Back to the Golden State Warriors Newsfeed

Scheme-wreckers: How the Warriors broke the Celtics on both ends to capture another championship

The Boston Celtics approached near-transcendent status during the regular season, built on a foundation of nigh-impregnable defense that was considered unimpeachable.

A defensive rating that was 6 points per 100 possessions stingier than league average does deserve a reputation of being trustworthy — especially when such pedigree garners you the distinction of being the best regular season team in calendar year 2022. The Celtics earned the right to be considered title contenders; their ability to stop teams from scoring efficiently has been a formula previously used by others to win championships.

But when people spoke highly of such a defensive reputation during NBA Finals deliberations, much was forgotten — willingly or not — about the other party.