SAN FRANCISCO – An explosion of triples that leaves the opponent surrounded by impotence, seeking answers from a higher power. Players on the bench celebrating with a well-deserved arrogance every time the ball splashes over the net without resistance from the edge. A scoring career that lets you go through the record books, unable to understand that something so devastating has ever happened before.
In the first game of the NBA Finals at the Chase Center, this was supposed to be the story of the Golden State Warriors: their return to the highest level in the basketball universe. Instead, the Boston Celtics made an unprecedented run in the fourth quarter, caused by off shots and punctual ball movements, to secure a 120-108 victory in the first game in San Francisco, draining the life of what had been electric. angry and exhausted crowd.
The narrative too good to be true for Golden State was already being written in the middle of the first quarter. Stephen Curry was in an unstoppable heater that only he is capable of, going 6 of 8 from the 3-point range on the way to 21 points in the starting frame. We moved quickly into the second half, when a third-quarter Warriors record turned a two-point deficit at halftime into a 15-point lead with just over two minutes to go.
A third quarter of 38 points of this nature has been a stroke of luck for many unfortunate opponents during the Warriors’ last eight basketball seasons. To say that Boston responded would be one of the biggest underestimations in the NBA’s 75-year history.
When people think of the Warriors, they probably think of triples: Curry and Klay Thompson’s long-range bursts are above all other shooters in basketball history. On Thursday, however, Boston used the Warriors’ beloved weapon against them.
The Celtics outscored Golden State, 40-16, in the final box, made even more overwhelming by the explosive 9-of-12 shot of 3 points that rained down on the Bay Area and its fans. At one point, they made seven consecutive triples, the last of Al Horford giving his team a six-point lead that, given the momentum imbalance at the time, seemed virtually unbeatable.
The change was even more noticeable considering that Jayson Tatum, the top scorer in Boston who had just achieved the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals, remained at 12 points on 3 of 17 shots, facing to several aggressive defensive looks throughout the night, including a box and -one. His 13 assists, however, represented a Celtics team, reinforced by the message of head coach Ime Udoka, committed to making the right game, no matter how simple, confident that it would ultimately yield positive results.
“They do a great job of helping and stuff like that. So, you know, it’s obviously as simple as drawing two of them, you find someone who’s open,” Tatum said after game 1. ” trying to do. “
It wasn’t just the Celtics making 3 – they were 21 of 41 for the game – it was the way they were setting them up. They moved the ball quickly, penetrating the paint and throwing the players into perfect position with even more perfect passes. Take a look at this play where the Celtics made four passes in six seconds, resulting in an open 3 for Horford, which set an NBA record for players debuting in the Finals with six triples a night.
We dare say that the movement of the ball looks like a warrior.
The Celtics also used the small ball, a staple of Golden State in recent years, to dominate the fourth quarter at both ends. The drive on the track when Boston finally took the lead was Horford in the center, along with Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. Less than three minutes later, the Celtics had developed a six-point lead and played off center Warriors Kevon Looney off the field. Steve Kerr countered with Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole’s “Poole Party” lineup, which has been fired after looking unbeaten against the Denver Nuggets in the first round, but could not cover the open holes. in the prey of the Warriors that the Celtics had broken furiously.
The attack was so widespread that the Warriors had no one to intervene. Horford, Brown, White and Marcus Smart made two 3s each in the fourth quarter. Pritchard added one. “Strength in numbers” has been the Warriors’ motto for years, but on Thursday it certainly applied to the Celtics.
“We are proud that everyone can contribute on both sides,” Udoka said after the match. “That’s gratifying, especially on a night when your best man spends a night’s rest.”
Defensively, the Celtics made a lot more changes and changes prior to the fourth quarter to limit Curry’s shot and the Warriors ’penetration. Udoka said the small unit played also played more physically and “looked worn out.” [the Warriors] They held Golden State to 6 of 15 shots in the fourth quarter, including 1 of 6 from the 3-point range, before the benches emptied at the last minute and forced as many losses as the Warriors had assists. Overall, the small ball lineup paid dividends for Boston, and it’s something to watch as the series progresses.
Somehow, it was timely that these Celtics came out of a major deficit in their first game of the NBA Finals; after all, his regular season was marked by an unlikely act of change. After a mediocre start, they found themselves 25-25 on January 28th. From that moment on, they went 26-7 with a net rating of over-13.8, five points better than their nearest rival, and got the second seed. at the Eastern Conference. The Celtics know how to fight because they’ve been fighting all year, and Udoka continued to preach resilience as the Warriors extended their lead in the third quarter.
“We’ve been through a lot of things. We’ve been through a lot of experiences, a lot of losses. We know what it takes to win,” Brown said after Game 1. “So credit to all the guys in this locker room. From top to bottom. We have a fantastic and resilient group. The chain is only so strong in its weakest link. “
The strangest part of the playoffs, and in particular the finals, is that as soon as the final bell rings in game 1, it’s game 2. Both teams will watch the movie and make adjustments, knowing that the complexion of Sunday’s resumption might not look like the worker at all. But on Thursday, the Celtics stated what they have discovered over the past five months: they believe they have what it takes to be NBA champions and nothing can deter them from that mentality.
“We can’t get too high or too low. We played really well, but we have to match that energy next game, and we understand that,” Smart said. “We all know this game is a racing game. You don’t get into the game by planning to play badly. Things happen. You just have to find a way.”