Golden State Warriors Archives - Digital Sports Desk https://digitalsportsdesk.com/tag/golden-state-warriors/ Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports Sat, 25 Jan 2025 18:58:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/IMG_0364-2-150x150.jpg Golden State Warriors Archives - Digital Sports Desk https://digitalsportsdesk.com/tag/golden-state-warriors/ 32 32 Celtics Deal GS Worst Loss in 40 Years https://digitalsportsdesk.com/celtics-deal-gs-worst-loss-in-40-years/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=celtics-deal-gs-worst-loss-in-40-years Tue, 21 Jan 2025 03:30:36 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=7175 SAN FRANCISCO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum led six Boston players in double figures with a game-high 22 points on Monday as the Celtics steamrolled the Golden State Warriors 125-85 as part of the NBA’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day slate. Kristaps Porzingis chipped in 18 points and Jaylen Brown […]

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SAN FRANCISCO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jayson Tatum led six Boston players in double figures with a game-high 22 points on Monday as the Celtics steamrolled the Golden State Warriors 125-85 as part of the NBA’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day slate.

Kristaps Porzingis chipped in 18 points and Jaylen Brown scored 17 for Boston, which for the fourth straight season dropped the season-series opener to Golden State before getting even – and then some – in the rematch.

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Golden State had not lost by 40 at home since Jan. 15, 1985.

The 40-point margin was similar to the 140-88 pounding the Celtics dealt the Warriors last March after Golden State had won 132-126 in overtime three months earlier. This time around, the Warriors surprised the defending champs on their home floor with a 118-112 win on Nov. 6.

Tatum also found time for a game-high nine rebounds to go along with seven assists and two steals. Payton Pritchard paired his game-high nine assists with 14 points.

Sam Hauser added 11 points and Jrue Holiday tallied 10 for the Celtics, who have alternated wins and losses in their last nine games. Derrick White had three of Boston’s nine blocks to complement eight points, five rebounds and five assists.

Boston dominated the rematch on both ends of the court.

Led by Brown, who was 8-for-14 from the floor, and Holiday, who made two of his three 3-point attempts, the Celtics shot 53.3 percent overall and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc, making 20 of 48.

The Warriors, meanwhile, were held to 34.8 percent shooting overall and 26.4 percent from deep, connecting on just 14 of 53 tries. Andrew Wiggins especially struggled for Golden State, missing all four of his 3-point tries and finishing just 1-of-11 from the floor in a four-point effort.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 18 points but was just 4-of-12 from 3-point range.

Moses Moody added 13 points for Golden State, which was missing Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Kyle Anderson due to injury.

Moody also posted six rebounds and a team-high five assists, while Kevon Looney snatched a team-high seven rebounds for the Warriors.

The Celtics led 54-39 at halftime before taking control in the third quarter. Tatum scored 12 points in the third as Boston hit 16 of 24 shots, including eight threes, to open up a 34-point lead entering the fourth.

–Field Level Media

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Kerr, Warriors Get Last Laugh https://digitalsportsdesk.com/6861-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=6861-2 Thu, 07 Nov 2024 16:00:44 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=6861 BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Golden State guard Stephen Curry generated 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help the visiting Warriors stretch their winning streak to five games with a 118-112 victory over the Celtics on Wednesday night at TD Garden. The Warriors trailed by seven in the middle of […]

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Golden State guard Stephen Curry generated 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help the visiting Warriors stretch their winning streak to five games with a 118-112 victory over the Celtics on Wednesday night at TD Garden.

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The Warriors trailed by seven in the middle of the fourth quarter but used an 16-4 run to take a 104-99 lead with 2:30 to play on a Curry layup. Boston pulled within 115-112 when Payton Prichard made three free throws with 16 seconds remaining, but the Warriors closed out the win by making 3 of 4 at the foul line the rest of the way.

Golden State, which improved to 5-0 on the road, made 12 of its 13 free-throw attempts in the final quarter.

Buddy Hield and Andrew Wiggins each added 16 points for Golden State.

Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 32 points for the Celtics, whose three-game winning streak ended. Tatum has been the leading scorer in seven of Boston’s nine games.

Derrick White made seven 3-pointers and added 26 points, and Pritchard finished with 16 points.

The Warriors have won seven of their eight games, which is the team’s best start to a season since they won 11 of their first 12 games in 2021-22.

