Stephen Curry rallies Warriors past Celtics in OT
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry scores a 3-pointer against Boston Celtics’ Derrick White during NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle
2023.12.19 – Stephen Curry let fly a high-arching 3-pointer and swished it through, rookie Tracye Jackson-Davis, notched his first double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds as the Golden State Warriors rallied past Boston Celtics 132-126 on Tuesday night.
Night-night, indeed, just as the superstar signaled with both hands at the side of his cheek as he took off running the other way.
“It was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” said rookie Jackson-Davis, who delivered a key block against Boston star Jaylen Brown in OT.
Reminder, those high-arching 3-pointers are practiced by Curry time and again during extensive pre-game routine. It’s no luck when you’re the NBA’s most prolific 3-point shooter with over 3,500 made.
Boston arrived at Chase Center sharing the NBA’s best record and departed with an unlikely loss. The Warriors, won because Curry scored 20 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, all while playing with five fouls.
They won because rookie center Jackson-Davis completely changed the game with his defense and skill near the basket: The Warriors outscored the Celtics by 25 points with Jackson-Davis on the court.
The Dubs also won because they own the wild luxury of having a backup point guard bound for the Hall of Fame. Chris Paul had 12 assists and zero turnovers, and no assist was more meaningful than his final one.
2023.12.19 – Warriors vs. Celtics (NBA Video highlights)
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and Chris Paul celebrate in Overtime against Boston Celtics during NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle
2023.12.19 – Warriors vs. Celtics (NBA Video highlights)
2023.12.19 – Warriors vs. Celtics (NBA Video highlights)
Curry caught a skip pass from Paul, who had corralled an offensive rebound, and connected on a 3-pointer with 12 seconds left in overtime on the way to scoring 33 points. Golden State made enough timely plays and stops to snap Boston’s five-game winning streak.
It was a Curry catch and shoot ball in one lightning-fast motion. Klay Thompson called it a “moon-ball,” and it climbed high, high, high in the air before rippling cleanly through the net.
That pushed the Warriors ahead by four with 11 seconds left, sent the capacity crowd into delirium and prompted Curry’s signature night-night gesture as he retreated down the court.
“Nothing shocks me with Steph, that shot was insane, the catch-and-shoot, the arc,” coach Steve Kerr said, “but I fully expected it to go in, and I think all of our fans did, too. The guy’s magical. I can’t explain it. That’s just the kind of stuff he does.”
Jonathan Kuminga made a steal and uncontested dunk to put the Warriors ahead in overtime then grabbed a key rebound on the other end that led to another scoring play, and Boston missed key chance after chance when it mattered most.
Thompson hit a tying 3-pointer with 2:18 remaining in regulation then Derrick White answered from deep before Curry connected from the top to even it up again at 121. The Celtics then missed four shots on their next possession and again before the buzzer sounded for regulation.
Other key opportunities were wasted in the final minute of OT.
2023.12.19 – Warriors vs. Celtics (NBC Sports Post Game)
Golden State Warriors’ Trayce Jackson-Davis blocks Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown during NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle
2023.12.19 – Warriors vs. Celtics (NBC Sports Post Game)
2023.12.19 – Warriors vs. Celtics (NBC Sports Post Game)
By posting the first double-double of his career, Jackson-Davis also shed his unwelcome “Baby T” nickname among his teammates. Thompson announced in the locker room afterward that Jackson-Davis now would be known as Trayce Jr. (Thompson considers his brother, a major-league outfielder, the original Trayce.)
Beyond the good-natured banter, Jackson-Davis earned more playing time. His three blocks included two on Boston’s Jaylen Brown, one thwarting a dunk attempt in overtime.
Jackson-Davis has found a mentor in Paul. They lingered after one practice last week in Phoenix, working diligently on pick-and-roll strategy. Paul pointed out after Tuesday night’s game that he has made “a lot of big men a lot of money” in his 19 years in the NBA.
Paul also cranked up the intensity on his pupil over the weekend.
“I’ve been easy on him all season, but I finally sort of went nuts on him a little bit in Portland,” Paul said of Jackson-Davis. “And he started killing it. I’m not saying that’s why, but I think he has the capability to do what you guys are seeing.
“He just gives us a different dimension because he plays above the rim and because of his shot-blocking ability. He does a lot of things that don’t show up in the box score. He changes shots, and his athleticism is something we need.”
2023.12.19 – Warriors vs. Celtics (Locked On Post Game)
Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics’ Derrick White during NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco on Tuesday, December 19, 2023.Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle
2023.12.19 – Warriors vs. Celtics (Locked On Post Game)
2023.12.19 – Warriors vs. Celtics (Locked On Post Game)
Brown finished with 28 points while White scored 30 in just the second loss over the last 10 for Boston (20-6).
Jayson Tatum added 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Celtics began a four-game trip in California.
Boston’s star forward limped to the locker room favoring his left ankle at the 7:45 mark of the first, returned to the bench about four minutes later then was back on the floor to start the second quarter. That was a positive on a night Celtics 7-foot-3 big man Kristaps Porzingis was out to rest his strained left calf.
Thompson scored 24 points and knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:56 left in the fourth that pulled the Warriors within 114-110. He has gone 36 of 71 over his past four games since being held to seven points on 2-for-10 shooting on Dec. 12 at Phoenix.
“He’s changed our team with his shot selection the last four or five games, whatever it’s been,” Kerr said.
With his 2,291st career 3 made — at the 4:46 mark of the first — Thompson passed Vince Carter for eighth place on the NBA’s all-time list.
Curry shot 11 for 21 with six 3s in a foul-filled night for the two-time NBA MVP, whose record streak of consecutive games with at least one 3-pointer ended at 268 on Sunday in Portland.
The Warriors played without rookie guard Brandin Podziemski in the second half because of a strained lower back.
Paul had nine points, 12 assists and seven rebounds after dealing with a fever and illness.
UP NEXT
Celtics: At Sacramento on Wednesday night to complete the back-to-back.
Warriors: Host Washington on Friday night.
Related – See : Warriors hold off Clippers, Klay and Curry come up big
Related – See below: 2022 Warriors NBA Finals video highlights
Read more at: Golden State Warriors Media Services / More AP NBA
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the Golden State Warriors, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
EMI Sports Central – EMI Sports Bay Area: Join the conversation on sports news for SF Bay Area teams: Follow @EMIsports on Twitter, “Like” us on Facebook and sign up for our FREE email newsletters.
2022 Warriors NBA Finals video highlights