Draymond Green considered it a one-game aberration. Steve Kerr promised to “flush it down the toilet”.
But Stephen Curry admitted there was some importance to it. the Boston Celtics’ 52-point loss to the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden on Sunday.
“They stayed motivated and hungry,” Curry told reporters after the game when asked about the growth he has seen in the Celtics since the 2022 NBA Finals. “You always take those moments and understand that you have to get better, and they did it. … The way they play, they seem very sure of themselves and their identity and who they are. You give them credit.”
The Warriors opened the door to Boston in inexplicably leaving Jaylen Brown open in the first quarter. Brown responded by hitting 5 of 9 3-pointers in the first 12 minutes, as the Celtics made 10 of 16 total three-pointers in a 44-point first quarter.
“When you have a creative idea and it doesn’t work and you take the ball out of the basket and they hit 10 threes in the first quarter, that’s what we did on teams,” Curry said. “It’s a bit demoralizing, especially on the road.”
That last bite from Curry – “That’s what we used to do to teams” – is worth noting. The Warriors, at their peak, had an undeniable swagger and an ability to bury teams under an avalanche of 3-point shots. Their extreme confidence helped them win three championships in four years, from 2015 to 2018, then defeat a strong Celtics team in the 2022 NBA Finals, even though Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were all on the wrong side of the 30.
Curry apparently sees some of that swagger in this Celtics team, which boasts one of the best point differentials in NBA history (11.4) through 60 games and is the first team to achieve three wins by more than 50 points in a season.
Of course, none of these gaudy stats will matter if the C’s fail in the 2024 playoffs. But it appears that Boston’s shortcomings in previous postseasons have motivated the team to overcome the obstacle.
“They’re still hungry,” Curry added. “The league is competitive at the top. They have a history they want to overcome. They’re playing well right now. Whatever motivation they got from it, it shows.”
