The Golden State Warriors have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA for the last month. After dipping four games under .500 on February 3rd, they went on a streak of winning 11 of 13 games, and had a chance for a perfect 4-0 road trip if they could pick up a win on Sunday afternoon.

Warriors Lose To Celtics By 52 Points On Sunday

The Celtics win their 11th straight game as they ANNIHILATE the Warriors by 52 POINTS

Jaylen Brown:

29 points, 11-of-19 FG, 5-of-10 3PT

Jayson Tatum:

27 points, 9-of-13 FG, 4-of-5 3PT

Klay Thompson:

6 points, 2-of-4 FG, 1-of-3 3PT

Steph Curry:

4 points, 2-of-13 FG, 0-of-9… pic.twitter.com/OMuQvfvOzT

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 3, 2024

Unfortunately, they ran into a buzz saw. The Boston Celtics have been the league’s best team throughout the entirety of the season, and have built a massive lead in the Eastern Conference and are essentially a shoo-in for the #1 seed. They entered the game having won 10 games in a row, and extended their streak in convincing fashion against the streaking Warriors.

Golden State might as well have flown home a day early. After the score was tied at 21 midway through the first quarter, the Celtics went on an unreal run, outscoring the Warriors 61-17 the rest of the way in the first half, and went into halftime with a 44-point lead. The starters for both sides didn’t last long in the second half, as a 50+ point margin was enough for Steve Kerr to hold up the white flag early in the contest. The final score ended up being 140-88.

Level Of Opponents During Hot Streak Is Questionable

Final score:

140 — Celtics

88 — Warriors pic.twitter.com/Ip0RvgWUxP

— StatMuse (@statmuse) March 3, 2024

It is just one game, a tough matchup at the end of a week-long road trip. But in looking back at Golden State’s schedule recently, losing to a championship contender might not be much of a surprise (though a 52 margin is). Some of the teams that they beat during thier hot stretch include the Nets, Jazz, Hornets, Wizards, and Raptors. They beat the 76ers without Joel Embiid, and the Lakers without LeBron James.

Including the beat down against the Celtics, the Warriors were 1-3 against teams ranked in the top-4 in their respective conferences. The one win came against the Knicks, who were 26 in their previous 8 games coming into their contest against Golden State.

The Warriors will return home and won’t leave again for another week, with games against Chicago and San Antonio coming on Thursday and Saturday. But first, Stephen Curry and company will take on the Milwaukee Bucks, their second-straight game against at top-3 spot in the East.