The Celtics were without forward Jaylen Brown, who has not played in the past three games because of a hip flexor strain. Brown is averaging 25.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season.

Boston led 24-19 after one quarter, but Golden State closed the first half with a 9-0 run and led 51-40 at halftime. The Celtics shot 35.1 percent from the field (13 of 37) in the half, and they missed 14 of their 20 3-point attempts.

Tatum scored 17 points in the third quarter, when the Celtics put up 41. Boston was within 82-81 entering the fourth.

The Celtics took their first lead in the second half when White made a 3-pointer for an 85-84 advantage with 10:19 to play. Another White 3-pointer extended Boston’s edge to 95-88 with 6:46 remaining, but the Warriors got within 97-96 on a Curry 3-pointer with 4:56 left.

–Field Level Media

 

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Physical Golden State Handles Celtics https://digitalsportsdesk.com/physical-golden-state-handles-celtics/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=physical-golden-state-handles-celtics Thu, 07 Nov 2024 02:30:49 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=6864 Golden State, which improved to 5-0 on the road, made 12 of its 13 free-throw attempts in the final quarter

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Servic e Report) – Warriors guard Stephen Curry amassed 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help visiting Golden State stretch its winning streak to five games with a victory over Boston.

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The Warriors trailed by seven in the middle of the fourth quarter but used an 16-4 run to take a 104-99 lead with 2:30 to play on a Curry layup. Boston pulled within 115-112 when Payton Prichard made three free throws with 16 seconds remaining, but the Warriors closed out the win by making 3 of 4 at the foul line the rest of the way.

Golden State, which improved to 5-0 on the road, made 12 of its 13 free-throw attempts in the final quarter. Buddy Hield and Andrew Wiggins each added 16 points for Golden State. Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 32 points for the Celtics, whose three-game winning streak ended. Derrick White made seven 3-pointers and added 26 points.

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Celtics Crush GS Warriors https://digitalsportsdesk.com/celtics-crush-gs-warriors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=celtics-crush-gs-warriors Mon, 04 Mar 2024 12:16:21 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=5579 BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A dominant first half allowed the Boston Celtics to extend their winning streak to 11 games by beating the visiting Golden State Warriors 140-88 Sunday. Boston made 15 of 24 3-point attempts in the first two quarters and led 82-38 at halftime. Boston’s 44-point halftime lead is […]

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A dominant first half allowed the Boston Celtics to extend their winning streak to 11 games by beating the visiting Golden State Warriors 140-88 Sunday.

Boston made 15 of 24 3-point attempts in the first two quarters and led 82-38 at halftime. Boston’s 44-point halftime lead is the largest in the franchise’s history.

The Celtics shot 60 percent from the field in the first half (30 of 50), when they committed one turnover. The Warriors trailed by as many as 45 points in the second quarter. Each team rested its starters for all or most of the second half.

Jaylen Brown led Boston with 29 points, and Jayson Tatum added 27 on his 26th birthday. Boston made 25 of 49 3-pointers (51 percent) in the win.

Lester Quinones tossed in a team-high 17 points for the Warriors, who trailed 115-62 after three quarters. Boston led by as many as 56 points in the fourth.

Steph Curry went 2-of-13 from the field (0-for-9 from 3-point territory) in the first half and finished the game with four points. He did not play in the second half. Klay Thompson (six points) sat out the second half because of a hamstring injury.

The loss ended Golden State’s eight-game road winning streak.

Center Kristaps Porzingis wasn’t available for the Celtics because of a left quad contusion. Porzingis is averaging 20.3 points and 6.9 rebounds in 44 games (all starts) for Boston this season.

The Celtics made 10 3-pointers in the first quarter for a 44-22 advantage. It was 21-21 with 6:05 left in the quarter, but the Celtics scored the next 14 points. Boston scored 23 of the final 24 points in the quarter.

Brown made five of Boston’s 10 3-pointers in the first and finished the quarter with 19 points.

The Celtics outscored the Warriors 38-16 in the second quarter to build their 44-point halftime lead. Tatum scored 20 points in the second quarter and had 22 points at the half.

It was the second meeting between the teams this season. Golden State earned a 132-126 victory in overtime when it played Boston at home on Dec. 19.

–Field Level Media

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GS Warriors Assistant Milojevic Dead, 46 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/milojevic-dead-46/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=milojevic-dead-46 Wed, 17 Jan 2024 20:30:33 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=5426 SALT LAKE CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – (January 17, 2024) – Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic died Wednesday morning after suffering a medical emergency the night before. He was 46. The Warriors said Milojevic suffered a heart attack at a private team dinner on Tuesday. “We are absolutely devastated by […]

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SALT LAKE CITY – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – (January 17, 2024) – Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojevic died Wednesday morning after suffering a medical emergency the night before. He was 46. The Warriors said Milojevic suffered a heart attack at a private team dinner on Tuesday. “We are absolutely devastated by Dejan Milojevic‘s sudden passing,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in a statement issued January 17th.

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Milojevic was taken to a Utah hospital after suffering the episode at a team dinner, the Warriors confirmed early Wednesday, as media reported it was “a sudden and serious health issue” that struck Milojevic during dinner.

The Warriors were in Salt Lake City, Utah in advance of tonight’s game against the Jazz.

“The NBA mourns the sudden passing of Golden State assistant coach Dejan Milojević, a beloved colleague and dear friend to so many in the global basketball community,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “In addition to winning the 2022 NBA championship in his first season with the Warriors and mentoring some of the best players in the world, Dejan had a decorated international playing career and was a distinguished head coach in his native Serbia. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Natasa, their children, Nikola and Masa, and the Warriors organization during this tragic time.”

Milojevic, who played professionally overseas for 14 years, was named the Adriatic League Most Valuable Player three times (2004-06).

He was head coach of KK Buducnost in Montenegro (2021) and KK Mega Basket in Serbia (2012-20) before serving as an assistant on coach Steve Kerr’s staff in Golden State since 2021. He was a staff member on one of Golden State’s NBA championship teams.

–Field Level Media

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Zoom, Zoom, Zoom https://digitalsportsdesk.com/zoom-zoom-zoom/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=zoom-zoom-zoom Sun, 24 Dec 2023 15:45:07 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=5317 NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Officials from the NBA, the players association, the Golden State Warriors and Draymond Green are meeting virtually as a way of assessing the veteran forward’s progress toward returning from an indefinite suspension, ESPN reported Monday. Green was suspended after punching Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic on Dec. 12, […]

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NEW YORK – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Officials from the NBA, the players association, the Golden State Warriors and Draymond Green are meeting virtually as a way of assessing the veteran forward’s progress toward returning from an indefinite suspension, ESPN reported Monday.

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Green was suspended after punching Phoenix’s Jusuf Nurkic on Dec. 12, the latest incident in Green’s sometimes tempestuous career.

The conditions for his eventual reinstatement include individual counseling sessions as well as his participation in the meetings over Zoom. So far, Green has been “open and engaged” in the process, per the report.

The NBA will determine the length of the suspension, though ESPN said there’s a “general belief” that it likely will run for 11 to 13 games. He is allowed to practice with the team and use facilities for conditioning.

So far, Green has missed six games, and the Warriors have won the past five. They play at Denver on Monday.

The incident with Nurkic resulted in Green’s third ejection of the season. He also made headlines on Nov. 14 when he was ejected for putting Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock during an on-court scrum.

That led to a five-game suspension for Green, who was first thrown out of a game this season on Nov. 11 after being tagged with two technical fouls against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He has been suspended six times in his career.

In 15 games this season, the 33-year-old Green has averaged 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists. He is in his 12th season with Golden State and has won four NBA titles with the Warriors. He’s also a four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection.

–Field Level Media

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NBA to Play ’25 All-Star Game in SF https://digitalsportsdesk.com/nba-to-play-25-all-star-at-sf/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nba-to-play-25-all-star-at-sf Tue, 07 Nov 2023 01:49:42 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=4943 SAN FRANCISCO – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The National Basketball Association announced that the San Francisco Bay Area has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2025. as the 74th NBA All-Star Game will be played at Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors, on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. NBA All-Star 2025 […]

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SAN FRANCISCO – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – The National Basketball Association announced that the San Francisco Bay Area has been selected to host NBA All-Star 2025. as the 74th NBA All-Star Game will be played at Chase Center, home of the Golden State Warriors, on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.

