Warriors Return To Oracle, Fizzle Against C's
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP/CBS SF) — Isaiah Thomas scored 25 points, Kelly Olynyk added 17 points, five rebounds and five assists off the bench and the Boston Celtics beat the sloppy Warriors 99-86 on Wednesday night, spoiling Golden State's lone home game in a nearly three-week span.
Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined to shoot just 4 for 17 from 3-point range as Golden State struggled again without injured star Kevin Durant, who spoke before the game wearing a bulky brace on his injured left knee and using crutches.
Curry had 23 points, five rebounds and six assists, and Thompson scored 25 points as the Warriors' 10-game home winning streak was snapped — nearly a year after Boston ended a 54-game home win streak for the Warriors.
It was the Warriors' first home defeat against the Eastern Conference this season and fifth in all out of 26 overall matchups.
The Warriors took a 74-72 lead into the fourth quarter when Curry knocked down a buzzer-beating 3 to end the third over rookie Jaylen Brown, with the two-time reigning MVP pointing and celebrating at the young forward.
Golden State trailed 76-74 with 8:41 remaining before Draymond Green came slashing through the key for a pair of one-handed slams during a 1-minute, 11-second stretch. Boston, which handed Golden State one of its two home losses last season with a 109-106 victory on April 1, kept answering every big play.
Jae Crowder knocked down a 3 for the Celtics and Golden State then committed two straight turnovers that led to four more points as Boston built its cushion to 90-79.
Andre Iguodala contributed nine points off the bench on a night Durant was relieved to be at Oracle Arena and reunited with his teammates even for just a day as he stays in the Bay Area for rehab on his sprained left knee and bruised tibia.
Green made a steal in his career-best 23rd straight game, the longest by a Warriors player since Curry did so in 33 consecutive outings in 2015-16.
TIP-INS
Celtics: G/F James Young was out with a bruised tailbone. He tried to go through shootaround to no avail. ... The Celtics are 4-7 against Golden State since 2010-11.
Warriors: Curry (12,656) is 14 points from tying his father, Dell, for 210th place on the NBA career scoring list with 12,670. ... Matt Barnes received a rousing standing ovation when he checked into the game at the 3:41 mark of the first quarter in his Oracle Arena debut after re-joining the team 10 years after his first stint. ... Golden State's streak of 11 straight games with at least 10 steals ended. ... Thompson reached 200 3-pointers, joining Curry as the only players in NBA history with 200 3s in five straight seasons.
ROAD TRIPPIN'
With just more than one day at home, Golden State considered this game almost like a road test given the Warriors are playing eight times in 13 days and already went East, then home for one before a back-to-back Friday at Minnesota and Saturday at San Antonio.
"We're still on the road trip, that's the way we look at it," coach Steve Kerr said. "This is Game 6 of an eight-game road trip, they just happened to send us to Oakland in between Atlanta and Minnesota. I'm still trying to figure that out."
Kerr will consider resting players as needed this weekend.
A NEW CAR
Evan Meredith of Oakland hit four 3-pointers during a third-quarter timeout to win a new KIA car.
UP NEXT
Celtics: At Denver on Friday looking to split the season series.
Warriors: At Minnesota on Friday looking for a third win in as many games this season vs. Timberwolves
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