The Celtics prove their worth and 7 things from Thursday in the NBA

There were only two games in the NBA Thursday, but there was still plenty of action. The Celtics proved that they belong in the same conversation as the NBA’s best, and the Rockets proved that their offense is as formidable as anyone else’s in the league.

Thursday nights are always fun, but this one was a doozie. Let’s go over all the fun.

When the league’s best offense and the league’s best defense clash, the matchup is always interesting. But this one was a thriller until the very end. The Warriors pulled away from Boston two separate times only for the Celtics to come back twice and seal the deal the second time.

Yes, it’s still early. And yes they beat the Warriors on the road. But it’s still difficult to hold all four of the Warriors’ stars in check, yet the Celtics did it. We’ve got to give them credit for that.

Brown had 22 points and scored 11 in the third quarter of what may have been the best game of his career. He made play after play against the Warriors and did it against their best players.

The Celtics needed every single play to eke out the win, too. But it didn’t come easy for Brown.

Dealing with grief is never easy. But dealing with it while getting up and going to work the very next day: That’s what Jaylen Brown did. His best friend passed away the night before the game, but he played anyway.

Here’s what Brown had to say after the game about his pain:

Brown got a very well-deserved game ball from his Celtics teammates. Our condolences go out to Brown and all his loved ones.

You read that correctly.

Somebody check on LeBron James’ social media channels.

Because I can’t.

This team is good, and they’re going to be good for a while. I’m not sure if Curry is wrong about his prediction anymore.

This score is nuts.

You’re reading that correctly, too. Not only did they score 90 points in the first half, but James Harden had 33 points in the half himself.

He finished the night with 48 points on 22 shots and continued the hot streak he’s been on all season. If there is a race for the MVP, he’s first right now. And he’s making it look easy. It feels like he makes history every game.

Now that’s a stat.

I chuckled. I’m sorry.

He finished with 11 points and 10 assists in 20 minutes and was teeing off from deep.

Seems to be pretty comfortable to me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Celtics 92, Warriors 88 (Celtics Blog recap | Golden State of Mind recap)

Rockets 142, Suns 116 (The Dream Shake recap | Bright Side of the Sun recap)