NBA All-Star 2025 will mark the first time that the event has been held at Chase Center, which opened in 2019. Additional signature events will take place throughout the Bay Area, including at Moscone Convention Center, Oakland Arena and the Warriors’ Oakland facility.  The Warriors previously hosted NBA All-Star in the Bay Area in 2000 at Oakland Arena in Oakland and in 1967 at the Cow Palace, home of the San Francisco Warriors, in Daly City.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made the announcement during a press conference at Chase Center, where he was joined by Warriors Co-Executive Chairman and CEO Joe Lacob, Warriors Co-Executive Chairman Peter Guber, Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Brandon Schneider, and San Francisco Mayor London Breed.

“We are thrilled to host our NBA All-Star festivities in the San Francisco Bay Area, where there is a long and storied history of basketball,” said Silver.  “I want to thank Joe Lacob, Peter Guber and the entire Warriors organization for their support in bringing NBA All-Star back to the Bay Area.”

“It has been 25 years since the NBA All-Star Game was played in the San Francisco Bay Area, and we are delighted to bring the NBA’s marquee event to Chase Center in 2025,” said Lacob. “In addition to the significant economic impact and tourism business that NBA All-Star will drive, we look forward to hosting various events in San Francisco and Oakland to bring together basketball fans from all over the world.”

“San Francisco is honored that NBA All-Star 2025 will be coming to our incredible city,” said Breed. “Major sporting events like this bring excitement to our city and generate significant economic activity that creates jobs and support for our small businesses. We are proud to be home to an organization like the Golden State Warriors that not only provides thrills to all of our amazing fans night after night at Chase Center, but is a great partner to our city and supporter of communities across San Francisco.”

NBA All-Star on-court events will tip off on Friday, Feb. 14 at Chase Center with NBA Rising Stars, an annual showcase for top rookies and second-year NBA players.  On Feb. 15, the fourth NBA HBCU Classic will feature men’s basketball programs from two historically Black colleges and universities followed by State Farm All-Star Saturday Night which will feature the Kia Skills Challenge, the STARRY 3-Point Contest and AT&T Slam Dunk.  NBA All-Star 2025 will culminate with the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 16.

The NBA will host several events for fans of all ages at venues throughout the Bay Area, including at Moscone Convention Center, Oakland Arena and the Warriors’ Oakland Facility. These events, including NBA All-Star Practice, the Ruffles NBA All-Star Celebrity Game and the official NBA All-Star fan event, will feature basketball, media, technology and pop culture as diverse and vibrant as the Bay Area.

The league will also continue its commitment to social impact with a full schedule of community engagement events during NBA All-Star 2025.

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Steph Curry and His Coach https://digitalsportsdesk.com/warriors-steph-curry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=warriors-steph-curry Mon, 13 Jun 2022 04:19:53 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=2747 By TERRY LYONS BOSTON – In the 2007-08 college basketball season, I watched from afar and in amazement as Davidson College in North Carolina plowed through their Southern Conference schedule with a 20-0 record. Davidson coach Bob McKillop told me all about a sophomore guard and miracle worker, Stephen Curry, right from the first time […]

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – In the 2007-08 college basketball season, I watched from afar and in amazement as Davidson College in North Carolina plowed through their Southern Conference schedule with a 20-0 record. Davidson coach Bob McKillop told me all about a sophomore guard and miracle worker, Stephen Curry, right from the first time he set eyes on him.

McKillop, born in Queens and a real Long Islander in the way rock and roll star Billy Joel loves his Downeaster’ Alexa, was once the head varsity coach at Holy Trinity High School on Long Island. He was also my history teacher and the instructor of the very first sports administration course I was fortunate to take, “Sports in Society.” From 1977 and onward ‘til this day, McKillop is a mentor for many of us and the common denominator as the great sport of basketball forged a lifelong friendship and deep bond. We speak often. We text less.

When a TV viewer watches Davidson play a game, one sees a coach, hair turned Irish white, calmly coaxing the very best from his team. He is known by anyone and everyone in college basketball as perhaps the best coach in the whole shooting match. Just this week, Jeff Goodman – the highly respected college basketball reporter from Stadium – ranked McKillop as the No. 2 most under-rated coach in the game. I shook my head in wonder why he listed Kelvin Sampson, coach of the University of Houston (via Washington State, Oklahoma, Indiana (see five year show cause penalty), via Milwaukee Bucks assistant, via Houston Rockets assistant) as the No. 1 underrated.

All that time, as Sampson bounced around, McKillop was coaching and teaching his players at Davison College, first in obscurity down in the Southern Conference but then with brighter lights as his wildcats joined the Atlantic 10.

This Fall, McKillop (71), will coach his 34th season and he’ll begin the year with a prior Basketball Hall of Fame nomination in his portfolio. But, in all that time and all the success (he’s one of only nine coaches in history to coach 1,000 games at one school), McKillop is no longer referred to as “Coach McKillop.” He’s been upgraded to become “Steph Curry’s coach,” and it’s a tag he wears proudly. The two men remain incredibly close, but McKillop has a knack of keeping in touch, forging that bond that he built with all of his past players and students who – over the years – become friends rather than pupils. In that area, McKillop works more 1,000 more miracles than Curry.

McKillop will be at the pivotal Game 5 of The Finals in San Francisco Monday night, watching live what he sees often on TV or DVR – Steph Curry dominating a basketball game, as that’s what happened on Friday night when his student of the game dropped 43 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists on the Boston Celtics in a 107-97 Golden State Warriors win at the TD Garden. The game tied the NBA Finals at 2-all, setting up a best-of-three to decide the 2022 NBA champion.

Curry shot 14-of-26, with 14-of-26 field goal shooting including 7-of-14 from downtown and an easy 8-for-9 at the line. Curry was nursing a sore foot, a condition suffered in Golden State’s Game 3 loss to the Celtics. Yet, at this time of the season, anyone and everyone still standing in the NBA postseason in banged-up.

“The heart on that man is incredible,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said of Curry post Game 4. “The things he does, we kind of take for granted at times, to go out there and put us on his back.”

“He wasn’t letting us lose. That’s all it boils down to,” said Warriors veteran and mix-it-up man Draymond Green. “I could tell in his demeanor, last couple of days, even after Game 3 that he was going to come out with that kind of fire.”

That’s what McKillop saw when he first set eyes on Curry, in a game when Curry didn’t play well but kept his composure, looked his coach in the eyes and never complained or pointed a finger at another.

I was told in 2006 what McKillop told everyone. “Steph is something special.” That was out of ordinary for Coach McKillop as he rarely gushes over one single player and he never exaggerates.

When we sat in the Players’ Lounge area at the 2009 NBA Draft, McKillop wasn’t his coach anymore. Steph was joining the rest of us in having a trusted mentor in his corner, one that will tell you the truth, tell you how to be a better player, better person. Maybe, he’ll tell you something funny or a good story about something or someone he reconnected with on a recent scouting trip.

At the NBA Draft that year, and ever the worrier, I was concerned if Curry’s lack of size would catch-up with him in the big time NBA, where players are much bigger and stronger than at any college program. “Can he get his shot? Can he defend? Can he adjust? Can he handle the physical nature of the NBA?”

When the No. 5 and No. 6 pick came up that June 25, 2009 night at Madison Square Garden, and the Minnesota Timberwolves had not one but the next two selections in the NBA Draft, I was sure Curry would be packing his winter coat for Minneapolis.

Nope.

The Timberwolves selected Spain’s Ricky Rubio who came with legendary status and stories dating back to his teenage years, scoring and entertaining fans with a Pete Maravich-type flair. The Timberwolves’ need for a scoring guard was filled and Curry dropped from what many thought would be a Top 5 selection. But, then the shocker, with the No. 6 pick, Minnesota selected Syracuse guard Jonny Flynn. Incredible!

Stephen Curry fell right into the lap of the Golden State Warriors at No. 7. It was perfect for the Warriors, perfect for Curry and it became the cornerstone of a rare air dynasty in the NBA, anchored by Curry and built by GM Bob Myers, team president Rick Welts, all-star players Klay Thompson and Draymond Green and a host of others from the front office, to Ray Ridderand the PR department to the athletic training room. Add a strong collection of complimentary players and other stars like Kevin Durant and Andre Iguadola, and the wins began to flow, some 73 Dubs in the 2015-16 season when they fell short in the Finals (Cleveland Cavaliers, 4-games-to-3).

The architect who placed the cornerstone will remain his under-rated self when he sits in the stands for Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals at the brand new Chase Center in downtown San Francisco this Monday. It will mark the sixth time the Golden State Warriors will compete in the NBA Finals in an eight-year span. People will point in McKillop’s direction, and say, “That’s Steph Curry’s Coach.”

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Celtics Dominate in Paint, Win 116-100 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/celtics-defeat-golden-state-warriors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=celtics-defeat-golden-state-warriors Thu, 09 Jun 2022 04:21:21 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=2724   While Tatum, Brown, Smart Score and Do Their Thing, Boston’s Robert Williams III Makes the Difference By TERRY LYONS BOSTON – Teams that are talented enough to make it to The NBA Finals have their superstar players, maybe three of them. Those players perform at high levels all season long, as every single game […]

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While Tatum, Brown, Smart Score and Do Their Thing, Boston’s Robert Williams III Makes the Difference

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Teams that are talented enough to make it to The NBA Finals have their superstar players, maybe three of them. Those players perform at high levels all season long, as every single game might mean a playoff berth and an edge in the all-important race for home court advantage, especially when criss-crossing East to West for The Finals.

For the Boston Celtics, it’s been Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown, carrying the team with Tatum looking more and more like Kobe Bryant’s student and protege each and every night.

For the Golden State Warriors, it’s been their Splash Brothers, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, although Thompson splished more than splashed when he tore his right Achilles and missed the entire 2020-21 NBA season, a good year to miss if there ever was one.

Quite a few NBA teams have their “regular season” stars. They register their share of points, rebounds and assists, maybe make The NBA All-Star Game at mid-year, but then crap-out at NBA Playoff time. We’ve seen it this spring, as good teams from Utah, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Memphis didn’t have what it takes to progress through the rough and tumble NBA postseason.

Here in Boston, the Celtics were dealt a rough hand back in April, as their playoff journey was scheduled through a formidable but inconsistent Brooklyn Nets team, then two heavyweight and former NBA champs, requiring a set of skills and size to play as physical as it gets with Boston series wins over 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee (sans Kris Middleton) and then the Eastern Conference top seed, the Miami Heat.

While Tatum and Brown carried the Celtics, key elements of the 2022 Celtics’ personnel emerged. Let us count the ways:

  1. Center Al Horford stepped up to play the best basketball of his career in the September of his career.
  2. Guard Marcus Smart, in many ways, the backbone and spark to the Boston team, as he scored, defended and scrapped.
  3. The difference-maker, center Robert Williams III, returned from a knee injury and nursed his sore knees from April to June to create the secret weapon, the rim protector, the clutch defender and capable finisher, especially when an alley-oop dunk is concerned.

Williams was a risky No. 1 draft pick by the Celtics (GM Danny Ainge) when he fell to the 27th overall slot after two years at Texas A&M. Williams had a bit of a “rep” from college and he even missed his inaugural “introduction” media conference when the lines of communication were somehow crossed on his first day in Boston that June.

But what did Williams turn into?

Despite the injuries, he’s classified by NBA Coaches as a second team NBA All-Defensive player. His presence this spring lifted the Celtics as Williams guarded every player under the rafters, including Milwaukee MVP level superstar, 6-foot-11 Giannis Antetokounmpo and then Miami’s All-Star Bam Adebayo.

While Tatum and Brown earn and deserve their hefty paychecks, Tatum a supermax to be sure, the Celtics would not be in The 2022 NBA Finals if it weren’t for Robert Williams III. In fact, if it weren’t for Williams, the Celtics might be trailing by a game in these Finals instead of their current situation, leading 2-games-to-1 after a through and convincing 116-100 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Just how and when did Williams make such a difference tonight?

In the first half, he scored only four points with four rebounds and two blocks. He finished the game with eight points, 10 rebounds, three steals and four blocked shots. Down the stretch, when the Warriors were applying pressure after outscoring Boston 33-25 in the third quarter, Williams stepped-up.

When the Warriors were within six points of the Celtics with 11:16 remaining, Williams grabbed a key defensive rebound. From there, he made his mark.

