Game ID: 22300872
Golden State Warriors @ Boston Celtics
Sunday, March 3, 2024 at 3:30 PM ET
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
BOS 44 38 33 25 140GSW 22 16 24 26 88
BOS vs GSW ScoutingBOS vs GSW Scouting
Welcome to the scouting desk. The coffee is cold, the film is play-by-play, and somebody has to explain what happened.
Every game has a hinge — a stretch where it was decided, usually while everyone was watching something else. Start where the evidence lives: the Lineups' face-offs say which five actually won their minutes; the Possessions ledger says who ran ahead of the night's own pace; the Shot Chart says where the points really came from, which is rarely where the highlights were. When all three agree, that is the story. When they don't — that is why this desk has a chair.
BOS availability going into 2/22 · 7 days' restBACK Queta back 2/14 after 4, 13 min since (118% of 11)
BOS availability going into 2/24 · 1 day's restBACK Queta back 2/14 after 4, 13 min since (118% of 11)
BOS availability going into 2/27 · 2 days' restOUT Queta missed 2 since 2/22, out tonight
BOS availability going into 3/01 · 2 days' restOUT Tillman missed 2 since 2/24, returns tonight: 15 min (123% of 12)
OUT Queta missed 3 since 2/22, out tonight
BOS availability going into 3/03 · 1 day's restOUT Queta missed 4 since 2/22, out tonight
BACK Tillman back 3/01 after 2, 15 min since (123% of 12)
BOS availability going into 3/05 · 1 day's restOUT Queta missed 5 since 2/22, out tonight
BACK Tillman back 3/01 after 2, 16 min since (134% of 12)
BOS availability going into 3/07 · 1 day's restOUT Queta missed 6 since 2/22, out tonight
BACK Tillman back 3/01 after 2, 16 min since (134% of 12)
BOS availability going into 3/09 · 1 day's restOUT Queta missed 7 since 2/22, out tonight
OUT Brissett missed 2 since 3/05, out tonight
BACK Tillman back 3/01 after 2, 15 min since (126% of 12)
BOS availability going into 3/11 · 1 day's restOUT Queta missed 8 since 2/22, returns tonight: 2 min (17% of 11)
OUT Brissett missed 3 since 3/05, returns tonight: 19 min (183% of 10)
BACK Tillman back 3/01 after 2, 15 min since (126% of 12)
GSW availability going into 2/25 · 1 day's restOUT Paul missed 20 since 1/07, out tonight
GSW availability going into 2/27 · 1 day's restOUT Paul missed 21 since 1/07, returns tonight: 22 min (82% of 26)
GSW availability going into 2/29 · 1 day's restBACK Paul back 2/27 after 21, 22 min since (82% of 26)
GSW availability going into 3/01 · back-to-backOUT Wiggins missed 2 since 2/27, out tonight
BACK Paul back 2/27 after 21, 24 min since (90% of 26)
GSW availability going into 3/03 · 1 day's restOUT Wiggins missed 3 since 2/27, out tonight
BACK Paul back 2/27 after 21, 24 min since (90% of 26)
GSW availability going into 3/06 · 2 days' restOUT Wiggins missed 4 since 2/27, returns tonight: 14 min (51% of 27)
OUT Podziemski missed 2 since 3/01, returns tonight: 26 min (99% of 27)
BACK Paul back 2/27 after 21, 23 min since (88% of 26)
GSW availability going into 3/07 · back-to-backBACK Wiggins back 3/06 after 4, 14 min since (51% of 27)
BACK Podziemski back 3/06 after 2, 26 min since (99% of 27)
BACK Paul back 2/27 after 21, 23 min since (85% of 26)
NEW Moody 18 to 24 min over the last 5
GSW availability going into 3/09 · 1 day's restBACK Wiggins back 3/06 after 4, 14 min since (54% of 27)
BACK Podziemski back 3/06 after 2, 27 min since (100% of 27)
NEW Moody 18 to 24 min over the last 5
GSW availability going into 3/11 · 1 day's restOUT Looney missed 2 since 3/07, out tonight
BACK Wiggins back 3/06 after 4, 18 min since (68% of 27)
BACK Podziemski back 3/06 after 2, 28 min since (105% of 27)
NEW Moody 18 to 24 min over the last 5
I Know — the desk, before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Boston comes in 5-0 over its last five, scoring 127 a night and allowing 102, shooting 55 percent and 45 from three, 19 free throws a game; Brown at 27 and Tatum at 25 a game. That is 5 straight wins. It has won the glass by 8 a night. One day's rest. Golden State comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 111 a night and allowing 104, shooting 45 percent and 37 from three, 17 free throws a game; Curry at 22 and Kuminga at 19 a game. That is 3 straight wins. Without Wiggins (3 straight). One day's rest.
