Celtics Vs Warriors: Boston Returns From All‑Star Break to Open West Coast Road Trip
The Celtics Vs Warriors meeting on Thursday marks Boston's return from an eight-day All‑Star layoff as the Celtics begin a West Coast road trip that will include stops in Phoenix and Denver.
Celtics Vs Warriors preview and what's at stake
Boston opens the unofficial second half Thursday, Feb. 19, with a road game in San Francisco that will serve as the first stop on a multi-city West Coast swing. The Celtics finished the first half on a strong note, winning 11 of their last 15 games, and enter the matchup with a 35-19 record. Golden State arrives at 29-26 and struggled more heading into the break, going 4-7 in its last 11 games.
Tip-off is set for 10 p. m. ET in San Francisco. This is Game #55 of the season for both teams and will highlight contrasting momentum: Boston's recent surge versus Golden State's uneven stretch.
Injuries, roster notes and match‑up details
The trip will reunite the Celtics with former teammates now in Golden State: Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis are now members of the Warriors. Porziņģis is listed as questionable as he nears a return from lingering Achilles tendinitis. The Warriors will also be without their star shooter, who has been sidelined since Jan. 30 with a knee issue and will not play Thursday night.
Boston otherwise reports a clean injury slate coming out of the All‑Star break, with one exception: Jayson Tatum continues to rehab the Achilles injury he suffered last May and remains unavailable. Those availability notes shape rotations and matchups for the early portion of the trip.
Numbers to watch and form lines
Stat lines entering the matchup show a close offensive profile: Boston averages 115. 3 points per game while Golden State averages 115. 5. On defense, Boston allows 108. 4 points per game versus Golden State's 113. 7. Shooting splits are similarly tight—Boston's field goal percentage sits at. 467 to Golden State's. 461, and three-point percentages are nearly identical,.363 for Boston and. 362 for Golden State.
Recent form reinforces the narrative from the records: Boston is 7-3 over its last 10 games, while Golden State is 4-6 over its last 10. Spread and over/under trends noted for the season show Boston 30-24 against the spread and Golden State 25-30 against the spread, with differing over/under records.
As the Celtics Vs Warriors matchup kicks off the trip, Boston will look to build on its late-first-half momentum and a largely healthy roster, while Golden State will attempt to stabilize its play and manage the availability of key veterans ahead of the rest of their home stretch.
