After a chaotic first half, the Celtics erased a 14-point deficit in the third quarter and had a 95-88 lead with six minutes left before the Warriors stormed back behind Curry.

He hit a 3-pointer, was fouled on another and added two layups as the 16-4 victory gave Golden State a 104-99 lead. The Celtics were down 4 points when Tatum missed a fadeaway with 1:08 left and Buddy Hield fired a 3-pointer on the other end that extended the Warriors' lead to seven. Golden State secured the win at the foul line.

White started the game with consecutive three-pointers, was fouled on his third attempt and made all three free throws. He then added another three-pointer, giving Boston an early 14-3 lead. But the Celtics then went more than five minutes without a point against this much-improved Warriors defense. Golden State gradually recovered, but didn't really take advantage of Boston's drought.

While it was a reasonably juicy subplot, it would have been out of character for Tatum to look for shots as if he had something to prove. When the double teams arrived in the first quarter, he made the correct pass to an open teammate.

He had a quiet start as a goalscorer. After four straight misses, he fired a 22-footer that slipped through the net with 47.7 seconds left in the first quarter.

That helped the Celtics take a 24-19 lead in the second quarter after going just 6-for-19 from the field and committing five turnovers in the first quarter.

As usual, Tatum took his seat at the start of the second quarter. But now the Celtics no longer have Jaylen Brown (strained hip flexor) to guide them during those stints, and the already struggling offense just became even more atrocious.

Golden State's Kyle Anderson hit three 3-pointers in a minute to help turn the deficit into a 33-29 lead. Boston was still down by 4 when Tatum came back at 6:08, but he didn't provide the spark.

After a three-pointer, he committed three turnovers and two fouls and missed his only other shot this season. The Celtics had 10 turnovers as a team in the half. The Warriors took a 51-40 halftime lead when Moses Moody knocked down a jump shot at the buzzer.

Curry extended the lead to 14 with a three-pointer early in the third, but the Celtics began to regain control by relentlessly attacking for offensive rebounds. Boston didn't score a second-chance point in the first half, but converted in the third quarter by scrambling after missed three-pointers.

Fourteen of the first 29 points Boston scored in the quarter came on second chances, including four three-pointers. Tatum, meanwhile, went undetected with 11 consecutive Celtics points, had 17 in the quarter and made four 3-pointers.

After going 6 for 20 from distance in the first half, Boston was 10 for 21 in the third period. Consecutive 3-pointers from Sam Hauser and Payton Pritchard in the final minute put Boston up early in the fourth period 82-81.

Tatum went to the bench, but the Celtics extended the lead with Queta improbably taking the lead. He had a follow slam and a one-handed dunk and then knocked down Curry's layup attempt. Queta received a rousing ovation when he went to the bench with 6:37 left and Boston led 95-88, but then the lead began to evaporate.

Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.