The Celtics will try to get over their first real pothole of the season when they meet the Kings in Sacramento on Sunday night.
After winning 27 of their first 29 games, they have now lost two in a row. But the rest of the league probably isn't expecting the Celtics to fall off their perch. Lakers coach Phil Jackson was asked if it's possible the Celtics could be better this season.
"They are better," he said. "Their decision-making and how they get things accomplished on the floor; there's a certain knowledge that they have. It's just an idea of what works at what time, and they seem to have that internal knowledge. It's part of their DNA now.
"It's not the year (together), it's the playoffs they won together. Regular season is what it is. You can roll up momentum and you have a different team every time. But when you play a seven-game series and you have to play a team multiple times, then you learn a lot of the little tricks of the trade."
The Celtics will now, for the first time this season, have to learn how to deal with a losing streak.
WARRIORS 99, CELTICS 89: The Celtics collapsed in the last quarter on the way to an ugly loss at Golden State on Friday.
The Celtics were ahead by 11 in the final minute of the third quarter, but Marco Belinelli hit a trey to begin a 26-6 run. The last 13 of the Warriors' points came consecutively as the home team moved from 78-74 down to a nine-point lead they would not lose.
Stephen Jackson had 15 of his 28 points in the last quarter as the Warriors posted 35. The Celtics responded with 17, making just six of 20 shots.
"The Warriors were getting every loose ball," said Celtics center Leon Powe. "And they were getting a lot of wide open shots."
