NBA highlights on Dec. 19: Warriors, Curry fight back from desperation

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics 132-126 in overtime (OT) at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, on Tuesday, securing their third straight win.

Though the Celtics missed Kristaps Porzingis due to left calf strain injury management in this game, the odds were still on their side because they have remarkable offensive spacing and excellent defensive flexibility and aggression.

The Celtics were very close to turning the game into a foregone conclusion in the third quarter when Stephen Curry was called for his fifth personal foul at 6:07. He had to go to the bench though the Warriors were trailing by 13 points (83-70) at that moment. Moreover, the team had already lost Brandin Podziemski who suffered a lower back strain after hitting the floor hard.

The Celtics extended their lead to 17 points (87-70) in less than one minute by exploiting fast break and second-chance attack. They haven't been the fastest team in the NBA this season (23rd of 30 teams in pace), but the Warriors were too slow to return to defense in time after missing shots. Meanwhile, the Celtics made good use of their advantage in size and athleticism to grab 18 offensive rebounds on Tuesday night.

Nonetheless, the Warriors didn't fall apart in the final five minutes of the third period thanks to the efforts of everyone from Cory Joseph and Chris Paul to Moses Moody, Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis (TJD). None of them did anything extraordinary, but their combined performances kept the deficit at a chasable 11 points (97-86).

Curry came back to the court from the beginning of the fourth quarter and implemented one plan of attack with determination: attacking Al Horford in his slow footsteps. Having shot 7-for-11 from the field in this period and OT, he scored 20 of his 33 points in these 17 minutes. More importantly, Curry’s teammates, including Klay Thompson, Kuminga, Moody, Paul and Andrew Wiggins, whether they are slashers or not, all stopped at nothing to go after Horford on the offensive end.

The final part of Tuesday's game was very much like the final three games of the NBA Finals in 2022, when the Warriors beat the Celtics to win the title. Horford found himself in a very embarrassing situation as he couldn't guard any one defensively or contribute offensively. He made only one of his five field goals (FGs) in the fourth quarter and OT to get only three points.

It was Ime Udoka who coached the Celtics during the 2021-22 season. He was then replaced by Joe Mazzulla, who, however, didn't learn from the lesson. He had Horford play too long in spite of his negative role. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one who didn’t learn. The Celtics attacked efficiently when they charged the paint, but the team shot 24 jumpers of their 33 attempts in total in the fourth period and OT. 18 of them were outside the 3-point line. Only six of those jump shots fell into the net in the end.

Coach Steve Kerr used a longer-than-usual 11-player rotation on Tuesday, partly because of Curry's foul trouble and Podziemski's injury. Both were unexpected. However, it still showed a significant sign of change as rookie TJD played over 28 minutes, much longer and better than veteran Kevon Looney. TJD contributed a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds, in addition to three blocks. His size, energy and athleticism are exactly what the team need.

Both Podziemski and Kuminga appeared in the Warriors' starting lineup and received more time playing because of Wiggins' underperformance and Draymond Green's suspension. If TJD takes Looney's spot, too, no matter where the team ends this season, it will be a good sign for their future because the younger generation are finally taking over.

Other games on Tuesday (away teams come first):

Memphis Grizzlies 115-113 New Orleans Pelicans

Ja Morant played his first game for the Grizzlies at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, after finishing his 25-game suspension and made the most epic return that no one could imagine. His side trailed by as many as 24 points (60-36) in the first half. Morant went 12-for-24 from the field to score 34 points, including 14 in the fourth period. The score was tied at 113-113 when he received the ball in the back court with 9.6 seconds to go of the game.

Morant dribbled to the front court and faced Herbert Jones on the top of the key. He broke in with his signature lightning speed, took a spin to escape Jones, stayed in the air, and then threw the ball into the basket for the Grizzlies to lead as the clock expired. It's only the Grizzlies' seventh win this season, but Morant's performance gave them reasons to feel hopeful.

San Antonio Spurs 119-132 Milwaukee Bucks

Damian Lillard knocked down seven triples to get 40 points for the Bucks at Fiserv Forum in Miwlauee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, not only extending the team's winning streak to five games, but also reaching 20,000 career points of regular seasons. Giannis Antetokounmpo left the stage center for Lillard to shine and had an economical triple-double of 11 points, 14 rebounds and 16 assists.

Phoenix Suns 104-109 Portland Trail Blazers

The Trail Blazers ended their seven-game losing streak by beating a 16-point deficit to defeat the Suns at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday. Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, Deandre Ayton and Malcolm Brogdon combined to score 75 points to secure victory for their team. On the Suns' side, the 66 points dropped in total by Kevin Durant and Devin Booker didn't keep the team from suffering their seventh loss out of their last 10 games.