Looney delivers vintage performance in Warriors’ win over Celtics

Looney delivers vintage performance in Warriors’ win over Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOSTON – When all is said and done, Warriors legends will forever be remembered at the Chase Center. There will be jerseys raised to the rafters and statues cemented for everyone to cherish.

Steph Curry will of course be front and center. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will be by his side. Kevin Durant will be honored, as will coach Steve Kerr. Andre Iguodala and others also have strong arguments.

The term “star” or even “superstar” has become an oversaturated term in all sports, including the NBA. But the Warriors during the dynasty had both stars and superstars. During their recent title run, a cult hero emerged Kevon Looney.

Social media wouldn’t be filled with Looney dunk highlights or him stepping back and burning from deep. His heart often tops his stats. But in the 2022 playoffs, Looney’s monster rebounding performance had fans, teammates and coaches calling for an encore.

Back in Boston for a matchup between two of the NBA’s best teams this season, Looney’s performance at TD Garden in the Warriors’ 118-112 win Wednesday night against the Celtics reminded many of his play three seasons ago, as the selfless center celebrated being outfitted with another championship ring.

“Reminiscent of every big moment he’s been a part of to help us win at the highest level,” Curry said after the win. “The whole 22 play-off and the last two years there have been times when he has made big contributions.

“I’m so happy for him that he’s getting rewarded for the work he’s put in this offseason to get his body right. He moves well and can still be physical. And he’s just super smart. He knows how he has to be at all times and play positional basketball.”

Looney came off the bench for the eighth straight game to start the season and asserted himself early with three offensive rebounds in the first quarter. Where the reliability of the veteran, now in his 10th NBA season — all with the Warriors — was most relevant came in the fourth quarter to stave off the Celtics’ second-half comeback.

Looney played seven minutes, 38 seconds in the fourth quarter and was a plus-10 as the Warriors outscored the Celtics by five points in the final frame for their biggest win yet. He scored six points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting and, as always, his biggest presence was felt on the glass by grabbing four rebounds with three on offense.

In a 42-second stretch from the 1:50 mark of the fourth quarter, when the Warriors were up by two, to the 1:08 mark, when their lead was up by four, Looney was all over the place, making one clutch contribution after another .

First came Looney, who perfectly read an aerial 3-point attempt from Draymond Green that fell well short. With the ball in flight, Looney went past Jrue Holiday and grabbed the ball away from 7-footer Neemias Queta, immediately putting it back up with his left hand for two big points.

On the Warriors’ next offensive possession, Looney followed Curry to the basket, caught his missed layup attempt and, in a heartbeat, had two points again to extend the Warriors’ lead to four points, before then contesting a Jayson Tatum jumper on the other. page.

Since joining the Warriors exactly four months ago, Buddy Hield has learned what everyone around Looney has seen for the past decade.

“He’s just so unselfish,” Hield said. “Bigs want to score, they want to put the ball in the basket, and he doesn’t argue when the guards take his rebounds. He’s just the ultimate teammate, man. You love to play with him. He sets screens, he rolls … he’s just a guy you need and he’s always on time.”

A staunch Looney defender since the Warriors drafted him, Kerr called his two putbacks “maybe the two biggest shots of the game.”

“I thought his minutes were just huge down the stretch,” he continued.

Throughout the offseason, the talk surrounding Looney, when the Warriors guaranteed his contract, was that he might extend his game to the 3-point line and that he shed more than 15 pounds from last season. So far, he has yet to attempt a three, but the more mobile version of himself continues to be a rebounding machine.

Looney has 10 rebounds in two straight games and has reached double figures in half of the Warriors’ games. Despite his minutes dropping to 16.2 per game, his rebounds have increased to 8.4 per game, and more than half of his 67 total rebounds have been on the offensive side of the ball.

“It kind of changed my approach to how I go for offensive rebounds,” Looney said of his more trim frame. “Over the last couple of years, I’ve been able to do more, just push people around. I was a little bit stronger and was able to just push guys.”

The preseason gave Looney the opportunity to then figure out what’s best for him in terms of using his speed or leaning more toward physicality.

“I’m trying to find that combination of doing both, depending on who’s guarding me, what center I’m going against, and I’ve found that out of late,” he said.

Every possession, every opportunity matters in the NBA. The Warriors took two more shots than the Celtics, had three more offensive rebounds than them and outscored the defending champions by seven. It’s thanks to Looney constantly generating positive energy.

If heroes are remembered but legends never die, cult heroes have their own unsung category that winners understand and can feel more than anyone else. Count Looney as part of the party.

“Loon is a winner,” Kerr said. “Whatever you need, he’s there for you.”

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