead. From there on out, it was a back-and-forth battle.

Offensive rebounds and second-chance points hurt Boston, giving the Warriors a five-point lead late. But the Celtics fought back once again, using an 8-0 run, behind four straight points from Tatum, to take a 100-97 lead with one minute left.

The run was kept alive after Smart saved a loose ball from going out of bounds, resulting in a jump ball that Tatum played perfectly for a dunk (seen below as our play of the game).

Walker knocked down a jumper to all but seal the deal late, capping a 10-0 Boston run. The Celtics finished the night on an 13-3 run, holding Golden State scoreless for nearly three minutes down the stretch.

PLAY OF THE GAME
Tatum read this tip like a book: