Warriors 100-116 Celtics
Jaysun Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart and Al Horford were all solid throughout and the refs veered back from the highly pro-Warrior calls of the previous game. The Warriors went on one of their patented 3rd quarter runs and even snatched the lead for a moment (up 83-82), but they couldn't sustain, the Celtics maintained their game plan and the Warriors just sorta melted away in the 4th quarter.
The rest of the Celtics were nothing special (Derrick White was actually kinda bad) but the Warrior 2nd string didn't make a dent, so all good for the home squad in this one. Again, none of the Celtic starters were especially brilliant but they were all good for four straight quarters, didn't have any dangerous low points and comfortably carried themselves to the win. Grant Williams was productive off the bench, but didn't really stand out and I'm not yet convinced he could be the stand-in if Robert Williams (clearly nursing an injury) is sidelined.
The troubling aspect for Warriors fans by this point is that Draymond looks washed, dude. In their heyday Draymond was the....hmmm "eye of the storm" is the wrong analogy...he was the chaos at the center that allowed the perimeter to dominate. Draymond scores less than he used to, but that's not a big deal. It's that he doesn't control the game the way he used to. But now Kevon Looney is far more crucial for their success than Draymond...yeah, I said it, totally stand by it. Until the Warriors come to grips with that kick-in-the-crotch realization, they're going to struggle to tread water. Klay Thompson has been okay in this series but I still see one game where he seriously gets off (he might only do that once this entire season, but if he gets one now, it'll be the right time).
Good, methodical W for the Celtics; disappointing, herky-jerky L for the Warriors.
Warriors 107-97 Celtics
The Warriors just wanted it more, Tatum wasn't in lights-out shooting mode, and the Celtics just couldn't hang down the stretch (Warriors outscored them 15-3 to close the game).
Steph was brilliant, Poole gave good scoring off the bench, Klay and Wiggins were both nice contributors. I feel like the Celtics were just off their game tonight, that is, I don't feel like the Warriors performance should've finished in such a decisive win. I worried that the Celtics would wear down and I think that could be what we're seeing.
The Warriors got good defensive minutes out Nemanja Bjelica and this perhaps shows that a platoon of Looney, Bjelica and Gary Payton might be the way to ease back the Draymond playing time without sacrificing scoring or playmaking. I always liked Bjelica and he's playing hungry, baby (I like it and I'd get him more minutes). Payton is like a kid in a candy store and giving good defense for the Warriors. And without Looney, Golden State does not get rebounds. Steph is moving the ball, Wiggins and Klay and Poole keep the scoring going, so replacing Draymond's defensive minutes is the challenge (I still think there's room for Kuminga, I know he's raw but he's athletic and he gives you a little bit of everything, I think he's got a role still in this series).
The Celtics, on the other hand, are built entirely around their starting five. If they lose Robert Williams, if Tatum's nagging shoulder injury flares up, if Horford wears out or if Smart just becomes worst-case-scenario Smart, then the Celtics are in serious trouble because there's no replacement for any of those guys over on the bench. There are no adjustments to make, just stay healthy and bust ass for three more games.
This series is still air tight.
Crazy hot take for Game Five: I say this series doesn't go 7 games, I think tonight's winner wraps it up in Game Six. The Celtics need to ball out for two more games because I don't think they've got a third game in them. The Warriors need to de-Draymond-ize their squad and if they don't, they will collapse (but if they do, they should be superior to the Celtics). The Warriors are in flux which will either win or lose this series for them; the Celtics just need to get to the finish line. (Pssst....I'm going Warriors in Five and Six)
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