Celtics

3 Quick Takeaways from the Celtics Win Over the Warriors

Grant Williams steps up in C's win over Golden State originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics' West Coast trip started off on a good note Tuesday night as they defeated the Golden State Warriors in a nail-biter, 111-107.

Jayson Tatum led the C's with 27 points, but a solid all-around effort by the supporting cast is what sealed the C's victory. Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown added 19 and 18 points respectively, Daniel Theis was rock-solid in his 29 minutes, and Grant Williams was key for Boston's second unit.

Highlights: Tatum leads way for C's in win over Warriors

Here are three instant overreactions to the Celtics win, which brings them to 11-8 on the campaign:

1. The two-big lineup isn't so bad after all.

Brad Stevens has taken plenty of heat this season for sticking with the double-big lineup, but this time the move paid off vs. Golden State's depleted frontcourt. Daniel Theis was +24 in 29 minutes and finished with eight points to go with 11 rebounds. Tristan Thompson had 13 points and eight boards.

The Celtics' success on the glass was the difference-maker in this game. They finished with 51 rebounds to the Warriors' 36.

Is the two-big lineup going to have a 100-percent success rate? Absolutely not. Usually, the C's are going to want to depend on their shooters to propel them to victory. But this win showed there's a place for the two bigs in certain matchups.

Verdict: Overreaction

2. Steph Curry is firmly in the MVP conversation.

Steph Curry entered Tuesday's game +1400 to win his third NBA MVP award according to our partner, PointsBet Sportsbook. If you're willing to put down some cash, that may not be such a bad bet.

Curry has the disadvantage of being on a middling team and a fringe playoff contender, but he continues to insert himself firmly in the MVP conversation with performances like this one. The 32-year-old tallied 38 points (7-for-15 from 3) with 11 rebounds and eight assists in the losing effort.

He also did this:

Yeah, he's something else.

The Warriors probably will need to work their way into a top-five seed for Curry to have a shot at taking home the MVP trophy, but crazier things have happened.

Verdict: Not an overreaction

3. Grant Williams can be a consistent bench scorer.

Grant Williams was the unsung hero in Boston's victory. With Marcus Smart absent and the rest of the C's second unit lacking much of a punch, Williams provided 15 points, four rebounds and two blocks in his 27 minutes. He was a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown.

Can we count on Williams to have these kinds of performances night in and night out? Probably not. But the 22-year-old stepped up in a big way Tuesday night. If he can replicate these outings every now and then when the bench needs a boost, that'll go a long way.

Verdict: Overreaction

The Celtics' West Coast trip continues with a matchup vs. the Sacramento Kings Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET.

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