Kendrick Perkins says Boston Celtics win in Finals rematch against Golden State Warriors is significant
The Boston Celtics avenged their finals loss over the Golden State Warriors, beating the defending champions 121-118 on Thursday (January 19). The Celtics lost four straight games to the Warriors before Thursday's contest.
Three of those losses came during Games 4, 5, and 6 of the 2022 finals, and the fourth was at the Chase Center earlier this season on December 10 when the Celtics suffered a 123-107 loss. After breaking their skid against the Western Conference giants, Celtics former player Perkins had this to say on Twitter:
"Getting that damn monkey off your back in a finals rematch gotta be a damn good feeling for Tatum and the Celtics! Carry on…"
Getting that damn monkey off your back in a finals rematch gotta be a damn good feeling for Tatum and the Celtics! Carry on…
It wasn't an easy win for the surging Boston Celtics, who had won seven on the bounce entering the contest. The struggling Golden State Warriors made this a neck-and-neck battle by not allowing the Celtics to get a significant lead.
There were eight lead changes, with Boston's biggest lead being 10 points. The Warriors cut that advantage entering halftime and took a one-point lead. Klay Thompson scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half alone to lead the Warriors' charge.
The Golden State Warriors took a seven-point lead by the end of the third. They were better suited to extend their winning streak over the Boston Celtics, but Jayson Tatum had other ideas. The MVP frontrunner bagged 13 of his 34 points in the final quarter and OT to lead his team to their eight games.
A win over Golden State Warriors would be a relief for Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics have been the best team in the NBA this season. They boast a league-leading 34-12 record. Their superstars, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, have both played at an MVP-caliber level, with averages of 31/8/4 and 27/7/3, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Celtics' role players have played consistently. They have one of the best squad depths in the NBA, making them one of the strongest teams this season. However, Boston's inexperience at the highest level had been their Achilles to an extent.
Their loss to the Golden State Warriors earlier this season was a by-product of that. That was also the case during their thrilling OT win on Thursday. The Celtics didn't seem as comfortable on both occasions. Considering the Warriors' struggles, Boston should've closed both games comprehensively, especially with the momentum they had.
Nevertheless, they are in the win column against their Western Conference rivals. It could do a world of good for the team's confidence in crunch situations, especially in the playoffs, which already seems sky-high.