Boston Celtics (46-23) beat Golden State Warriors (33-36) 120-99 at home on Wednesday, March 18. The final margin was 21 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Celtics had the better start, winning the first 36-23 to lead by 13 after one. The teams matched each other with 27 points apiece in the second quarter; the Celtics still led by 13 at halftime.
The Celtics won the third 26-23 to create some separation, taking a 16-point lead into the fourth. The Celtics took the fourth 31-26; the Celtics finished the job for a 120-99 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Celtics got more from their shots, finishing at 55.4% effective field-goal shooting compared with 45.6% for the Warriors. The Celtics grabbed 37.5% of their own misses, while the Warriors recovered 29.2%. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Warriors did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 13.9 against 15.8. The Celtics made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 101 possessions per team, the Celtics produced 118.9 points per 100 possessions to 98.1 for the Warriors.
The Warriors' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 51-26.
Who stood out
Jaylen Brown was the game's biggest individual force for BOS: 32 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast on 11-20 shooting. His Game Score of 24.3 led everyone. His team was +23 with him on the floor.
Gary Payton II led the Warriors with 14 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl on 7-11 shooting, good for a 18.9 Game Score.
Jayson Tatum (24 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Celtics about a 84% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Boston Celtics lead 2-1.
The Celtics are now 46-23, and the Warriors are 33-36. The Celtics last five before this game: W-L-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.