Quiñones takes center stage in the historic defeat of the Warriors

140-88. This is how Sunday’s game between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors ended, a painful and historic defeat for the team of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

The difference of 52 points in a setback turned out to be the largest margin only surpassed by a loss against the Los Angeles Lakers by 63 points in 1972 and another of 53 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2021, a game in which Curry, Thompson did not. He will not see action or Draymond Green.

The match between the Celtics and Warriors was decided in the first quarter with a partial 44-22 in favor of the locals at the TD Garden and in the second half Steve Kerr decided that his players would not play due to a difference of 44 points.

This was the first time Curry, Thompson and Green were among the starting five of a Warriors game and none of them were able to score in double figures.

This opened the opportunity for the Dominican Lester Quiñones to stand out, in a game perhaps no longer important, but in which he continued to add experience to his NBA career.

The 23-year-old totaled the most minutes of his career with 33, also the most for a Warrior in the game, and took advantage of the playing time to match his highest point total in a game with 17, finishing as leader of the Warriors in the game.

Quiñones made 7 of 16 field goals, the most of his career, making three triples in ten attempts and grabbing five rebounds off the bench. However, because he was in a game like Sunday’s, his +/- was also the worst at -37.

The duel between the Dominicans was not what was expected in a match that ended up being a beating and that did not feature their top figures in the final stretch. Al Horford played 21 minutes and finished with 7 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.