The Boston Celtics once again beat the Golden State Warriors, but they controlled them from the opening stretch and never really let the game breathe. A 120-99 final score tells part of the story, but the real takeaway was how comfortable Boston looked dictating everything: tempo, shot selection, and physicality.
Golden State actually hung around early, even building brief momentum, but it never felt sustainable. Boston’s length started bothering shooters, their stars settled in, and once the lead stretched into double digits, the gap in execution became obvious.
The Celtics led for 92% of the game and pushed the advantage as high as 26, turning what could’ve been competitive into a methodical, one-sided finish. Let’s dive into the Celtics player ratings.
Jaylen Brown: A+
Game Stats: 32 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 5 TOV, 11-20 FG, 1-4 3PT, 9-9 FT, 35 MIN
Jaylen Brown came out looking like he had already decided how this game was going to go. He attacked the rim over and over, and Golden State just didn’t have anyone who could slow him down once he got a step.
What really separates this performance is the free throws, perfect at the line, which tells you he stayed aggressive the entire night. The turnovers are the only real downside, but they came from him constantly putting pressure on the defense. An easy A+ from one of the best players in the game.
Jayson Tatum: A
Game Stats: 24 PTS, 10 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 4 TOV, 7-15 FG, 5-11 3PT, 5-6 FT, 31 MIN
Jayson Tatum got going early from three, and once that shot started falling, everything else just felt under control. The rebounding stood out, ten boards without really hunting them, and he let the game come to him instead of trying to dominate every possession.
The turnovers were there, sure, but they never snowballed into anything damaging. Considering he isn’t the superstar player he used to be just yet, he had an A performance.
Payton Pritchard: A
Game Stats: 19 PTS, 7 AST, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 8-16 FG, 3-7 3PT, 31 MIN
Payton Pritchard came in and immediately gave Boston a jolt. He pushed the pace, hit shots when the defense sagged, and controlled things better than you’d expect from a bench guard stepping into heavy minutes.
Seven assists with just one turnover tells the real story; he was organizing the offense perfectly. This felt like one of those nights where everything slowed down for him in the best way.
Luka Garza: B+
Game Stats: 15 PTS, 7 REB, 3 STL, 2 TOV, 6-10 FG, 1-2 3PT, 2-2 FT, 18 MIN
Garza made the most of his minutes. He scored efficiently, stayed active on the boards, and even came up with a few steals just from being in the right place at the right time.
There’s a physical edge to how he plays, nothing easy, everything earned, and it showed up in this one. You don’t expect him to swing games, but he absolutely tilted this stretch in Boston’s favor.
Derrick White: B+
Game Stats: 11 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 3 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TOV, 4-8 FG, 1-5 3PT, 2-2 FT, 31 MIN
Derrick White did a little bit of everything without ever needing the spotlight. The shot from deep wasn’t really there, but he didn’t let that drag him out of rhythm. Instead, he leaned into what he does best: defense and smart decisions.
Three steals and a block barely capture how disruptive he was, especially when Golden State tried to build any kind of momentum. He played within himself, didn’t overreach, and still managed to leave a noticeable imprint on both ends.
Neemias Queta: B+
Game Stats: 8 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 4-7 FG, 28 MIN
Queta brought physicality and didn’t try to be anything he’s not. He finished efficiently, stayed active on the glass, and made a couple of really solid reads as a passer.
The zero turnovers stand out since he didn’t force anything, just made the right play when it was there. It’s not flashy, but it’s exactly the kind of frontcourt presence that keeps everything steady.
Sam Hauser: B
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 2-6 FG, 2-5 3PT, 21 MIN
Hauser’s role is simple, and he stuck to it. Knock down open shots, space the floor, don’t complicate things. He hit a couple threes, missed a few, and didn’t try to do anything outside of his lane.
That kind of discipline matters in games like this where stars are carrying the offense. You don’t need more; you just need reliability, and he gave them that.
Baylor Scheierman: B-
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 1 TOV, 1-4 FG, 1-3 3PT, 25 MIN
Scheierman had 25 minutes, so there was plenty of time for him to make an impact. It didn’t happen offensively, but he crashed the boards hard and moved the ball well. Considering the Celtics played so well with almost everyone on the floor, a B- is fair.
Charles Bassey: N/A
Game Stats: 2 PTS, 1 REB, 1-1 FG, 2 MIN
Not much to evaluate here: did his job, didn’t make mistakes. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Ron Harper Jr.: N/A
Game Stats: 1 REB, 0-2 FG, 0-1 3PT, 7 MIN
Minimal impact with a short time. Had some chances and shots did not fall, however, he was not a liability for the team.
Max Shulga: N/A
Game Stats: 1 AST, 1 TOV, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3PT, 2 MIN
Did not do much but kept the game simple and made one pass. That is pretty much all that he did.
Hugo Gonzalez: N/A
Game Stats: 3 REB, 0-2 FG, 10 MIN
He tried on the offensive end, but he did show energy and effort in trying to get rebounds.