So: Boston wins, and the game turns on the arc, Boston at 45 percent from three to Golden State's 37 and the turnovers, Golden State giving it away 16 times a game to Boston's 10. Call it Boston 118, Golden State 110.
2/22 @ CHI 129-112 — BOS notes
BOS won 129-112. BOS shot 54% (45 of 83) to CHI's 47%, 23 of 47 from three. White led with 28 (9 of 14, 5 of 10 from three); Tatum added 25, Brown 21. The hinge was Q3, 37-21: BOS came in trailing by 3 and left it ahead by 13, and the lead reached 21. BOS trailed 59-62 at the half and won the second half 70-50. Brown was the night's best plus/minus at +19.
2/24 @ NYK 116-102 — BOS notes
BOS won 116-102. BOS shot 57% (46 of 81) to NYK's 45%, 15 of 35 from three. BOS turned it over 7 times to NYK's 13. Brown led with 30 (13 of 24, 3 of 9 from three); Porziņģis added 22, Tatum 19. The hinge was Q3, 35-26: a lead of 4 became 13, and the lead reached 20. Tatum was the night's best plus/minus at +15.
2/27 vs PHI 117-99 — BOS notes
BOS won 117-99. BOS shot 53% (39 of 74) to PHI's 39%, 5 of 22 from three, and went to the line 37 times to PHI's 12 — 34 points from the stripe to their 11. BOS turned it over 14 times to PHI's 9. The glass went 56-28 for them. Brown led with 31 (11 of 14, 8 of 10 at the line); Tatum added 29, Porziņģis 23. The hinge was Q3, 33-24: a lead of 2 became 11, and the lead reached 20. White was the night's best plus/minus at +31.
3/01 vs DAL 138-110 — BOS notes
BOS won 138-110. BOS shot 55% (52 of 94) to DAL's 47%, 21 of 43 from three. Tatum led with 32 (10 of 19, 5 of 9 from three, 7 of 7 at the line); Brown added 25, Porziņģis 24. The hinge was Q4, 36-20: a lead of 12 became 28. White was the night's best plus/minus at +21.
3/03 vs GSW 140-88 — BOS notes
BOS won 140-88. BOS shot 55% (53 of 96) to GSW's 39%, 25 of 49 from three. BOS turned it over 7 times to GSW's 17. Brown led with 29 (11 of 19, 5 of 10 from three); Tatum added 27, Pritchard 19. The hinge was Q1, 44-22: from level to 22 ahead, and the lead reached 56. Tatum was the night's best plus/minus at +40.
3/05 @ CLE — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Cleveland comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 113 a night and allowing 113, shooting 46 percent and 41 from three, 20 free throws a game; Mitchell at 22 and Garland at 19 a game. Without Mitchell (2 straight), LeVert (2 straight). One day's rest. Boston comes in 5-0 over its last five, scoring 128 a night and allowing 102, shooting 55 percent and 45 from three, 19 free throws a game; Brown at 27 and Tatum at 26 a game. That is 5 straight wins. It has won the glass by 5 a night. One day's rest.
So: Boston wins, on the road, and the game turns on the glass, where Boston has been plus-5 a night and Cleveland minus-3 and the defense, Boston allowing 102 a night to Cleveland's 113. Call it Boston 117, Cleveland 111.
