5 takeaways Celtics Warriors | Boston.com

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The Boston Celtics beat the Golden State Warriors 111 to 107, despite the vigorous effort of a team with few players on Tuesday.

Warriors star Steph Curry scored 38 points, and Jayson Tatum scored 28 for Boston, while the Celtics had enough of their bank and defense to recover after losing to the Lakers on Tuesday.

Here are five lessons.

The Celtics won badly.

Jaylen Brown scored 18 points out of 8 out of 20 shots. Kemba Walker started well, but finished 6 of 18. If it weren’t for the contributions of less likely sources (Grant Williams, Tristan Thompson, Jeff Teague), Boston might as well have started his journey with a defeat, followed by a game that it probably won’t include Kemba Walker.

Instead, the Celtics did Just enough free throws punished for Golden State’s lack of size Just enough, and found Just enough offense when the Golden State’s final rally fell short. Sometimes an ugly victory seems to spark a team.

Jayson Tatum plus the bank sparked a big run in the second quarter.

In the second quarter, playing a Tatum plus bench lineup, the Celtics recovered from a double-digit deficit with a 19-5 run.

An interesting aspect of Tatum’s excellence is the way he sustains Boston’s second unit. By Cleaning the Glass, lineups with Tatum, but without Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker or Marcus Smart outnumbered opponents by 18.6 points per 100 possession – a number relatively in line with last year’s results.

Why these lineups work so well remains a mystery, but Tatum is at his best when he is a high-volume player. Perhaps part of the reason these groups work is because he doesn’t have to think about anything but trying to get buckets. For a marker like Tatum, this can be a liberating sensation.

The warriors were not at full strength.

The Warriors were already without James Wiseman – who was eliminated before the game due to a wrist injury – before Kevon Looney sprained his ankle in the first half. That left only Draymond Green and wings available, and the Celtics took advantage. Boston drove directly on the edge repeatedly, even when it was not a particularly fruitful exercise, and the Warriors began to give in a little under the pressure. Throughout the second half, the Celtics got what they wanted in the glass and repeatedly took advantage of the lack of rim protection.

Grant Williams was ready with inconsistent minutes.

Williams’ start to the season was a little disappointing, but he has had some good performances recently. Tuesday was an example: Williams worked hard defensively, helped the Celtics in the offensive glass and continued his torrid firing rate behind the 3-point arc – 46.9 percent entering Tuesday’s game. He slapped Steph Curry in the first half. Shortly afterwards, he channeled Steph Curry with a 3 point step back.

By blocking Steph Curry, Grant Williams became Steph Curry. pic.twitter.com/QDdYhPUUgQ

– Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) February 3, 2021

Williams may not always be a contributor – he received a DNP-CD against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, although Brad Stevens stepped back after the game with the idea that Williams was out of the rotation. Presentations like Tuesday’s may give him some more consistent stretches.

Steph Curry was a flamethrower.

Before the ball left Steph Curry’s hands on his second 3-point attempt in the first quarter, Brad Stevens was asking for a break, unhappy with what he was seeing (predictably, Curry splashed the attempt).

Early on Tuesday, the Celtics struggled to stay with Curry, which allowed the Warriors star to start the game comfortably. Curry then punished the Celtics for the rest of the game, finishing with seven triples in 12 of 21 shots. Boston’s defense improved throughout the game, but the wick was already lit.

To make matters worse, the Celtics did not always take advantage of Curry’s absence. The short-handed Warriors managed to keep pace with the Celtics and even gained ground for stretches without Curry.

On Tuesday, the Celtics escaped by allowing their opponent’s best player to be eliminated. Against teams with a functional front court, they may not be so lucky.