Long trips across the country into a different time zone typically aren’t viewed as helpful for a team in desperate need of a win, but Kyrie Irving hinted on Tuesday that the Celtics’ trip from Boston to Golden State was just what the doctor ordered.
Losers of five of their previous six games, the Celtics blew the doors off the Warriors with a dominant 128-95 victory that was the worst home loss for Golden State in the Steve Kerr era. According to Irving, the long flight out west helped the visitors work through some of their problems.
Kyrie on the Celtics vibes:
“That long plane ride helped us out. I'll just say that. … We needed it. … We just want to come out here and play basketball. This is our sanctuary and we have to do everything to protect it. We can't let anyone infiltrate this." pic.twitter.com/ayMlljtEhZ
— Chris Grenham (@chrisgrenham) March 6, 2019
The Celtics have been dealing with serious chemistry issues in recent weeks, and Irving has been at the center of them. The star point guard has been openly frustrated with the media, and there have been rumblings that his attitude is impacting the locker room in a negative way. Boston was expected to run away with the Eastern Conference this year, but they’re currently the No. 5 seed. Finishing the regular season strong will be important if they want home-court advantage in the first round.
While one game means very little, the Celtics looked like a new team against the Warriors. Gordon Hayward, who is averaging 11.0 points per game and has not looked the same since his devastating leg injury last year, led all scorers with 30 off the bench. If Irving can do a better job of being a leader and Hayward can rediscover his form, the Celtics will still be a dangerous team in the playoffs.
