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Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPN editor
SAN FRANCISCO – As Stephen Curry left the game for good late in the third quarter, with the Boston Celtics up by 32 points en route to a blowout 40-point victory over the Golden State Warriors, Curry probably hadn’t felt further away from the 2022 world championship than on Monday.
After suffering the worst home loss of the Steve Kerr era with a 125-85 loss to the Celtics at Chase Center, Curry noted how the Celtics are everything the Warriors aren’t right now.
Curry explained that Boston had the same core as the 2022 team with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, but had even more confidence after winning the title last season.
“Yeah, we obviously have a completely different roster,” Curry said of the Warriors compared to 2022. “Especially without Draymond (Green). But you look at (what they have), other than (Kristaps) Porzingis, they they still have pretty much the entire rotation and they’re the defending champions.
“So they come in with a level of confidence and swagger about them and that’s the exact opposite of what we have right now. So yeah, obviously great memories, but it definitely feels like a long time ago. “
The Warriors hope they can turn things around this season, make the playoffs and surprise everyone like they did in 2022 when they beat the Celtics, 4-2, in the NBA Finals.
But they are 21-21 and hampered by injuries to crucial players. Green did not play Monday and will be out at least a week with a mild calf strain. Jonathan Kuminga injured his ankle on January 4 and was ruled out for at least three weeks. Kuminga will likely need more time to return. Brandin Podziemski is out with an abdominal injury and Kyle Anderson did not play because of a glute injury.
Since starting the season 12-3, the Warriors have gone 9-18. They are currently in a nine-game stretch, eight of which are at Chase Center.
Curry was asked if the Warriors could use this stretch to stay afloat with injuries to Green and Kuminga.
“It’s incredibly important for our season,” Curry said. “You hope to be a better team at home than on the road. … We’ll see how we react to it and if we can take advantage of this streak. Tonight wasn’t great – statement from captain Obvious.
“But just the idea that we can stay afloat until some guys come back can kind of make or break our season, to be honest, in keeping it real. … Nobody counts game by game, but A six-game stretch can kind of define where we’re going to go for the rest of the season.”
The Celtics (30-13) made 20 3-pointers with Tatum leading the way with 22 points. Curry was just one of two Warriors to score in double figures with 18 points.
Kerr hopes Podziemski and Anderson can return later in the week. The Warriors travel to Sacramento on Wednesday before facing the Chicago Bulls at home on Thursday. The Los Angeles Lakers are visiting on Saturday.
The Warriors will have to be much better than the 85 points they scored against Boston, which is the fewest in a home game in which Curry plays under Kerr. The 40-point loss was also Golden State’s worst home loss since a 45-point loss to Dallas in 1985.
“It feels like a lifetime ago,” Warriors center Kevon Looney said when asked what the 2022 championship looked like. “Since then, we’ve had many iterations on the team. Every season brings a new challenge. This year seems more and more distant, but I hope we can regain that feeling of being a champion. But we still have a long way to go.
