Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens returned Steve Kerr's kind comments about his team with some of his own, noting that Thursday's blockbuster matchup between the Golden State Warriors and his red-hot Celtics would prove a challenge despite riding a 13-game win streak.

Stevens' side has been unstoppable since losing the first two games of the season, along with star forward Gordon Hayward, managing to pull through despite injuries to Al Horford and Kyrie Irving to keep the streak alive. But the 41-year-old coach pointed out that the 11-3 Warriors had been just as impressive, blowing teams out early and getting his starters major rest through the fourth quarter.

“There's a reason why they haven't played a lot of close games, and it's because they're awfully freakin' good,” said Stevens, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg. “And so we just have to, again, possession to possession, stay poised, stay in the moment. If one thing doesn’t go our way, move on to the next.”

The Warriors have a seven-game win streak of their own, including beating every one of the last seven by 10 points or more, averaging a whopping 19.9 point differential through their streak.

The Celtics will have to play a picture-perfect game to hang with the defending champions and the endless array of weapons Kerr has under his sleeve.