The Warriors snoozed through the first quarter Sunday but made up for the early lethargy by redoubling their efforts over the final three quarters and gritting out a 106-101 win over the pesky Celtics.
Trailing by as much as 26 in the second quarter, the Warriors rode Stephen Curry's offense while rededicating themselves to defense to avoid being upset at TD Garden in Boston.
Curry led all scorers with 37 points, including 14 as his teammates were sleeping through the opening quarter. Curry added five assists and a steal, offsetting his five turnovers.
Three other Warriors also score in double figures, with Klay Thompson finishing with 20 points, Harrison Barnes 17, Draymond Green with 14.
The Warriors (46-11) allowed Boston to shoot 53.6 percent (15 of 28) in the first quarter but locked down after that, holding the Celtics to 30.9 percent over the remainder of the game.
The Warriors used defense and just enough shooting to overcome a 60-55 rebounding deficit in fashioning their biggest comeback of the season.
Boston (23-34) had five players in double figures, led by 20 points by bench sparkplug Isaiah Thomas.
STANDOUT PERFORMER:
Curry carried the load in this one, providing enough offense to keep the Warriors in striking distance early and leading the way during a furious comeback.
Curry shot 14-of-22 from the floor, including 5-of-8 from 3-point distance. He made four free throws in the final 11 seconds to put away the game.
TURNING POINT:
The Warriors were at such a deep deficit they actually needed two rallies to pull this one out.
Down by 26 (56-30) with 6:53 left in the second quarter, the Warriors finished the half on a 19-9 run to cut it to 65-49 and restore a heartbeat.
Trailing 94-90 with 6:26 remaining, the Warriors went on a 16-7 spurt to finish the game.
The Warriors outscored Boston 31-15 in the fourth quarter.
INJURY UPDATE:
The Warriors listed no injuries in this game.
ROSTER NOTES:
Backup C Festus Ezeli served a one-game suspension for his part in an altercation Friday in Toronto.
C Ognjen Kuzmic and F James Michael McAdoo remain on assignment with D-League Santa Cruz Warriors.
WHAT'S NEXT:
The Warriors left Boston immediately after the game for New York, where on Monday night they will face the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
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