3/07 @ DEN — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Denver comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 105, shooting 49 percent and 38 from three, 16 free throws a game; Jokić at 25 and Murray at 23 a game. One day's rest. Boston comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 123 a night and allowing 101, shooting 52 percent and 43 from three, 17 free throws a game; Brown at 27 and Tatum at 27 a game. It has won the glass by 9 a night. One day's rest.
So: Boston wins, on the road, and the game turns on the glass, where Boston has been plus-9 a night and Denver plus-3 and the arc, Boston at 43 percent from three to Denver's 38. Call it Boston 114, Denver 111, Denver keeping it close.
3/09 @ PHX — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Phoenix comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 113 a night and allowing 112, shooting 45 percent and 38 from three, 25 free throws a game; Durant at 29 and Beal at 18 a game. Without Booker (3 straight), Okogie (3 straight). One day's rest. Boston comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 122 a night and allowing 103, shooting 50 percent and 41 from three, 20 free throws a game; Brown at 29 and Tatum at 26 a game. It has won the glass by 10 a night. One day's rest.
So: Boston wins, on the road, and the game turns on the glass, where Boston has been plus-10 a night and Phoenix plus-3 and the turnovers, Phoenix giving it away 15 times a game to Boston's 11. Call it Boston 116, Phoenix 112, Phoenix keeping it close.
3/11 @ POR — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Portland comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 115 a night and allowing 118, shooting 46 percent and 40 from three, 20 free throws a game; Simons at 28 and Banton at 19 a game. Without Grant (2 straight), Sharpe (26 straight), Walker (2 straight). One day's rest. Boston comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 122 a night and allowing 105, shooting 49 percent and 42 from three, 15 free throws a game; Brown at 29 and Tatum at 26 a game. It has won the glass by 5 a night. One day's rest.
So: Boston wins, on the road, and the game turns on the defense, Boston allowing 105 a night to Portland's 118 and the turnovers, Portland giving it away 17 times a game to Boston's 11. Call it Boston 118, Portland 111.
2/25 vs DEN 103-119 — GSW notes
GSW lost 103-119. GSW shot 43% (35 of 81) to DEN's 49%, 11 of 34 from three. GSW turned it over 17 times to DEN's 10, and DEN turned those into 10 steals. Thompson led with 23 (7 of 15, 5 of 13 from three); Curry added 20, Kuminga 19. Q1 was theirs, 36-30, but the other 3 periods went 89-67 against them. They led by as many as 16. Green's -23 in 27 minutes was the worst on the floor.
2/27 @ WAS 123-112 — GSW notes
GSW won 123-112. GSW shot 50% (47 of 94) to WAS's 49%, 21 of 46 from three. Thompson led with 25 (9 of 16, 6 of 11 from three); Kuminga added 21, Curry 18. The hinge was Q3, 38-17: a lead of 2 became 23. Looney was the night's best plus/minus at +20.
2/29 @ NYK 110-99 — GSW notes
GSW won 110-99. GSW shot 45% (44 of 98) to NYK's 37%, 14 of 44 from three, and got to the line 16 times to NYK's 24. Curry led with 31 (11 of 26, 8 of 18 from three); Kuminga added 25, Thompson 16. The hinge was Q1, 31-19: from level to 12 ahead, and the lead reached 17. Moody was the night's best plus/minus at +23.
3/01 @ TOR 120-105 — GSW notes
GSW won 120-105. GSW shot 45% (44 of 98) to TOR's 43%, 18 of 44 from three. Curry led with 25 (9 of 22, 7 of 15 from three); Kuminga added 24, Moody 17. The hinge was Q3, 32-19: GSW came in trailing by 3 and left it ahead by 10, and the lead reached 16. GSW trailed 61-64 at the half and won the second half 59-41. Moody was the night's best plus/minus at +17.
