Celtics 22-26 Warriors, 2:36, first quarter
But the Warriors continue to separate. Thompson scores immediately. Luckily, old Al Horford is there to answer. Grant Williams, to write Robert, needs Curry, who makes one of the two free throws. After some rare goalless possessions, the Warriors take their first time out.
Celtics 20-23 Warriors, 4:03, first quarter
Brown scores out of stoppage time, but Curry hits another three but Brown and Derrick White (now in the game) score. They are approaching.
Celtics 14-20 Warriors, 5:55, first quarter
Okay, a lot of things happen before the Celtics make their first stoppage time. Tatum misses two free throws. The Celtics resort to change baskets while behind and then a triple from Curry forces our first stop into action.
Updated at 02.23 BST
Celtics 9-12 Warriors, 8:08, first quarter
And now both infractions have intensified. Thompson hits a three. Curry and Wiggins score bands, with a Smart three in between.
Celtics 6-5 Warriors, 9:50, first quarter
Tatum ties it with a three, Wiggins makes a tray and Smart adds a three.
Celtics 0-3 Warriors, 10:50 first quarter
Warriors score first with a Steph Curry three. I’ve seen it before.
Updated at 02.21 BST
Opening tip
Warriors 0-0 Celtics, 11:21, first quarter
And we are out! The Celtics win the starting lineup but cannot score in their first possession.
I have this reference.
boston will counterattack with augustana for game 3
– Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) June 3, 2022
National anthem
Okay, it’s time for pre-match announcements! Approaching.
Neal Schon performs an instrumental version of “The Star Spangled Banner”: ALWAYS THE TOP OPTION. (8/10)
Boston Celtics starting lineup
Jayson Tatum, G / F
Jaylen Brown, G / F
Al Horford, F
Marcus Smart, G
Robert Williams III, C
Initial lineup of the Golden State Warriors
Steph Curry, G
Klay Thompson, G / F
Draymond Green, F / C
Andrew Wiggins, F
Kevon Looney, C
Pre-match predictions come from our experts. Clean sweep for warriors. What, did you expect Magic Johnson to go with Boston?
The greatest strength and weakness of the Boston Celtics
On the one hand, the Celtics have had the best defense in the NBA in the regular season and postseason, which should make it a challenge for Golden State. However, there is one trick that the Warriors could exploit: their propensity for business losses.
As Zach Kram told The Ringer, “The Celtics allow an additional 3.6 points for every 100 possessions in transition in the postseason, for Cleaning the Glass, the worst mark for any team that reached the second round.”
This is something that anyone who has seen the hot and cold performances of Boston in the last two series could probably have guessed. The Warriors, who have a superior defense, could easily turn it into a short series if that trend continues.
Jayson Tatum of Boston with one of these outfits that you can only wear if your team wins the game.
Prediction
Rest vs. Rust is one of the oldest arguments in the sport: is it better for a team to have extended free time or does that lead to complacency? The answer, I think, depends on the team, and in this case, it seems pretty obvious that the Warriors have too much experience in the Finals to be caught here unknowingly. The Celtics have barely had time to rest and are not sure if Smart or Williams are healthy.
I think this is a more comfortable victory for Golden State. The Celtics will win at least one road game in this series, they have been the best road team in the league this season, but I don’t think that’s it. I guess the Warriors 110-98 Celtics.
could be wrong! No doubt everyone here at MA hopes so. Your thoughts? Again, you can email them to hunter.felt.freelance@theguardian.com or tweet them at @HunterFelt and we’ll include them here at the very beginning of this game.
Draymond Green, who upset the Miami Heat (and possibly extended the Eastern Conference Finals) by saying they would face Boston in the finals, gives the Celtics some love. Much respect between these two franchises that have many victories in their past.
In fact, the Celtics are the only team to have a record of victories against the Warriors in the Steve Kerr era. Key statistics or useless curiosities? See me.
“Your musical guest …”
I’d rather think of Neal Schon as Santana’s guitarist than a Journey guitarist, but that’s still a fantastic performer of the National Anthem. San Francisco always has the funniest musicians it seems and I have no pleasure in saying it as Bostonian (albeit via Florida).
