As Stephen Curry exited the game for good near the end of the third quarter, with the Boston Celtics up by 32 points on their way to a 40-point blowout victory over the Warriors, Curry probably hadn't felt further away from Golden State's 2022 NBA championship than he did on Monday.

In a battle against the defending champs in Golden State, the Celtics routed the Warriors, resulting in a crushing 125-85 final in Boston's favor. The Warriors' 40-point loss was their second biggest of the season, and their 85 points is the lowest mark of their disappointing 2024-25 campaign.

The Celtics have spent the first half of this quest to repeat season wildly inconsistent and erratic at times, and there was no better example than that befuddling overtime loss to the Hawks. And while this Celtics team may lack the consistency of their predecessor, they are still capable of dominance because they possess poised veterans.