The Boston Celtics will take on Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors in what will be the biggest test of the season.
The Boston Celtics (13-2) will take on the Golden State Warriors (11-3) in arguably the most highly anticipated game of this young 2017-18 season on Thursday night.
The Celtics and the Warriors not only own the best records in their respective conferences, but also the league’s longest winning streaks. After losing their first two games against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics have rattled off 13 wins in a row, becoming the first team in NBA history to do so after starting 0-2.
After a pedestrian 4-3 start, Golden State has also begun to flex its muscles. The Warriors have won seven consecutive games, including a 141-113 blowout against the Los Angeles Clippers. This is a clash of titans in the best way possible, and this could be a preview of the NBA Finals.
The Boston Celtics haven’t escaped their fair share of adversity during their best start since the 2008-09 season. Boston would’ve suffered an embarrassing loss to the Atlanta Hawks if it weren’t for Kyrie Irving‘s late game heroics. Oh, and Al Horford was elbowed in the head by Kent Bazemore, which made him miss the next two games.
Then, on Nov. 10, Kyrie Irving had to leave the matchup against Charlotte because his teammate inadvertently whacked him in the head, which caused a facial fracture. The Celtics trailed by 18 points in that game, but they came back to win 90-87 without Irving, Horford and Gordon Hayward. Hayward, Boston’s second best player, has basically missed every game this season.
The Celtics have relied heavily on young players like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier to play big minutes and take on more responsibilities, and they haven’t disappointed. Through all of the adversity, Boston has shown an enormous amount of mental toughness, especially for a team with so many new faces.
Different formulas for success
The Celtics and Warriors have the two best records in the league, but they have different formulas for winning games.
Golden State is a fast-paced, high scoring team that will overwhelm opponents with their array of offensive weapons. Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson lead the Warriors to 119.6 points per game, the highest scoring average in the association.
Hardwood Houdini
Golden State can also win with its airtight defense. The Warriors have the sixth-ranked defense (101.8 defensive rating) in the league. From Durant and Thompson to Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, the Warriors have multiple players that can guard the other team’s best player. The Warriors are also superior at interior defense, as their 8.7 blocks per game easily leads the league.
The Celtics, who rank just 24th in pace, have a different approach. Boston is the classic Eastern Conference team. They like to slow the game down and play half-court basketball, with the understanding that their chances of winning are better when the final score is in the 90s. The Celtics are scoring just 103.6 points per 100 possessions, but they only give up 95.8 points per 100 possessions, which would be the lowest mark since the 2011-12 Boston Celtics.
Boston only allows 8.4 made 3-pointers per game, which is tied for first in the NBA. They are also giving up just 7.7 fast break points a game, which is third in the league. The Warriors however, are averaging 13.4 3s per game and they are averaging an otherworldly 26.6 fast break points per game, which is 11.7 more than the second best team.
Golden State can turn a close game into a double-digit lead in a matter of a few possessions, and that’s why Boston can’t make a lot of mental mistakes. The Celtics have to minimize turnovers and get back in transition against the Warriors, or this team will score too many points for Boston to keep up.
Next: 2017-18 Week 5 NBA Power Rankings
The Boston Celtics and the Warriors play two completely different styles of basketball, and whoever can control the pace of the game will have the biggest advantage.