The Boston Celtics weren't the only ones who marked their calendars for Thursday night.
Back on Dec. 10, the Golden State Warriors took the initial NBA Finals rematch contest convincingly with a 123-107 victory at Chase Center. In their second of two scheduled for the regular season, the Celtics have a shot at redemption in Boston.
And while the Celtics haven't missed a beat, winners of seven consecutive games alongside their NBA-best 33-12 record, the Warriors are "excited" for the oppounity in front of them.
"This is a great place to play regardless of the circumstances -- it's the Garden," Warriors coach Kerr told reporters prior to the contest, as transcribed by Josue Pavón of CLNS Media. "It's Boston, it's home of the Celtics. ... It's a fun game every year, but particularly this year with a rematch of the Finals and our guys are definitely excited and ready to go. For a team like ours that's been at it for a long time there are gonna be games that stand out."
Kerr and the Warriors entered this season fresh off the fourth NBA championship of their dynasty run, which began in 2015.
The last time the Warriors stepped foot on Boston's parquet, they walked off drenched in bottles of champagne with a Larry O'Brien Trophy in hand. With a 103-93 series-clinching win, Golden State terminated Boston's hopes of raising Banner 18.
"Tonight will be a game where there will be no shortage of motivation," Kerr said.
While the Celtics have been red-hot for the better part of the season, the Warriors, uncharacteristically, have played catch-up in the Western Conference. They've lost three of their last five -- none of which came against an opponent with a record above .500 -- and sat sixth in the West (22-22) before tip off.
Golden State's struggles can easily be attributed to the lengthy absence of star Stephen Curry, who has missed 14 games. Nevertheless, with the All-Star coming off a 41-point night, and 38 games left to play, there's plenty of time left for the defending champs.
