Focused and disciplined, Warriors make a statement against Celtics in Boston

BOSTON – The Golden State Warriors defended themselves again in the game in Boston on Wednesday evening after a shaky start. They held the Celtics scoreless for almost six minutes. They led 37-33 with five minutes left in a low-scoring first half and won thanks to focus and game plan discipline.

Just then, a defensive rebound bounced into Steph Curry’s hands after another stop. Jayson Tatum and Derrick White had opted out in transition. Kyle Anderson was a few steps ahead, enough that Curry felt he should attempt a low-percentage touchdown pass over the top. White tapped the pass in an easy steal.

“The hit forward pass to the other team?” Kerr grinned when reminded of the possession after the game.

Here’s the play.

Within seconds, the Celtics had converted a transition counterpunch into an open 3. It was a five-point swing, as Kerr called it, in a road game against the defending champs. The moment Curry threw the pass, Kerr screamed about the foul. After the Celtics took advantage, he called a timeout and angrily punched Curry.

Here is the camera view of Kerr’s response from NBC:

Steve Kerr wasn’t happy with Steph Curry after this second quarter turnover 😳 pic.twitter.com/SciAPNvNNQ

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 7, 2024

The Warriors went on to defeat the Celtics 118-112, the signature win in their 7-1 rush to start this season. There are a lot of positive sequences that have produced the result. Gary Payton II changed the game with his defensive activity. Anderson hit three straight threes as Joe Mazzulla put his Celtics away. Moses Moody ended the first half with a 5-0 run. Kevon Looney had two put-backs in the fourth quarter to keep the Warriors ahead. Buddy Hield sealed the win with a clutch corner 3.

But it was that Curry blunder and the aftermath that perhaps best demonstrate why the Warriors appear to be in such healthy shape to open this season. Kerr, who organization members said entered Hawaii training camp with a level of demand and strength they hadn’t seen in recent seasons, continues to harp on the details of winning basketball.

“This is a theme with our team,” Kerr said. “We can’t be the same team we were five or six years ago and give away five or six possessions in the name of creating chaos.”

When the Warriors had Kevin Durant – when their stars were at their best – they could turn it over 20 times and still beat an opponent by 20 points. They had a margin for error that no longer exists, even though the hard-to-eliminate habits still exist.

“Everyone plays fast and shoots 3s these days too,” Kerr said. “Boston shot twenty times more than us in the second half. So it’s hard to win when you give away assets. I visited Steph and Draymond. It’s their duty because they are our leaders and they are the guys who handle the ball the most. They need to cut back on such bad decisions.”

That second-quarter turnover allowed Kerr to give Curry a loud reminder. One or two such games against the Celtics could be fatal.

“The great thing about Steph is he lets me yell at him, which sets the tone,” Kerr said. “He accepted it. He knew it.”

When asked about the interaction, Curry proudly recalled, “I didn’t have any sales after that.”

“It’s a mentality that, like everyone else, I want to be coached,” Curry said. “I’m not sensitive to being yelled at if you make a stupid play. Especially since it led to a 3 on the other side. It’s avoidable. We need to be able to take care of assets. Me and Draymond will have turnovers. We often have the ball in our hands and take risks here and there. But there are turnovers like that where even if (Anderson) catches the ball, it’s a tough play.”

The rigorous lessons impact their newer teammates. In the third quarter, Hield had Tatum move to his right when the game plan called for them to force him to his left. There was a violation. A whistle sounded. There was a discussion involving Jonathan Kuminga and Green and new defensive coordinator Jerry Stackhouse.

Jonathan Kuminga guards Jayson Tatum during the Golden State Warriors’ win in Boston. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

There was some frustration. But later in the game, with Hield on the floor for his shooting and scoring, the Celtics targeted him with turnovers to get Tatum against him. He held up better against the attack and led it to help better, according to the rules of the game plan. On the other hand, it paid off. Hield had a huge layup and a game-changing 3 in crunch time.

“Stack is for me. Draymond is focused on me. Everybody is on me,” Hield said. “I’m just learning from them and building championship habits. That’s what they always preach. Championship habits… (It’s about) being detail-oriented and not having brain farts.

Curry tried to downplay the win after the game, saying they “didn’t do anything.” No four-time champion is going to overreact eight games into an 82-game regular season. But this win felt like validation for the Warriors’ veterans and decision-makers, a sign that this hot start (which followed an encouraging preseason) had some substance.

“What do you think?” Hield said. “It’s a statement. If we don’t win, everyone says, ‘Oh, they didn’t play for anyone.’ You have to come and make a statement, right?

Hield scored another 16 points off the bench. Looney’s 10 rebounds in 16 minutes included the two biggest offensive rebound put-backs of the night. Payton had an acrobatic steal in the fourth quarter that seemed to turn into momentum and as he scrambled for the loose ball, Kerr bounced off the bench with some juice to call a smart timeout. Both Looney and Payton look much better physically this season, giving Curry the kind of additional help that has allowed him to start the season on a calmer note.

This marked the first time Curry eclipsed 30 minutes in a match. He didn’t have to appear in the fourth quarter of the season-opening blowouts at Portland and Utah, sprained his ankle in the third game, missed the next three and was limited to 24 minutes on Monday night in Washington, DC.

But with the competition heating up and the rotation around him providing a realistic shot to seal a road win in Boston, Curry turned it up in the second half and Kerr (and Rick Celebrini) gave him the green light for 34 minutes. He had 27 points, four steals and nine assists, including Hield’s drive and location for that Turn 3, right in front of controlling owner Joe Lacob, who double-fisted as the win was achieved.

(Top photo of Steph Curry driving to the basket against Derrick White and Al Horford: Adam Glanzman / Getty Images)