Ten takeaways from the Celtics blowout win over the Warriors on MLK Day

1. Domination

Boston has been in a really bizarre cycle just lately the place they both play horribly all the way down to their competitors or fully blowout their opponent out. The Celtics selected blowout on this sport. It seemed like a repeat of March third, 2024. Boston blew out the Golden State Warriors by 40 factors, profitable 125-85.

This sport was over after the third quarter when the Celtics outscored the Warriors 43-24. There was an excellent distribution of scoring for Boston as they completed with six gamers in double digit factors and shot 53% (49-92) from the sphere.

2. Three Level Capturing Returned

The Celtics three level capturing has been very inconsistent for some time now however Boston had a return to type from past the arc on this sport. Boston shot 42% (20/48) from three as we speak as they had been in a position to do an incredible job of getting open seems and knocking them down.

The most effective pictures they obtained was when Jaylen Brown collapsed the Warriors protection as he drove to the basket and handed the ball round Trayce Jackson-Davis to discover a vast open Kristaps Porzingis for a nook three.

One other nice three was when Jayson Tatum threw an entry cross to Al Horford that was a little bit offline as Buddy Hield got here to double him. Similar to the Brown play, Horford made an incredible catch and located Sam Hauser within the nook for a large open three with a fast cross.

3. Bully Ball

The Celtics bullied the Warriors down low, profitable the factors within the paint battle 52-26. The killer whale offense was in full impact tonight as Boston hunted for the mismatch on protection (more often than not it was Steph Curry) and located their technique to simple seems on the basket. Boston shot 94% (15-16) on the rim tonight and 70% (26-37) within the paint as a complete. The Celtics dominated the boards as nicely, out rebounding the Warriors 50-38.

The most effective performs to spotlight this got here from Jayson Tatum after a play the place he missed a 3 level shot over Kevon Looney. Within the subsequent possession, Tatum blew by Looney on his technique to the rim, forcing the Warriors to name a timeout.

4. Porzingis’ Fast Begins

Ever since Kristaps Porzingis got here again, the Celtics have accomplished an incredible job at getting him concerned early in video games on the offensive finish. During the last six video games, he’s averaging 9.8 factors per sport within the first quarter whereas capturing 66% from the sphere and 63% from three.

In opposition to the Warriors, Porzingis obtained off to fast begin, scoring 8 factors on 2-4 capturing as he was capable of finding his rhythm. He completed with 18 factors on 6-13 capturing general and has seemed like one of many Celtics finest offensive gamers.

5. Midrange Jay

Jayson Tatum had a reasonably common sport in opposition to the Warriors, ending the sport with 22 factors, 9 rebounds, and seven assists on 9-20 capturing from the sphere and 3-10 from three. The three ball wasn’t actually falling for Tatum however the place he was in a position to actually impress was from the midrange.

On his first basket of the sport Tatum had an opportunity to tug up for a 3 over Steph Curry on the quick break. As a substitute, he let Curry fly by him and took just a few steps in for a pull up midrange jumper.

With a few minute left within the first half Tatum obtained the change on Buddy Hield. He backed down Hield, placing his shoulder into him and rose as much as splash a reasonably fadeaway jumper.

When Tatum’s midrange jumper is falling, he is among the most harmful three-level scorers within the NBA. Ought to he use his midrange sport extra usually? Perhaps. But when his three level isn’t falling, he may return to it extra usually.

6. Clamps

There have been occasions this yr the place the Celtics have struggled to get stops in opposition to their opponents however their protection was nice in opposition to the Warriors. Boston held Golden State to 35% capturing from the sphere and 26% from three. The Celtics had been in a position to power the Warriors into 12 turnovers and switch these into 19 factors.

With the Warriors being shorthanded, the Celtics had been in a position to zone in on Steph Curry as they solely allowed him to attain 18 factors on 6-16 capturing and 4-12 from three.

7. (Derrick) White-Out

Derrick White had an incredible evening on the defensive finish, ending with 3 blocks and a steal in opposition to the Warriors. White did an incredible job with Jrue Vacation when it got here to Steph Curry however his blocks had been actually spectacular.

His finest block of the evening was when Steph Curry discovered Kevon Looney going to the rim. White elevated and met Looney on the summit to ship again a possible dunk.

8. Brown Bounces Again

Coming off of a sport the place he scored 24 factors on 9-27 capturing in opposition to the Hawks, Jaylen Brown bounced again with a strong efficiency in opposition to the Warriors. Brown completed with 17 factors on 8-14 capturing and general seemed much more snug together with his shot.

It seems like Brown hasn’t used his fadeaway leap shot as a lot as he did final season so it was an incredible sight to see him hit his first shot of the evening with one over Kevon Looney.

Brown did an incredible job attending to the rim on this sport as no one on the Warriors was going to have the ability to guard him. He had an incredible reverse layup as he lower via the Golden State protection and used his power to bully defenders beneath the basket.

One in all my favourite performs from Jaylen Brown on the evening was when within the third quarter he was in a position to get a midrange shot off via Steph Curry, absorbing the contact and kissing it off the glass for the bucket.

9. Baylor Buckets

With the Celtics starters having the ability to sit out a lot of the fourth quarter, this gave a number of the bench guys an opportunity to point out off. Somebody who actually took benefit of this chance was Baylor Scheierman who obtained his probability to shine after being referred to as up from the Maine Celtics.

After averaging 19.4 Factors in Maine, Scheirman scored a profession excessive 5 factors on 2-3 capturing in 4 minutes in opposition to the Warriors.

Scheierman’s shot hasn’t been falling a lot when he does get an opportunity to play in Boston so it was good to see him make his first shot, a 3 over the Warriors Gui Santos.

Scheierman began to play with extra confidence after seeing his first shot go down and adopted his three with a troublesome midrange shot. He was in a position to get Moses Moody to change on to Xavier Tillman and rose up for a simple bucket.

Who is aware of if Baylor Scheierman will get extra run with the Celtics over this west coast street journey but when he is ready to proceed to hit pictures in his restricted minutes, he may discover some extra time in Boston this season.

10. Beating the Warriors is enjoyable

The Celtics historical past with the Golden State Warriors has been completely documented ever since 2022 NBA Finals. Steph Curry and Golden State was seen as Boston’s boogey man after beating them in these Finals up till the Celtics blew them out in a 52-point win final season.

Then the Olympics occurred, the place Steve Kerr benched Jayson Tatum and the rivalry was renewed yet again. The primary matchup in opposition to the Warriors this season was alleged to be Tatum’s revenge sport and the Warriors spoiled it by beating the Celtics 118-112 in TD Backyard.

This time round there wasn’t as a lot hype going into the sport. The Warriors had been lacking key items in Draymond Inexperienced and Jonathan Kuminga so Golden State didn’t have a lot probability of beating the Celtics at full power with solely Steph Curry.

Nonetheless, that is the primary time the Celtics have crushed the Warriors on the street since Recreation 1 of the 2022 Finals so it was good to lastly break that streak after some heartbreaking losses within the final two seasons. They obtained blown of their first sport after the Finals in Golden State in 2023 and misplaced on a Curry dagger on the street final season.

Brown and Tatum’s legacy’s will all the time be related to the Warriors so any probability the Celtics get to blow them out in dominant vogue, regardless of how good Golden State is. will ceaselessly be enjoyable to look at.