Jayson Tatum is staying calm after tough loss to the defending champions, Golden State Warriors.
It's hard to imagine Saturday night unfolding any better for the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors entered the Chase Center at 13-13 through 26 games, well behind the NBA-leading Boston Celtics at 21-5. But Steph Curry and Co. reminded a national audience why they're the defending champions, defeating the Celtics 123-107 in a statement win.
Celtics Talk POSTGAME POD: Celtics suffer frustrating loss to Golden State Warriors in NBA Finals rematch | Listen & Subscribe
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SIGN UP HERE If you think it's too early in the season for "statement wins," consider Curry's comments after Saturday's 2022 NBA Finals rematch.
"The competitor in you says these games obviously matter in terms of letting other championship-caliber teams know that you’re a force to be reckoned with, and whatever happens down the stretch if you match up, that it's going to be a tough series," Curry said, with a nod that implied the Celtics are the championship-caliber team in question.
"You understand that if you lose, it's not the end of the world, but it does matter. These games matter in a sense of preparing yourself mentally for what playoff basketball is like and figuring out how to build as much of a presence in those types of games as possible."
The Celtics have solved many of the issues that plagued them during their Finals loss to the Warriors, using that defeat to fuel one of their best starts to a season in recent franchise history.
On Saturday night, however, those issues -- most notably a stagnant offense that tallied just 17 assists and shot 30 percent from 3-point range -- re-emerged against a familiar foe.
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Tatum: Loss to Warriors 'not going to dictate our season'
While Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics brushed the loss off as just one game of 82, the Warriors can use Saturday's result as a confidence-booster, and a reminder that they're still capable of beating the NBA's elite.
The Celtics, meanwhile, can use Saturday's game as a reminder that there's still another level to reach if they want to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy next June.