The Celtics lost to the Warriors in the NBA Finals two seasons ago
The Golden State Warriors didn’t belong on the same court as the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
The Celtics looked like they wanted to inflict as much damage as possible in their 140-88 rout of the Warriors, who denied Boston’s chance at an 18th championship banner two seasons ago and walked away with the NBA title on the famed parquet floor.
But Warriors superstar Steph Curry doesn’t believe the Celtics still have a revenge factor driving them when they face Golden State.
“We’ve played them four times since, so that narrative’s gotten old,” Curry told reporters, per The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. “But they’re the best team in the league right now and they played like it… They played their ass off and that was hard to watch from the other side.”
The Celtics have split the four games they have played against the Warriors since dropping the 2022 NBA Finals in six games. But none of the contests, two of which went to overtime, were as one-sided as Sunday’s affair.
Boston, which improved to 48-12 with its 11th straight win, held a 44-point halftime advantage, its largest lead at the break in franchise history and led by as many as 56 points in the second half. Jaylen Brown helped the Celtics bury the Warriors by destroying a bizarre defensive game plan from Golden State.
The Celtics, like the Warriors were for many years during their dynastic run in the 2010s, are clear title favorites and Curry even saw the role reversal play out on the floor.
“They’re hitting 10 threes in the first quarter, that’s what we used to do to teams,” Curry told reporters, per CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning. “It’s kind of demoralizing, especially on the road. A shot that you’re comfortable giving up or whatever the case is, they’re taking advantage of it. Then you feel like you have to play home run basketball on the other end to try to make it up. And that’s where the momentum shift just kept going their way, and going their way and seemed like then every little play goes their way and you look up you’re down 40. So, just one of those nights.”