April 1, 2016: Warriors' record 54-game home winning streak ends as big favorites vs. Celtics
On this date four years ago, a historic home winning streak ended for the Golden State Warriors.
The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors will not go down as the greatest overall team in NBA history because they didn't win a championship, blowing a 3-1 series lead to LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in the '16 NBA Finals.
Those Dubs did, though, set an NBA record with 73 regular-season victories, surpassing the 72 wins by Michael Jordan's 1995-96 Chicago Bulls – who, it needs to be said, did win a title and thus have to be considered the better overall team.
Golden State was 39-2 at home that '15-16 season and took an NBA-record 54-game home winning streak – back then the Warriors still played at Oracle Arena in Oakland – into its April 1, 2016, game against the Boston Celtics.
As 12-point underdogs on the NBA odds, the Celtics pulled the 109-106 upset priced around +700 on the moneyline. Stephen Curry missed a long three-pointer that would have tied it with 5.3 seconds left. Harrison Barnes (now with Dallas) was able to get the offensive rebound and missed on a long desperation heave with 0.2 seconds left. Boston's Isaiah Thomas had made a driving layup with eight seconds left to give the Celtics a 109-106 lead.
Golden State had started that year 36-0 at home and hadn't lost at home in the regular season since a 113-111 overtime defeat to the Chicago Bulls on Jan. 27, 2015. The Celtics were actually playing the second of a back-to-back, having lost in Portland the night before.
Four years ago has to feel like forever to Warriors fans these days as Golden State had the worst record in the NBA this season at 15-50 before it was suspended. The Celtics were third in the East at 43-21 and were +500 second-favorites at William Hill sportsbook to win the conference title.
