Jayson Tatum converted a Daniel Theis steal into a go-ahead dunk with 1:36 to play Friday night as the Boston Celtics scored 13 of the game's final 16 points to rally for a 105-100 victory over the host Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors appeared on the doorstep of just their second home win of the season when Willie Cauley-Stein slammed home a Ky Bowman lob for a 97-92 lead with just 2:37 to go.
Bowman was playing down the stretch because the Warriors' leading scorer, D'Angelo Russell, sprained his right thumb midway through the third quarter and missed the game's final 18 minutes.
Kemba Walker hit a 3-pointer and Theis a free throw to get the Celtics back within one before Theis snatched the ball from Cauley-Stein and delivered Tatum's layup that produced the sixth and final lead change of the fourth period.
Tatum and Walker added short jumpers and Jaylen Brown a free throw, allowing the Celtics to withstand a late 3-pointer by Glenn Robinson III for their 10th straight win.
Tatum finished with a game-high 24 points, Brown 22 and Walker 20 for the Celtics, who were opening a five-game Western swing. Marcus Smart was a fourth Celtic scoring in double figures with 15.
Tatum also found time for a team-high eight rebounds.
Reserve Alec Burks had 20 points to pace the Warriors, who lost their sixth straight.
Draymond Green recorded an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double for Golden State, while Eric Paschall added 16 points, Russell 12 and Cauley-Stein 10.
Russell also had a game-high seven assists in just 25 minutes.
The Celtics fought an uphill battle for most of the first half, the result of a 25-10 Warriors flurry to open the game. Russell had nine of his 12 points in the run, which saw seven different Golden State Warriors score.
Boston drew even, and then went ahead, by halftime, however. A 3-pointer by Walker created a 47-all tie late in the half, before he was fouled on a long-range shot and made all three free throws for a 50-47 advantage that became 52-51 at the break.
The Celtics, who had a 128-95 win at Golden State in their only visit last season, went on to lead by as many as seven in the third period, and by 76-71 at quarter's end. But the Warriors responded with the first five points of the fourth quarter, producing the first of five ties in the tense final 12 minutes.
--Field Level Media
Boston | Golden State | |
Jayson Tatum 24 | Scoring | Alec Burks 20 |
Kemba Walker 5 | Assists | D'Angelo Russell 7 |
Jaylen Brown 8 | Rebounds | Draymond Green 11 |
Jayson Tatum 6 | Free Throws Made | Alec Burks 11 |
Jaylen Brown 3 | Steals | Draymond Green 2 |
Enes Kanter 2 | Blocks | Willie Cauley-Stein 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Boston | 105 | 40.7 | 13-33 | 18-23 | 24 | 47 | 5 | 13 | 14 |
Golden State | 100 | 41.5 | 5-28 | 27-34 | 17 | 55 | 4 | 8 | 20 |