3/03 @ BOS 88-140 — GSW notes
GSW lost 88-140. GSW shot 39% (36 of 92) to BOS's 55%, 7 of 41 from three. GSW turned it over 17 times to BOS's 7, and BOS turned those into 10 steals. Quinones led with 17 (7 of 16, 3 of 10 from three); Moody added 11, Robinson 10. Q4 was theirs, 26-25, the deficit cut from 53 to 52, but the other 3 periods went 115-62 against them. Quinones's -37 in 33 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/06 vs MIL — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Golden State comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 109 a night and allowing 115, shooting 44 percent and 34 from three, 17 free throws a game; Curry at 20 and Kuminga at 19 a game. Without Wiggins (4 straight), Podziemski (2 straight). 2 days' rest. Milwaukee comes in 5-0 over its last five, scoring 116 a night and allowing 97, shooting 48 percent and 40 from three, 23 free throws a game; Antetokounmpo at 31 and Lillard at 24 a game. That is 5 straight wins. It has won the glass by 7 a night. Without Middleton (11 straight). One day's rest.
So: Milwaukee wins, on the road, and the game turns on the defense, Milwaukee allowing 97 a night to Golden State's 115 and the glass, where Milwaukee has been plus-7 a night and Golden State plus-0. Call it Milwaukee 116, Golden State 112, Golden State keeping it close.
3/07 vs CHI — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Golden State comes in 4-1 over its last five, scoring 113 a night and allowing 109, shooting 47 percent and 37 from three, 13 free throws a game; Curry at 21 and Kuminga at 19 a game. Second night of a back-to-back. Chicago comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 111 a night and allowing 113, shooting 44 percent and 33 from three, 22 free throws a game; DeRozan at 27 and White at 22 a game. Without Craig (7 straight). Second night of a back-to-back.
So: Golden State wins, and the game turns on the line, where Chicago takes 22 free throws a game to Golden State's 13 and the turnovers, Golden State giving it away 15 times a game to Chicago's 10. Call it Golden State 116, Chicago 111.
3/09 vs SAS — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Golden State comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 113 a night and allowing 112, shooting 46 percent and 33 from three, 16 free throws a game; Curry at 21 and Kuminga at 19 a game. It has won the glass by 5 a night. One day's rest. San Antonio comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 117 a night and allowing 116, shooting 50 percent and 42 from three, 18 free throws a game; Vassell at 24 and Wembanyama at 22 a game. One day's rest.
So: Golden State wins, and the game turns on the arc, San Antonio at 42 percent from three to Golden State's 33 and the glass, where Golden State has been plus-5 a night and San Antonio minus-1. Call it Golden State 118, San Antonio 114, San Antonio keeping it close.
3/11 @ SAS — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
San Antonio comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 121 a night and allowing 116, shooting 50 percent and 45 from three, 21 free throws a game; Vassell at 24 and Wembanyama at 23 a game. Without Wembanyama (2 straight). One day's rest. Golden State comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 117, shooting 46 percent and 33 from three, 19 free throws a game; Kuminga at 19 and Curry at 18 a game. Without Looney (2 straight). One day's rest.
So: San Antonio wins, and the game turns on the arc, San Antonio at 45 percent from three to Golden State's 33. Call it San Antonio 118, Golden State 116, Golden State keeping it close.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
BOSAH A. Horford
DW D. White
JB J. Brown
JH J. Holiday
JS J. Springer
JT J. Tatum
LK L. Kornet
OB O. Brissett
PP P. Pritchard
SH S. Hauser
SM S. Mykhailiuk
XT X. Tillman
GSWCP C. Paul
DG D. Green
DŠ D. Šarić
GP G. Payton II
GS G. Santos
JK J. Kuminga
JR J. Robinson
KL K. Looney
KT K. Thompson
LQ L. Quinones
MM M. Moody
SC S. Curry
TJ T. Jackson-Davis
BOS/GSW the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
END the clock ran out, ball in hand
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur
Brown, Tatum lead Celtics to 3rd-biggest win in franchise history, 140-88 over weary Warriors
BOSTON -- — Jaylen Brown scored 29 points, Jayson Tatum had 27 on his 26th birthday, and the NBA-best Boston Celtics posted their third-largest winning margin in franchise history, drubbing the weary Golden State Warriors 140-88 on Sunday.
