Curry explains challenges ahead of Celtics as they aim for repeat

Steph Curry is very familiar with the position Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the rest of the Celtics find themselves in this fall.

After capturing their coveted 18th title in June, the Celtics already have their sights set on capturing banner 19 next summer, hoping to become the first back-to-back champions since Curry and the Warriors accomplished the feat in 2017 and 2018.

So far, the Celtics have largely responded to Joe Mazzulla’s challenge when it comes to re-establishing themselves as contenders.

But even with the Celtics opening the 2024-25 campaign with a 7-2 record, Curry sounded a note of caution regarding Boston’s impressive debut.

“I think this part is easy because you’re still at the top,” Curry said Wednesday of the Celtics’ approach as defending champions. “You have the sparkle and confidence of the championship. The tough days of the pre-All-Star run – that’s probably the toughest time… So you try to stay mentally fresh.

“Right now, you’re playing with ultimate confidence and your house money. You are the champions. And you know you’re getting the best chance of anyone, because you’re now being hunted.

The Celtics felt that pain Wednesday at TD Garden, blowing a seven-point lead in the final six minutes en route to a 118-112 loss to the Warriors.

While the Celtics were shorthanded without Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, Boston hasn’t had many problems this season scoring with its barrage of 3-pointers.

But a stingy defensive effort from a reworked Warriors roster that increased its own identity to a heavy 3 made life difficult for Boston. The Celtics scored just 26 points in the final 19 minutes of the first half, entering halftime with 40 total points.

“They have a very specific style,” Curry said of Boston’s offensive approach. “They want to get up as many threes as possible. They want to go after some guys – get [Jayson Tatum] to the places he can create. They let it fly. It’s a proven success story. We therefore have to live with certain clichés. … We played great half-court defense tonight, and it’s very tough against them.

Even with Jayson Tatum getting hot down the stretch (17 points in the third quarter), it wasn’t enough for Boston to come away with a win in crunch time. The C’s lost their first game on the floor this season.

“He can score at all three levels,” Steve Kerr said of Tatum, who couldn’t get revenge on Kerr after the drama at the 2024 Summer Olympics. “The idea is to give him nothing easy. So I hope you won’t blame him.

“Hopefully you can meet him before he gets to the rim and you’re trying to take away the three, but he’s got that step back and he’s so big he can shoot right over the top of the defense . Like all great players, you just have to stay in the game and not get discouraged when he makes a couple.

But even if the Warriors leave TD Garden with a victory, Curry stressed that the Celtics’ championship pedigree should prepare them for any adversity that awaits them this season.

“Usually we get over it [adversity] with an identity that has paid off at the highest level to win a championship,” Curry said. “It usually wears itself.”

It remains to be seen whether the Celtics can follow in Golden State’s footsteps and win two titles in a row.

But Kerr likes what he sees in a motivated and experienced Celtics team.

“When you play on a team that wins a championship, I think the next year you have a different level of confidence that you get to,” Kerr said. “And that’s what I’m seeing with Boston right now. They deserved it.

“They have climbed the mountain, they know how good they are. …It gets harder and harder as you go forward. But once you earn one, you also gain a deeper level of confidence that can help you get through it. … There’s a reason they’re world champions. They’re the best team in the league, until someone proves otherwise.

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Conor Ryan is a writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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