The Golden State Warriors earned their best win of the season on Saturday, beating the league-leading Boston Celtics 123-107 in a highly anticipated rematch of the NBA Finals. Here are three key reactions to the defending champions' stellar performance at Chase Center.

Klay Thompson, meeting the moment

Thompson's 24 first-half points and game-high 34 were the biggest story from Saturday's game, and perhaps rightfully so. He played with the type of measured aggression offensively that always makes himself and his team most dangerous, taking the shots that came to him while continuing to leverage the defensive attention his jumper demands.

Thompson caught on the move for a tough layup through traffic. He pushed up the floor early to attack Malcolm Brogdon one-on-one, swishing a Dirk fadeaway from the left baseline. He drained a series of pull-up twos from mid-range, taking full advantage of Boston's ultra-conservative ball-screen defense.

An easily overlooked aspect of the Warriors storming back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Celtics with a title on the line, though, was Thompson's stellar individual defense when guarding Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. He was Golden State's primary matchup for Tatum on Saturday with Andrew Wiggins still sidelined by a right adductor strain, once again proving up to the task.

Thompson flat ripped the ball from Tatum on Boston's second possession, keeping his hands active as Curry showed early help on a drive from the right wing. Here's what he did to Tatum on the Celtics' next trip down.

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When was the last time Thompson showed that short-area burst and explosiveness on defense this season, let alone packed a would-be layup at the rim? His fresh legs were on just as obvious display in third quarter, when Thompson followed up a transition triple by immediately turning and sprinting with Tatum, preventing another easy two.

https://streamable.com/l431ny

Tatum's struggles on Saturday weren't the result of Thompson's dogged individual defense alone, but looked plenty familiar nonetheless. Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga both made life tough on Tatum at the point of attack, and the Warriors were early and active in help—the defense that won them a title last season.

Thompson won't be the main assignment on Tatum the next time Golden State and Boston face off. That job belongs to Wiggins, and Kuminga is ready for it. But you can never have too many quality defenders of superstar wings, and Thompson proved once again that label applies to him against the Celtics.

Attacking deep drop over and over

Curry absolutely roasted the Celtics one-on-one in the NBA Finals, leveraging the imminent threat of his pull-up jumper into hard-charging, physical drives. Just because the Celtics' all-switch defense wasn't good enough last June doesn't mean it's not the best approach against the Warriors, though.

That reality was laid bare on Saturday, as Boston—playing without Al Horford in addition to Robert Williams III—resorted to deep drop pick-and-roll coverage to keep Blake Griffin and Luke Kornet from venturing to the perimeter. Golden State exploited that strategy from the opening tip, with Thompson getting hot after a couple early pull-up jumpers and Jordan Poole being left alone for a pair of silky floaters from the free throw line.

Look how much room Poole has to launch here as Derrick White got caught on top of a screen from Kuminga.

Jordan Poole, Warriors, Celtics

Boston dared deploy drop coverage against Curry, too. Even when his defender was in close trail position after fighting over the screen, it didn't matter.

This was a four-point play for Curry, who knew with absolute certainty an off-dribble try would be available once he turned the corner around Kevon Looney's pick.

Stephen Curry, Warriors, Celtics

Steve Kerr added an extra wrinkle once the Dubs really got going, turning a routine double drag into a Spain pick-and-roll—used less often by Warriors than most teams throughout the league—by having Thompson curl around into a back screen on Griffin.

It was no coincidence that Golden State suddenly got careless with the ball when Boston finally went small. Bringing Grant Williams in at center allowed the Celtics to switch across the floor, flummoxing the Warriors late in the first half. Going even smaller, with Tatum as de facto center, helped Boston briefly stanch Golden State's momentum midway through the third quarter before the home team went back up by double-digits.

Mazzulla went with no traditional five, by the way, for the game's last 17 minutes, his team playing catch up on the scoreboard.

Those options will be there from opening tip to the final buzzer the next time these two teams meet, not to mention switching 1-4 and keeping Williams III on the backline as a designated rim-protector—the formation that drove the Celtics to a historically elite defense in 2021-22. Offense definitely won't always come so easy for Golden State against Boston.

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On a night both teams were missing indispensable starters, though, it was the Warriors that took by far the most advantage.

Jonathan Kuminga is ready

Kuminga's rapid development into the two-way impact player Golden State so badly needs off the bench continued on Saturday, and from the moment he entered the game.

He grabbed a defensive rebound immediately after getting off the bench, then pushed the ball up the floor himself before finding Curry for an open wing triple. Kuminga set a baseline screen for Curry a couple possessions later, quickly making himself available to catch as two defenders converged on the best shooter ever. He missed the ensuing layup, but Kuminga's process spoke volumes nonetheless.

The 20-year-old starred in his role on Saturday just as he has throughout the last two weeks, fighting like hell defensively while staying true to the Warriors' ethos on the other end. Kuminga drained a casual step-back three as Griffin laid way, way off him in the corner, and spun right past Kornet for a pair of free throws after Golden State drew up a left block isolation for him during a timeout.

Tatum, obviously, isn't as readily exploitable a matchup for him as either of the Celtics' backup centers. That didn't stop Kuminga from trying to bully him in the post once the Warriors' offense bogged down early in the fourth quarter, producing the type of highlight that portends future stardom.

Kuminga is a long way off from reaching Tatum and Brown's status, or even Wiggins' current level of play. But Golden State doesn't need him to be a top offensive option or even a tertiary one. All the Warriors are asking of Kuminga is to play determined defense, opportunistic offense and ensure opponents feel his rare blend of size and athleticism on both sides of the ball.

Mission accomplished again, this time in a potential preview of a Finals rematch everyone wants to see.