Dave Portnoy was made to regret his social media activity after the Golden State Warriors won in Boston on Wednesday.
Steph Curry netted 27 points and Buddy Hield contributed 16, as the Warriors triumphed over the Celtics 118-112 – marking their fifth consecutive victory. Andrew Wiggins also chipped in with 16 points for Steve Kerr’s Golden State, who is now 7-1.
It was a particularly sweet victory for Kerr. Golden State’s coach was under fire heading into Wednesday’s game after Donald Trump was re-elected to the White House. Kerr is one of Trump’s biggest critics within the NBA, while Portnoy backs the politician.
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The nine-time NBA champion has also faced criticism for not playing Jayson Tatum frequently during the Paris Olympics, choosing instead to back the veteran trio of Curry, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. Wednesday’s game was the first between Kerr’s Warriors and Tatum’s Celtics since the Olympics, as Boston fans booed the visiting coach.
Portnoy, a Celtics fan, was among those who expected Tatum to beat Kerr on Wednesday. Referencing the result of the U.S. Presidential Election, the Barstool Sports boss wrote on X: “Bad 24 hours for Steve Kerr.”
Although the election didn’t go in Kerr’s favor, Wednesday’s game did. Tatum led Boston (7-2) with a whopping 32 points – while Derrick White added 26 and six rebounds – but that wasn’t enough to overcome Kerr and the Warriors.
Jayson Tatum couldn’t get the better of Steph Curry (
AP)
With Golden State leading 115-112, Draymond Green sunk a free throw with just 11 seconds remaining. Kyle Anderson then sealed the deal with two free throws with a mere 2.4 seconds left on the clock. Boston forward Jaylen Brown sat out his third consecutive game due to a strained left hip flexor, while Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski was sidelined due to illness.
Golden State’s performance was a significant improvement from their last visit to Boston, where they were trounced by 52 points last season. After initially trailing by 11 points, they tightened up their defense, played physically against Tatum, and managed to establish an 11-point lead by halftime.
Despite missing star player Brown, the Celtics managed to pick up the pace in the second half, creating opportunities for Tatum who scored 17 points in the third quarter.
With the score at a nail-biting 106-104, Curry’s attempted layup was partially blocked, but Kevon Looney managed to secure a put-back layup. In response, Tatum missed his shot before Hield landed a right-wing 3-pointer, extending Golden State’s lead by seven points with just 46.3 seconds remaining.
The Warriors dominated in the paint, scoring 52 points compared to Boston’s 36. Looking ahead, the Warriors are set to face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night, while the Celtics will host the Brooklyn Nets.
Kerr, meanwhile, has accepted the result of the election. “I believe in democracy,” he said before Wednesday’s game. “I think the American people have spoken and voted for Trump. I want him to do well the next four years. I want our country to do well.”