Payton Pritchard added 19 points for the Celtics, who set a league record with their third win this season by 50 points or more and extended their season-best winning streak to 11 games. Boston led by a franchise-record 44 points at halftime and pushed it to 51 early in the third quarter before coach Joe Mazzulla went to his reserves the rest of the way.
“It feels great, but, at the same time, it's always within humility,” Brown said. “We don't take the game for granted. We didn't come and mess around and that's just how we show our respect to the game; we handle business and take care of it. ... It's a lot of respect for the Golden State Warriors, but we feel like it's our time now.”
Stephen Curry didn't play the second half and finished with a season-low four points for Golden State, his fewest since he had three points in 16 minutes on March 16, 2022 at Boston — a game he departed with a foot injury. Curry was 2 of 13 from the field Sunday and missed all nine of his 3-point attempts, including consecutive airballs in the opening quarter.
“The way that they've been playing, they seem very sure of themselves in their identity and who they are,” Curry said. “Give them credit. They came out and whooped us tonight from the jump, and it was one of those perfect storms of a rough (day) on our end and them taking it to us.”
It was the fourth-worst loss in franchise history for the Warriors. They had won 11 of 13, including the first three of their East Coast trip that included three games in four days and a difficult journey to Toronto in which they sat on a tarmac for hours overnight.
Lester Quinones led Golden State with 17 points in a team-high 33 minutes. None of the Warriors' starters played more than 20 minutes, and Moses Moody (11 points) was the only one to score in double figures.
“We lost,” Draymond Green said. “Just flush it and move on.”
Boston's only bigger blowout wins were 133-77 at Chicago on Dec. 8, 2018, and 128-75 over visiting Sacramento on Jan. 25, 2022.
Celtics forward Kristaps Porzingis missed the game with a bruised left quad.
The game was tied at 21-all in the opening quarter before the Celtics scored the next 14 points to begin a 58-13 spree that put them ahead by 35 late in the second quarter.
Brown sparked the run by hitting three straight 3s in a 40-second span, with Green playing some interesting defense by leaving him all alone and dropping off by at least five feet several times in the opening quarter.
“We told Jaylen, ‘If they’re going to keep doing that, you should shoot 20, 30 3s,’” Pritchard said.
Brown scored 19 points in the period, connecting on 5 of 8 3s, to push Boston to a 44-22 lead.
“First time it's ever happened to me,” Brown said of the lax defense. “Honestly, I was a bit surprised. It took a little bit of adjusting and I think we just took advantage of whatever that attempt was and made the best of it.
“If you wanna dare me to shoot, we can do that, too,” he added. “I thought it was a little disrespectful, but we took advantage of it and we didn't look back.”
Curry, listed as questionable with right knee bursitis, went through warmups and decided to play. He front-rimmed his first 3 before airballing the next two.
“Boston was amazing. We weren't beating them today,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said. “This was not a day off for Steph, though he probably could have used one. He's played so well and for so long this year, hopefully the next few days he'll get it recharged.”
In the opening quarter, Boston shot 62.5% on 3s (10 of 16) and 57.1% overall (16 of 28).
Tatum’s 3 from the left wing pushed it to 74-34 in the second.
The Warriors missed 15 of 18 3-point attempts in the first half, and Boston had as many 3s (15 of 24) in the half as Golden State had baskets.
Boston left the floor to a standing ovation at halftime, holding an 82-38 lead.
In the second half, the crowd was somewhat subdued during the nationally televised matchup between teams that met in the NBA Finals two years ago. Golden State won that series in six games, wrapping it up at Boston.
The fans did give Tatum a standing ovation when his birthday wishes were posted in the final quarter. He waved to the crowd with a big smile.