Golden State Warriors edged past the Boston Celtics 118-112 at TD Garden, extending their hot start to a 7-1 record. Despite the victory and their position atop the Western Conference, Stephen Curry urged caution, reminding teammates there’s “a long way to go” as the Warriors gear up for a challenging road ahead.
The Golden State Warriors pulled off a 118-112 victory over the Boston Celtics, reinforcing their impressive early-season form and tying with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns for the Western Conference’s best record at 7-1. Despite their success, Warriors superstar Stephen Curry remained cautious, emphasizing the long road ahead.
“We haven’t done anything yet,” Curry remarked after scoring 27 points alongside 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 4 steals. “A good team, or a relevant team, wins the games they are supposed to win. … We’ve done those things so far, but we got two more games on this road trip, two tough tests.”
The Warriors entered the season with tempered expectations, yet Curry’s confidence that they could become “a relevant team early” has already begun to materialize. Their victory over Boston highlighted Golden State’s strategic, high-energy rotation that has defined their season under head coach Steve Kerr. Wednesday night, 11 Warriors players saw action for at least 13 minutes, ensuring a steady flow of fresh defenders and strategic depth. Their defensive rotations, spearheaded by Kerr’s philosophy, stifled Boston, which committed 12 turnovers and struggled to maintain momentum despite scoring 19 three-pointers.
In a game filled with momentum swings, a turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Warriors guard Gary Payton II dove for a loose ball, helping Golden State claw back from a one-point deficit with four minutes remaining. Following Kerr’s timeout, Golden State went on a decisive 15-7 run. Center Kevon Looney’s dominant rebounding proved crucial in the final minutes, conjuring memories of his Finals performance against Boston in 2022. Looney’s two offensive rebounds during crunch time kept Golden State’s offense alive, setting up a critical three-pointer by Curry to ice the game.
“The last five minutes, I thought our defense really showed up,” said Kerr. “The activity, Gary getting on the floor, Loon getting two putbacks, those were maybe the two biggest shots of the game. … It just felt like we connected the game, got stops and were able to get scores and close it out.”
Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla acknowledged the Warriors’ physical play and intense defensive pressure, which disrupted the Celtics’ offense for most of the game. “They’re physical, so they force you to fight for your space,” Mazzulla said. “They got a ton of deflections, [and] they were able to get some stuff there.”
After an offseason marked by controversies, including Kerr’s decision not to play Jayson Tatum in Team USA’s Olympic gold run, Kerr was met with a chilly reception at TD Garden. Yet, he left the court with a win against a Boston team known for its formidable home-court advantage.
Golden State’s schedule now intensifies, with upcoming road games against the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. They return home to face Klay Thompson’s comeback game against the Dallas Mavericks before taking on Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies.
While Curry acknowledged the road ahead is long, he expressed pride in the Warriors’ current approach. “Until proven otherwise, that’s how we have to play,” Curry said. “It is who we are right now, it’s who we have to be. … It’s a fun way to play, because every night is different, and everybody has to stay engaged, and it’s working.”
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