  1. At 10:41, Williams made a steal off of Curry’s bad pass.
  2. At 9:29, he recorded another steal off another bad pass from Curry, the Warriors’ 12th turnover.
  3. At 9:19, yet another steal of yet another Curry bad pass, the Warriors’ 13th turnover.
  4. At 9:11, a rebound and put-back to make it 102-91 Boston.
  5. At 8:53, Williams came up with a key defensive block against Curry.
  6. At 7:10 and 6:45, he controlled two rebounds, one on each end of the floor.
  7. At 3:52 he scored on an alley-top pass from Horford to extend the Celtics lead to 112-98.
  8. He grabbed another rebound at 3:34 and the Celtics’ victory was sealed.
  9. At 2:19, Ume Udoka subbed-in for all his starters and Williams took a well-deserved seat and victory.

“Yeah, it was huge,” said Udoka postgame. “Not only the shots that he did block — I think he got four tonight — but the ones he altered and his presence down there of course deters guys from driving. He was a big part of what we did. Staying big tonight, getting those 15 offensive rebounds and 22 second-chance points.

“So those were much needed. We want to try to impose our will and size in this series. It’s going to be a back-and-forth battle as far as that, but when we get nights like this from him and Al, obviously it pays dividends for us,” said the Celtics coach.

Never a basketball stat to rival points, rebounds and assists, Williams led the Celtics team in +/- with his +21, as he finished the game shooting 4-for-5, with 10 rebounds and eight points.

Flashing back to that summer night in June 2018, there’s not a chance Ainge, then coach, now GM Brad Stevens or current Celtics Coach Udoka thought Robert Williams III, drafted at age 20 and now 24 years old, would be a difference-maker in an NBA Finals game just four years later, providing a little help to the stars.

Oh yeah, Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 27 points and nine rebounds, Jayson Tatum scored 26 points and added nine assists and six rebounds while Marcus Smart added a significant 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

For Golden State, guard Steph Curry led all scorers with 31 points on 12-for-22 shooting. Draymond Green, an older and more experienced version of Williams III, minus the attitude and technicals fouls that come along with it, had two points and four rebounds. Green fouled out with 4:07 remaining in the game.

Studying that inside game and comparing the difference, Boston scored 52 points in the paint while the Warriors had only 26. Boston had a 47-31 edge on the boards.

Game 4 of the series is Friday night at Boston’s TD Garden.

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NBA Finals: Game 3 Notebook https://digitalsportsdesk.com/nba-finals-game-3-notebook/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nba-finals-game-3-notebook Thu, 09 Jun 2022 04:02:32 +0000 https://digitalsportsdesk.com/?p=2734 BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official Stat Release by The NBA postgame) – The Boston Celtics took a 2-games-to-one edge in the 2022 NBA Finals. Game 3, a 116-100 Boston victory, was the first NBA Finals game in Boston since Game 5 of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Lakers on June 13, 2010. […]

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BOSTON – (Staff Report from Official Stat Release by The NBA postgame) – The Boston Celtics took a 2-games-to-one edge in the 2022 NBA Finals. Game 3, a 116-100 Boston victory, was the first NBA Finals game in Boston since Game 5 of the 2010 NBA Finals between the Celtics and Lakers on June 13, 2010.

• Teams that win Game 3 in a 1-1 NBA Finals have gone on to win the series 82.1% of the time (32-7).

• Teams that lead the NBA Finals 2-1 have gone on to win the series 80.3% of the time (49-12).

• With their victory in Game 3, the Celtics improved to 7-0 after a loss in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The Warriors have not lost consecutive games in this postseason either; they are 5-0 after a loss, including a victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

• Boston’s Jaylen Brown (27 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists), Jayson Tatum (26 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists) and Marcus Smart (24 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) are the first trio of teammates to each have at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in an NBA Finals game since the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper against the Celtics on June 10, 1984.

• Boston’s Al Horford (11 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists) joined Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Smart in having at least 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. This is the first time that four players on the same team have reached those totals in an NBA Finals game since the Celtics’ Bill Russell, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones and John Havlicek against the Lakers on April 26, 1966.

• Golden State’s Stephen Curry made six three-pointers in Game 3. He has made at least five threes in three consecutive games, matching the longest streak in a single NBA Finals. Curry’s 18 threes in the series are tied for the most in any three-game span in a single NBA Finals.

• The Celtics’ Robert Williams III had eight points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and a career playoff-high three steals. The four blocks match his 2022 postseason high, set in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

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