NBA 2018-19: 3 Talking Points from Boston Celtics vs Golden State Warriors

The struggling Boston Celtics visited the defending champions, Golden State Warriors in a matchup between two of the preseason favorites. The Celtics absolutely destroyed the Warriors across all categories and came away with a resounding victory (128-95).

This victory was a much-needed one for the Celtics as they have struggled badly since the All-Star break. They have especially not clicked with Kyrie Irving in the lineup. With the playoffs approaching in a months time, the Celtics need to start playing together and regain the chemistry that took them to the Eastern Conference finals last season.

Gordon Hayward had his best game of the season finishing with a game-high 30 points. He had a net rating of +32 in 27 minutes of action.

The Warriors still hold on to the top spot in the Western Conference playoff standings with a 44-20 record. The Celtics are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference playoff standings with a 39-26 win-loss record.

Here are the top 3 talking points from the match:

#3 Great offense from the Celtics:

Jason Tatum was aggressive from the start

The Celtics were completely spot on in the execution of their offensive strategy in this match. There was terrific ball movement and everyone was willing to play for one another and find the open man.

The Celtics finished with an outstanding 38 assists for the match with Kyrie Irving leading the way with 11 assists. They took full advantage of this ball movement and shot the ball really well. They shot 51% from the field and 41.2% from the 3PT line. They were also 16-17 from the FT line and had total control on the offensive end of the floor.

The Celtics will hope to find a similar offensive touch during this last phase of the season.

#2 Massive struggle for Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins:

Kevin Durant had a bad night for the Warriors

With Klay Thompson missing this match, it was necessary for some of the other superstars to step up.

Stephen Curry looked like the only Warrior player who had some offensive touch in this match. He finished with 23 points on 8-16 shooting from the floor. But he could not get any offensive support from his teammates.

Kevin Durant had an off night, finishing with 18 points on 5-16 shooting from the field. DeMarcus Cousins only added 10 points on 4-12 shooting from the field.

The Warriors could not get the ball moving properly. Their offense became stagnant for some portions of the match, and much of this was also down to the tight defensive scheme of the Boston Celtics.

The Warriors will be looking to bounce back from this defeat when they host the second-placed Denver Nuggets at the Oracle Arena.

#1 Dominant display from Gordon Hayward:

Gordon Hayward had a fantastic game for the Celtics

Gordon Hayward looked like an All-Star in this game against the Warriors. He was superb on both ends of the floor and totally took the game away from the Warriors.

Hayward finished with a game-high 30 points, and also grabbed 7 rebounds whilst dishing out 4 assists to his teammates. He shot an unbelievable 12-16 from the field and 4-6 from the 3PT line. This was a perfect game for Hayward to end a string of poor performances.

This has been a very disappointing season for Hayward, as he returned from his one-year injury layoff. He is only averaging 11 points per game on 43% shooting for the season. Hayward and the Celtics will hope that this win ignites their season.

The Celtics next visit the Sacramento Kings in the second game of the back to back.