BOSTON -- Before the Golden State Warriors saved the streak, dragging themselves to a 124-119 double-overtime victory over the scrapping Boston Celtics, they needed to collect themselves.
Down three points with 2:27 left in regulation, the Warriors looked out of character. Stephen Curry had gotten his shot blocked twice within a minute and had stepped out of bounds in between. Draymond Green had missed a long jumper within the sequence. It seemed as though this was the streak’s end -- that the undefeated Warriors would run out of gas and good decisions against an energized, well-coached opponent. Who could blame them, really? Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes were both out with sprained ankles, and the Warriors faced a back-to-back against the Bucks the next night. This was a logical time for a letdown.
At that moment, Green waved his arms slowly, gesturing to his team. His message contrasted with the frenzied action: “Relax, we're OK,” Green said of his speech. He elaborated, telling ESPN.com, “I just told everybody to relax, we've been here before. Act like we've been here before and take care of what we need to take care of.”
Andre Iguodala said of Green’s message, “Just keeping everybody settled in. Everybody seen the situation before; it was just a reminder.”
As much as this Warriors' victory was about fight and perseverance, it was also about poise:
Shaun Livingston needed poise to patiently guard Isaiah Thomas on two buzzer-beater opportunities, refusing to bite on a series of fakes. Poise was needed for Golden State to run a beautiful “elevator doors” set to spring Curry for a 3-pointer with 46 seconds left in regulation. The Warriors could have lost their heads Friday night. Instead, they methodically worked their way to victory. That has generally been the recipe for Golden State comebacks. They keep moving, run their offense and trust that the quality of their team will eventually win out.
“You have to stay calm,” Green said. “If you panic, you're going to force a shot, you're going to go for something you don't need. All we have to do is stay calm, stay true to ourselves, and it'll all work out.”
It was fitting that the toughest game of the streak served as Green's opus. The Warriors needed a signature game from the man who personifies clichés like “heart,” “grit,” and “hustle.” While Curry scored 38 difficult points (on 27 shots), mostly blanketed by Avery Bradley, Green provided 50 relentless minutes.
“Draymond was huge,” interim coach Luke Walton said. “I think he had five steals, five blocks; he does everything for us on the court.” Walton was correct about the five steals and five blocks -- plus 24 points, 11 boards and 8 assists.
Early in the contest, there were inklings that this type of high-speed game would suit Green nicely. On a second-quarter layup, the Celtics' Thomas flipped onto his back after crashing into Green. Green stood over Thomas and pounded his chest while screaming. Some teams might not like it, but so far, they can’t beat it. They can’t do it even on a night when the Warriors are short-handed and vulnerable.
With Thompson and Barnes out, Curry and Green had to generate much of the offense. Curry struggled to get free from Bradley’s clutches, and the Warriors generally found space scarce. The Warriors are used to the room Thompson provides, moving the ball around until holes open in the defense. This time, they could not be so patient. Green had to forge a difficult path on quite a few possessions, driving into a gnashing Celtics defense and throwing himself into transition opportunities. Curry had to fire the ball up when covered, just because that’s what the situation required.
The Warriors needed every bit of effort on Friday, not just from Green but from everyone. They needed Curry’s genius on offense, Festus Ezeli's forceful play off the bench, Andrew Bogut's sturdy rim protection, Iguodala’s perimeter defense and Livingston’s shot creation.
They got just enough to move on, undefeated.
More than a few Warriors have talked about “not wanting to catch that first L.” It was easy to downplay the streak before, but it’s becoming harder to downplay what feels like history. In the meantime, Green’s message, “Act like we've been here before,” resonates for a team going places no one else has visited.
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