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The Boston Celtics lost their seventh straight game in heartbreaking fashion, falling to the Golden State Warriors, 99-97. The game was tied 97-97 with 11 seconds to go, but Stephen Curry nailed a nasty pull-up jumper with 2.3 seconds left. With little time remaining, Boston was able to call a play, but the ball was bobbled before Gerald Wallace threw up a last-second attempt and missed.
The Skinny
The Celtics are now 13-24 on the season, though they are only two games back from the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. Jeff Green led the Celtics with 24 points on 11-for-17 shooting and 11 rebounds, in one of his best games in 2014. Both Kris Humphries and Jared Sullinger also played well, totaling 25 rebounds together. Hump was banging down shots from mid-range, finishing 5-of-10 for 16 points. Sullinger was just his old (young) self, with 21 points on 9-for-16 shooting. He also hit his first three-pointer since December 21st, going 2-for-3 from downtown tonight.
Even though Stephen Curry hit the game winner, he was bottled up by Avery Bradley, for the most part. Curry shot only 7-of-18 for 19 points. Andre Iguodala quitely had 22 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in 38 minutes. Marreese Speights, who is averaging 5.4 points per game this season, came off the bench and scored 13 important points for the Warriors.
Mean Green
Small forward Jeff Green decided that he would attack the Warriors' weak defense tonight, and found much success driving hard to the rim. Green shot an efficient 11-for-17 on his way to 24 points. He wasn't just finishing at the rim though, as he shot quite well from mid-range, pulling up and hitting some in-rhythm shots during the first half. But the highlight came when Green posted up on the right block and spun to the baseline before elevating for a gorgeous dunk. Click here for the replay of his incredible display of athleticism.
With less than 30 seconds left, down two points, Brad Stevens called an ATO play to get Jeff Green a look going towards the rim. He came off a screen and received a good pass from Gerald Wallace, and drove hard, finishing the play to tie the game 97-97. Green continues to put up positive numbers in clutch situations, which is probably why Coach Stevens continues to go to him with little time remaining.
Guess who's back? Back again...
No, not Slim Shady, but Jared Sullinger! (Go ahead and tell a friend.) Sully came off the bench and played inspired ball for 32 minutes. The sophomore big man, now playing without a wrap or glove on his left hand, put up a double double with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Five of those boards came on the offensive end due to his hustle and willingness to not give up. This is the Sullinger that Celtics fans know and love, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow night's game in Portland to see if he won back a spot in the starting lineup.
Humphries dominates the boards
Kris Humphries loves rebounding like a fat kid loves cake. Humphries snatched 14 total rebounds, with three of them coming on the offensive end. Humphries also had 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting, to go along with 3 blocks and 2 steals, in what was probably his best game of the season. He's taking complete advantage of his opportunity in the starting lineup, and I don't think there is any going back for Brad Stevens.
Good defense from the Boston backcourt
Every Celtics guard struggled scoring the ball tonight. Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford, and Jerryd Bayless combined for only 19 points on a terrible 7-for-30 shooting. Shots just weren't falling for anyone, but that could be due to the amount of energy they expounded on the defensive end of the floor. Even though Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson both had at least 17 points, they didn't play very efficiently overall, with a combined 34.3 field goal percentage.
What's Next?
The Celtics will finally finish off their five-game West Coast road trip Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers. The C's will then have Sunday off before returning home to face the Houston Rockets on Monday.