Curry, Wiggins help Warriors hold off Celtics
Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts during the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on December 17, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images/AFP
Stephen Curry scored 30 points, Andrew Wiggins added 27 and the Golden State Warriors survived after blowing a 20-point lead in a 111-107 win over the shorthanded Boston Celtics on Friday night in Boston.
Andre Iguodala added 12 points while Draymond Green contributed a team-high eight assists for the Warriors, who have won three straight and five of their last six games.
"Steph Curry with the biggest bucket of the night."
30 for 30 to put the @warriors up 5 late pic.twitter.com/h4QabrQls2
— NBA (@NBA) December 18, 2021
This @warriors defensive possession to seal the win..💯
24-5 things pic.twitter.com/US1gEytNOS
— NBA (@NBA) December 18, 2021
Jayson Tatum had 27 points, eight rebounds and six assists to lead Boston, which has dropped five of its last seven. Jaylen Brown added 20 points, Marcus Smart had 19 with eight assists and Josh Richardson scored 15 for the Celtics.
Boston was without starting center Al Horford and forwards Grant Williams, Jabari Parker, Juancho Hernangomez and Sam Hauser, who all landed in the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols this week.
Celtics guard Dennis Schroder also missed the game with a non-COVID illness. Boston guard Romeo Langford left the game with neck pain in the second quarter and did not return.
Warriors star Klay Thompson (right Achilles tendon repair) remained sidelined despite being recalled from G League affiliate Santa Cruz earlier in the week. Center James Wiseman (right knee meniscus tear) and Jordan Poole (COVID-19 protocol) also sat out.
Golden State was ahead 68-54 at halftime after leading by as many as 20 late in the second quarter.
After outscoring the Warriors 27-14 in the third quarter, Tatum’s stepback 3-pointer with 11:25 remaining gave Boston its first lead since the opening minutes at 84-82.
Golden State scored the next seven points and used a 23-11 overall run to push its lead back up to double digits at 105-95 on Curry’s 3 with 4:25 to play.
Boston answered with a 9-2 push to pull within 107-104 on Brown’s layup with 50.9 seconds to go before Curry answered with a floater with 35 seconds on the clock.
Curry committed an offensive foul for his sixth to end his night with 10.7 seconds to go and Smart hit a 3 with 4.2 on the clock to make it a two-point game. Damion Lee’s two free throws with 2.8 seconds left sealed the win.
