SAN FRANCISCO ― After the Celtics’ game against the Warriors Monday, a spirited debate broke out in the Boston locker room. But it was not about this game, or this season, or the team’s uneven play recently.
Instead, as the college football national championship game played on a large television mounted on a wall, players wondered whether they would have success as a running back behind a powerful offensive line.
After a frustrating stretch that included humbling losses to the Raptors and Hawks, the Celtics appeared relieved to have pushed aside any lingering stress with this breezy 125-85 romp to open a four-game Western Conference trip.
“We’re resilient,” Jrue Holiday — who, for the record, believes he would be flattened as a running back — said. “I think we take things seriously, and even on our worst day we know that you have another chance to come out and play.”
Before the game, Steve Kerr, who has coached Golden State to four NBA titles, was asked about the post-championship lull the Celtics seemed to be navigating.
Boston was 8-8 in the 16 games leading up to this matchup, including some puzzling losses. But Kerr mostly shrugged off the quiet stretch. He said he would not be concerned if he were a Celtics fan, and he called the bit of mediocrity from a team that has achieved greatness “normal.”
Then the teams took the court and the Celtics provided a reminder of what they look like when whole and clicking. Of course, now it is a matter of sustaining this momentum. The Celtics have alternated wins and losses in their last nine games and will have a chance to break that trend Wednesday against the Clippers.
“I think we are still learning and growing as a unit,” Jaylen Brown said. “I think we’re in a spot that as we continue I think we’ll be better for it in the long run. But it’s been a process.”
The Celtics capitalized against an undermanned and fading Golden State team that was without rotation players Draymond Green (calf), Kyle Anderson (glute), Jonathan Kuminga (ankle), and Brandin Podziemski (abdominal).
Jayson Tatum had 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Kristaps Porzingis finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, and Brown added 17 points. Boston connected on 20 of 48 3-pointers, a long-range shooting performance that was more reminiscent of last season’s frequent barrages.
Even though the Warriors’ roster was decimated by injuries, they still had Stephen Curry, a rare player capable of making just about anything possible regardless of what players surround him.
Brown said coach Joe Mazzulla spoke to him before the game about taking on the challenge of shadowing Curry, aware that this task can often resemble a one-sided game of tag, because the sharp-shooting Curry almost never stops moving. Brown helped hold Curry to 18 points on 6 of 16 shooting.
Mazzulla pointed out that Holiday was impactful, too. The Warriors’ pick-and-roll sets featuring Gary Payton II as the screener, along with Curry, are among the most efficient in the NBA. But Holiday helped blow up those actions before they could morph into something dangerous.
At the other end of the floor, the Celtics looked to exploit size and strength mismatches in the post, putting pressure on players such as Curry and Buddy Hield. Boston finished with a 52-26 edge in points in the paint.
“I thought we were really focused on our game plan execution,” Mazzulla said. “I thought that led to great shots and I think the connectivity of that kind of kept that energy going.”
The Warriors took a 17-15 lead on two Curry free throws with 4:51 left in the opening quarter, but they mostly stumbled through the rest of the half and started 1 for 15 from beyond the arc. This team is flawed at full strength and vulnerable when as shorthanded as it was on Monday, and it was essentially helpless when Curry took a seat.
Golden State was held without a field goal for a 7-minute, 30-second stretch that started in the first quarter and bled into the second. An 18-2 Celtics run transpired during that time.
“Didn’t feel like the right result for us the way we played in that quarter to go into the second quarter down 11,” Kerr said. “It felt like we played better than that, and I think our guys lost a little confidence.”
The Celtics made just 7 of 24 3-pointers in the first half, but inflicted damage closer to the rim. During one second-quarter sequence, Payton Pritchard came up with a steal and converted a layup before backing down his defender and scoring inside to give the Celtics a 40-25 lead. Boston was 15 for 22 from 2-point range in the first half, and the Warriors were just 15 for 47 overall.
In their 43-point third quarter, the Celtics buried the Warriors by drilling 8 of 12 3-pointers, and they took a 97-63 advantage to the fourth. The massive lead allowed Mazzulla to mostly turn to his backups from there, and it was probably a welcome respite during this grueling month.
“Obviously, we expect greatness,” Holiday said. “I think sometimes other people expect some unrealistic expectations, but I think at the end of the day we’re all mentally tough enough to be able to go out every game and do what we’re supposed to do.”
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.