The Golden State Warriors lost to the Boston Celtics after blowing a 17 point lead. The loss was a good experience for them that they can learn from.
Last year, Oracle Arena was stunned as the Memphis Grizzlies came back and defeated the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant were, clearly, out of sync. Draymond Green was upset with Durant. It was a mess.
It turned out to be one of the most important points of the season. Steve Kerr had to go re-evaluate how he used his MVPs. Curry and Durant had to find a better balance in order to maximize their chances of winning.
After going 16-1 in the NBA playoffs, the Warriors entered the 2017-18 season as the overwhelming favorites to win the championship again. They lost their season opener after blowing a lead to the Houston Rockets. Though I hate being that guy, dropping the first game of the year after an emotional ring ceremony isn’t that big of a deal.
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And look, dropping a November game to the Boston Celtics doesn’t mean everyone should hit the panic button. But it was their biggest game of the season thus far and they blew (another) big lead en route to a loss. The Celtics are seemingly the real deal and are everyone’s far-too-soon favorite to reach the NBA Finals.
All year long, the Warriors have gotten every team’s best shot. For the most part, they’ve been able to withstand that because they are significantly more talented and experienced than those teams. The Celtics provide an interesting dynamic that few others can.
They have a guy who has proven he can break down Golden State’s defense, especially in the clutch in Kyrie Irving. They have the type of do-it-all player that you need to go up against the Warriors in Al Horford. Jaylen Brown is legitimately unafraid of the defending champs. The rest of the pieces have serious fight in them. Brad Stevens is one of the best coaches in the league.
The Warriors did great by jumping out to a 17 point lead, despite Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson’s cold shooting nights. They contained Irving early. Andre Iguodala was fantastic and explosive.
Then Curry picked up a few silly fouls in the third quarter and the offense fell apart. The Celtics are a good defensive team so it makes sense that the Warriors weren’t able to get the easy looks they are used to. That doesn’t excuse the careless turnovers and the lack of energy.
Golden State didn’t agree with some of the calls made down the stretch and they have a case for some of them. Some whistles probably shouldn’t have been blown. But that’s their own fault for not putting the Celtics in that same position.
Irving was largely quiet through the first 40 minutes of the game. Then he started to attack the basket and look for contact. He played physically and forced the referees to blow the whistle.
Curry and Thompson didn’t do that. Kevin Durant, who had a solid game, didn’t do that either. Draymond Green, a guy who likes to drive and throw up wild shots while yelling “AND-ONE” didn’t do that.
With the way the referees were calling the fourth quarter, they should have tried to give themselves a chance to get some easy points. They didn’t. That’s something they need to do moving forward.
The shooting will come. Curry and Thompson aren’t going to miss some of those shots again. They were clanking three-point layups.
To be fair, they also won’t be able to keep Irving in check for three quarters. The next game (and a potential Finals series) will surely see him play a more aggressive (and successful) style from the beginning. We all know what he can do.
Golden State should be upset with themselves after that loss. Boston is good, but they are not on the same level. They are only equals when the Warriors let them become that.
This isn’t the end of the road for the Warriors. This wasn’t a must-win, but it was a valuable test. Now the Warriors need to look at the result and learn from it moving forward.
Golden State proved that they are the superior team by jumping out to that lead. But focus and energy can narrow the gap between two talent levels. The Warriors built their lead and took their foot off the gas. They can’t do that anymore
The Warriors have been able to bounce back better than anyone over the last few years. This was a good reminder that they aren’t perfect and that talent alone won’t carry them to a win every night. Some nights, they’re going to have to play a full 48 minutes instead of trying to rely on quick runs.
The Celtics are good. The Warriors know that now. They won’t make the same mistakes again. This loss was good for them.