The Boston Celtics weren’t going to fall without a fight, and Ime Udoka’s message to his team entering the fourth quarter provided the spark he needed.
The coach’s speech played a very important role for Boston to erase a 12-point lead from Golden State and offer the Warriors their first home defeat, as the Celtics won the first game of the final. NBA for 120-108 Thursday night at the Chase Center. .
Udoka told Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports what was his message to the team entering the final quarter.
“You’re doing punk out there,” Udoka recalled. “They’re making us punk right now. Is this the way you want to go out? This is not us. Let’s give ourselves at least a chance.
“If we go out, we will play as we play. That’s all he asked for, “Udoka added. “I’m glad the guys responded.”
The speech resonated clearly with the team, given the result, and the Celtics players believe it was the kick in the pants they needed at the right time.
“For anyone, I think this challenges us to take a step back and stop being so soft, you’d say,” Grant Williams told Yahoo! Sports. “She’s not afraid to tell anyone. She was yelling at me, [Jaylen Brown] and whoever was in the game as we ran down the track, telling us to harden hell. This is what you like about Ime. He says it the way it is. “
“It’s something we needed to hear,” said guard Derrick White. “They challenged us to harden ourselves and we did.”
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Often, when Golden State advances by 12 points at the start of the fourth quarter, it ends in victory. Unfortunately for the Warriors, the Celtics put together a historic comeback effort that left Golden State speechless.
The Warriors would be cautious to punch the Celtics during the quarterfinals of Game 2 on Sunday night.
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