Warriors routed by Celtics in Kristaps Porzingis’ debut with Golden State

SAN FRANCISCO — The Kristaps Porzingis period in Golden State is off to an inauspicious begin.

Of their first recreation since buying the towering stretch 5, the Warriors fell behind by as many as 34 factors and trailed by double-digits your complete second half of a 121-110 loss to the Boston Celtics. And, for probably the most half, the deficit was accrued whereas making an attempt to combine Porzingis, who completed with 12 factors in 17 minutes.

“It’s by no means simple going to a brand new crew, having one observe and taking part in,” coach Steve Kerr mentioned, including a optimistic spin on Porzingis’ debut. “You’ll be able to see his expertise, his really feel for the sport, his means to house the ground, shield the rim. It’s good to have him on our crew, that’s for positive.”

Porzingis was one in every of six Warriors to complete in double figures, led by 18 from De’Anthony Melton, however Golden State by no means recovered from his disastrous preliminary debut.

With out Steph Curry (knee) for the sixth consecutive recreation, coach Steve Kerr didn’t make any adjustments to his beginning 5 within the Warriors’ first recreation after an eight-day layoff for the NBA All-Star break, opting to deliver Porzingis off the bench as he performs below a restriction of 15-20 minutes per recreation.

No crew within the NBA has tried a bigger share of its photographs from past the perimeter this season than the Warriors (50.4%), however taking part in with out their top-two scoring choices (Curry, Jimmy Butler), they upped the ante. Of their 50 makes an attempt from the sector within the first half, 31 got here from distance (62%) — however solely 11 fell (35.5%).

The Warriors provided little resistance within the paint or past the perimeter. Jaylen Brown drove to the rim at will whereas recording a triple double (21 factors, 14 rebounds, 12 assists), whereas Peyton Pritchard and Sam Hauser mixed for 42 factors on 10-of-15 capturing from 3-point territory. The Celtics, not far behind Golden State in 3-point proclivity, took 15 fewer makes an attempt from distance than the Warriors however yielded solely 9 fewer factors.

“They placed on a clinic these first three quarters,” Kerr mentioned. He described the Celtics (31-13) as a “machine,” whereas the Warriors, he mentioned, “have been sluggish to get shifting.”

Will Richard drained the Warriors’ seventh 3-pointer of the primary quarter because the opening interval got here to a detailed, pulling Golden State inside 36-32, and scored 15 of his 17 factors off the bench within the first half. However Golden State took a 74-51 deficit into intermission after Boston mounted a 17-2 run in Porzingis’ first minutes in a Warriors uniform.

The 30-year-old commerce acquisition checked in for the primary time to start the second quarter, receiving a hearty spherical of cheers from the capability crowd. Issues rapidly went south, nonetheless, and by the point Porzingis checked out just a little greater than 4 minutes later, the Warriors’ deficit had grown by 15 factors — to 53-34.

The closest the Warriors would get after that got here with a couple of minutes left in regulation, after a desperation full-court press helped pull them inside 11. The massive man grabbed just one rebound, and the Warriors have been dominated on the boards, 54-40.

Porzingis missed his one try from 3 and was hunted by the Celtics on the opposite finish of the ground in what amounted to an unsightly preliminary exhibiting. Acquired by Golden State on Feb. 5 for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, Porzingis hadn’t performed since Jan. 7 whereas recovering from an Achilles harm.

The Warriors scrimmaged as soon as with Porzingis, and as he knocked the rust off, the brand new acquisition performed progressively higher. So did the Warriors, who outscored the Celtics by 15 with him on the ground within the second half after he collected a minus-19 earlier than intermission.