The game was better than the hype, and the hype was breathless in the two days before the Warriors and Celtics stepped onto the court at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday.
A little more than two hours – as well as 14 ties and 21 lead changes – later, the Warriors walked out into the frigid night with a 115-111 victory.
It basically was, given the ebbs and flows and adjustments on both sides, of a playoff game dropped into the heart of the regular season.
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Here are some of the positives and negatives the Warriors can take from their 10th consecutive victory:
POSITIVE
The other side of Klay
Klay Thompson is an All-Star because he scorches the nets as well as anyone. But the defense that makes him a complete player was on full display against Celtics star Kyrie Irving, According to advanced NBA Stats, Irving, in 34 possessions against Thompson, scored seven points on 3-of-10 shooting. Containing Irving is the surest way to ensure a win over Boston.
Golden State Warriors
When Thompson is fully engaged, as in this instance, he is a lockdown defender.
[RELATED: Steph claps back at Kyrie saying Warriors 'got lucky']
POSITIVE
KD comes up big, again
Perhaps realizing Boston had no defensive solution for his skills, Kevin Durant was aggressive early and remained so. His 14-point first quarter was an announcement that this would not be a “let the game come to me” kind of night. With the game in the balance, he was 6-of-6 from the line in the fourth quarter. He finished with a game-high 33 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks. He was plus-12 over 39 minutes.
An active, aggressive Durant provides an edge that’s nearly impossible to offset.
NEGATIVE
What was KD thinking?
The single most bizarre moment may have come with the Warriors leading by two and 32.1 seconds left to play. Durant, grabbing the outlet from Draymond Green, inexplicably flung a full-court pass that sailed over the head of Andre Iguodala and out of bounds. Turnover.
The Warriors had the ball for 4.9 seconds before giving it back. Fortunately for the Warriors, Irving missed a contested mid-range shot that would have tied the game.
Durant himself referred to it as a “bonehead” moment. No argument here.
[RELATED: KD, Thunder reportedly uninterested in basketball reunion]
POSITIVE
Exploiting the charity stripe
The Warriors are not known for making a living at the foul line. They average four fewer free throws than their opponents. They flipped that custom in this game, going to the line more frequently (16 times) in the fourth quarter than the Celtics did all game (15). They were 29-of-34 from the line, while Boston was 14-of-15. DeMarcus Cousins and Durant were most responsible, accounting for 20 of the free throws.
This is going to happen from time to time. It seems almost unfair that the toughest NBA team to defend now has the ability to create more shots that can’t be defended.
[RELATED: Warriors enter history books again after 10th straight victory]
POSITIVE
Boogie survives a test
There was no question that Boston coach Brad Stevens had a very specific plan to test Cousins’ agility. The Celtics were going to put Boogie in the pick-and-roll. Let’s see if he can hold up against Kyrie Irving. It didn’t happen that often, but Cousins did OK when it did. It wasn’t his pick-and-roll defense that got him five fouls in 23 minutes. That was more about Cousins, feeling some fatigue, reaching and grabbing.
The Warriors weren’t sure what to expect from Cousins on defense. He didn’t earn an A, but he easily passed the test.
[RELATED: Steph says Seth is 'going to try to whoop my a--' in 3-point contest]
NEGATIVE
Balance gets lost
Stephen Curry, who drained four 3-pointers in a two-minute span in the second quarter, got all of three shots in 18 second-half minutes. Three shots! The offense completely lost its balance in the fourth quarter, which surely was a factor in the Warriors getting only three assists while shooting 29.4 percent over the final 12 minutes.
Boston played good – not great – defense. The Warriors simply got out of balance down the stretch and never regained any rhythm. They were saved by free throws.
POSITIVE
Mr. 300
Steve Kerr earned his 300th win as a coach. He did it in 377 games, faster than any coach/manager in the history of North American professional sports.
Congratulations to the coach, who will credit everybody but himself, for this fantastic achievement.