PARIS: The Celtics put Boston in the NBA spotlight on Thursday with a gritty 121-118 overtime win over reigning champions Golden State Warriors as the league polished its global credentials with a glitzy game in Paris.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown came alive late for the Celtics, whose eighth straight win — this one against the team that bested them in last season’s NBA Finals — pushed their league-leading record to 34-12.
Even as Tatum and Brown struggled to make shots early, the Celtics built a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter. But the Warriors chipped away, and grabbed a 55-54 on Stephen Curry’s shot from the halfcourt logo at the halftime buzzer.
It looked like the Warriors, who dominated Boston in a December victory in San Francisco, had the Celtics’ number again as they pulled away to lead by as many as 11 in the third quarter.