The Warriors proceed to enhance as this new 2024-25 season begins to unravel, particularly after they beat the reigning champions within the personal turf on Wednesday night. Sure, you learn appropriately, Golden State at the moment are 7-1 with their thrilling 118-112 victory over the Celtics at TD Backyard.
Earlier than the beginning of the competitors, at their media day again in September, Stephen Curry was clear in saying that his group are “in place the place we is usually a related group early and provides ourselves an opportunity to compete. Then assess the place we’re.” Nicely, solely eight video games into the marketing campaign and right here we’re!
With their final win, the Warriors are shifting right into a three-way tie with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder and Phoenix Suns for the very best document within the Western Convention standings. The California membership has additionally the NBA’s third-best offense, second-best defence and the very best internet ranking at plus-15.5 factors per 100 possessions.
🏀 WEDNESDAY’S FINAL SCORES 🏀
Steph Curry stuffs the stat sheet in Boston to elevate the @warriors to their fifth consecutive win and a 5-0 begin on the highway!
Buddy Hield: 16 PTS, 6 REB, 4 3PM
Jayson Tatum: 32 PTS, 5 3PM pic.twitter.com/17oXmmLvhi— NBA (@NBA) November 7, 2024
However, Curry nonetheless doesn’t wish to give his squad an excessive amount of credit score. “We haven’t carried out something but,” the veteran star assured in Boston. “A very good group, or a related group, wins the video games they’re speculated to win, you steal a pair on the highway in opposition to good groups, you defend your property court docket.”
The 36-year-old ended the match with 27 factors, 7 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals in 34 minutes. “We’ve carried out these issues thus far, however we acquired two extra video games on this highway journey, two robust exams,” mentioned the Golden State celebrity. “So I like the place we’re at, clearly. However [there’s a] lengthy strategy to go.”
With the Warriors’ latest recruits, Curry has discovered many new contributors in offense, particularly in Buddy Hield, who was supposed to be Klay Thompson’s alternative. Despite the fact that it’s working for now, the veteran nonetheless isn’t assured sufficient to say that this system will lead them in the direction of title competition.
“Till confirmed in any other case, that’s how we now have to play,” Steph defined. “And we’ve talked about it. Coach has talked about it till he’s blue within the face already. Each apply, each movie session, each pregame, it’s the identical message. So it’s who we’re proper now. It’s who we now have to be.”
Rival coach Joe Mazzulla defined that his group was overwhelmed Wednesday night time as a result of the Warriors have been much more ‘bodily’ than them
Despite the fact that the Celtics membership dropped many factors from vary in Wednesday conflict on the TD Backyard, ending 19-for-54 from three-pointers, they dedicated 12 turnovers all through the sport and paid the value for it. “They’re bodily, so that they pressure you to combat on your area,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “They’ve lively palms, so I believe within the first half, they acquired a ton of deflections.
“They have been capable of get some stuff there, however I assumed we did a greater job of dealing with the physicality within the second half and simply must put — once more, we speak physicality, it’s simply as a lot about protection as offense. So it took us a short while to get adjusted to that. As soon as we did, we executed very well. After which it simply got here down to some possessions on the finish.”
Steve Kerr, then again, couldn’t assist however be reminded by his group’s 2o22 NBA Finals efficiency once they beat the Celtics in six video games. Simply as Mazzula defined, it was by their physicality that pressured Boston to play at their very own tempo. “The final 5 minutes, I assumed our protection actually confirmed up.
“The exercise, Gary getting on the ground, Loon getting two putbacks, these have been possibly the 2 greatest photographs of the sport. After which Steph discovering Buddy [Hield] within the nook for that 3, I imply, it was all in sequence. It simply felt like we related the sport, acquired stops and have been capable of get scores and shut it out,” the Warriors coach mentioned.
