Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 26 points apiece and the Boston Celtics’ defense suffocated the Warriors well before Golden State lost Stephen Curry to a foot injury in the second quarter of a 110-88 nationally televised blowout Wednesday in San Francisco.
Marcus Smart chipped in with 20 points for the Celtics, who held Golden State to a season-low 32 points in the first half.
A disastrous first half for the Warriors reached its low point with about four minutes remaining in the second quarter when Curry, attempting to gather a loose ball, had Smart land on the back of his left leg while diving for possession.
Curry had his foot twist awkwardly in the collision, and immediately he was removed from the game. He headed straight to the locker room, walking under his own power, for further examination, after which a decision was made to keep him out for the remainder of the game with what the team labeled left foot soreness.
The two-time league MVP was due to undergo an MRI exam, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said postgame.
The Warriors were losing 33-25 at the time of the injury. Curry had been limited to three points, a 3-pointer, in 14 minutes.
In successfully bouncing back from a home loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, the Celtics were up 16 at halftime and by as many as 24 in the third quarter before the Warriors rallied.
Attempting to extend a four-game winning streak, Golden State used three 3-pointers from Jordan Poole to climb within 79-69 by the end of the third period.
A Poole free throw made it a nine-point game with 8:22 remaining before Payton Pritchard buried a pair of 3-pointers to push the Warriors back for good.
Tatum found time for a game-high 12 rebounds to complete a double-double for the Celtics, who were tipping off a four-game Western swing.
Smart added a game-high eight assists, while Robert Williams III contributed to the cause with eight points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Pritchard finished with 10 points.
Making six of his 13 3-point attempts, Poole led all scorers with 29 points for the Warriors, who shot 37.2 percent from the floor. Thompson added 18 on an 8-for-24 shooting night, while Kevon Looney had nine points and a team-high-tying eight rebounds.
–Field Level Media