The NBA has released the following list of celebrities at the opening of tonight’s final.
The challenge is underway for Boston as the series moves east for Game 3. There must be a minimum of two Wahlbergs in the Garden. And a glimpse of Tacko would get W. pic.twitter.com/sRYtXUaCsE
– Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) June 3, 2022
Lack of injury report
Good news for the Celtics, center Robert Williams is scheduled to start today, although he may be playing limited minutes. Ime Udoka has said he expects to play for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, on the side of the Warriors: Gary Payton II, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. are all eliminated. That’s right: a completely clean injury report for the first time in the entire postseason.
Ime Udoka said Robert Williams will start tonight. He can play but minutes are needed, but the Celtics will try to keep his minutes low to keep him around 20 minutes for his best impact.
– Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 2, 2022
Preamble
If you had the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors as the last two teams at the start of the season, something that last happened in the 1964 NBA Finals, well … I hope you bought tickets lottery.
No one knew exactly what the Warriors would be like after missing Klay Thompson for so long. Meanwhile, the last time the Celtics were in the NBA Finals was in 2010, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. They also had a difficult regular season, having to adapt to a new head coach at Ime Udoka and working without an All-Star base.
However, here they are both. The Warriors look a lot like their seniors and the Celtics have taken the long-awaited next step after installing Marcus Smart in the starting position. In the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors took over the Dallas Mavericks in five games, while in the East, the Celtics struggled to eliminate the Miami Heat, needing all seven games. Smart center and starter Robert Williams is hit and the team hasn’t had the benefit of a full week like the Warriors.
Steph Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green are not the same, but they seem much closer than anyone would have expected. The Warriors have also benefited from an infusion of young talent, most notably Jordan Poole, and have rejuvenated Andrew Wiggins’ career after rescuing him from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It’s hard not to think that Golden State, which will have a local track advantage in the Finals, has an advantage, but Boston (which started the season struggling to stay at .500) has surpassed all sorts of overwhelming odds this year. Just ask the Milwaukee Bucks who dropped a 3-2 lead in the series against them earlier this postseason. They have won 26 of their last 35 games and have yet to fall twice in a row in the playoffs. They are about to give Golden State a run for its money.
As always, we want to hear from you throughout this live blog. If you have any questions, comments, predictions, or random tricks, you can email them to us (at Hunter.Felt.Freelance@theguardian.com) or on Twitter (at @HunterFelt). We will include them throughout today’s game. It’s Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center. The opening board is scheduled for 9pm EST, and it will almost certainly be later, but we will be back much sooner.
Hunter will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s how our panel sees the series:
Warriors 4-2 Celtics. There are many nuances in predicting who lifts the Larry O’Brien trophy. But let’s be simple: we’ve spent too many years playing basketball to bet on a healthy Stephen Curry, who is still the best shooter the NBA has ever seen. Claire de Lune
Warriors 4-2 Celtics. Focus on coaching and experience. Or, in the case of Boston, its lack. Ime Udoka has done an excellent job reaching the final in his first season as coach, but he made some questionable decisions at the end of the season. Steve Kerr and his core have been here many times before: this experience could be crucial under the bright lights of the final. Tyrell’s Day
Warriors 4-2 Celtics. These Celtics could take the brunt: while they had a difficult start to the season, struggling to maintain a .500 record while head coach Ime Udoka adapted to his new role, Boston ended up being the best team in the world. ‘NBA from the start. of 2022. However, their inexperience forced them to play more games in the postseason than they probably should have. He’s looking for a big road victory before the Warriors take control of the series. Hunter Felt
Celtics 4-3 Warriors. It’s conventional to stand next to Golden State, who have an edge in experience and a lead on the court. However, this Celtics team seems predestined. They decimated a Nets team led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving; they bottled Giannis Antetokoumpo just to eliminate the defending champions; they lasted longer than one side of the top-ranked Heat. It is a team that will not refuse, even against the most proven squad of the Warriors. AR Shaw