The clover team stung the hearts of the Warriors by making three-point tiles in all directions during the last quarter ... That's how Boston awarded Golden State the first set of the NBA Finals (120-108), Thursday in San Francisco.
The Celtics, in search of a record 18th title, start this duel very strong, since the Warriors had not yet lost a home game during the play-offs.
The Massachusetts players therefore regain the advantage of the floor.
And this after a demonstration of collective skill in the award-winning shots (9/12, 21/41 in the end) in the last twelve minutes which knocked out the Californians.
that 4th quarter surge >>> pic.twitter.com/9QNWDWJ6Oo
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 3, 2022
“They made all of their big shots in that quarter.
We must give them credit for this.
They were simply brilliant and deserved the victory,” admitted opposing coach Steve Kerr, whose team nevertheless had a fifteen-point lead in the third quarter, when they usually win their matches.
But Boston knows how to win his own in the last, many of his play-off victories have demonstrated, and responded as in a boxing match, to inflict a 40/16 on the helpless and disgusted Warriors.
An exceptional end to the game for the Celtics
Jaylen Brown sounded the revolt at the very beginning of this period by scoring ten points in a row, 24 in total (7 rebounds, 5 assists), which made his people pick up the score.
Then the old grump Al Horford, the player who played the most play-off games (141), without ever going to the final until this year, took over by adding 11 points, to finish with 26 ( at 9/12, 6 rebounds).
Derrick White, wisely recruited in the last hours of the transfer window, scored 21 points, before Marcus Smart, after a small air hole, he who had held the Celtics house in the first period, also got started (18 pts) .
“Our players are tough guys and we can always know that we can count on our defense to pull ourselves together when necessary,” stressed their coach Ime Udoka.
Fifteen minutes earlier, in a bubbling Chase Center which was discovering the thrills of a final, this reversal of the situation seemed unlikely, as the Celtics seemed physically borrowed, they who had only four days to recharge the batteries after eliminating Miami , against a week for the Warriors.
Because Golden State had pushed a second boost to take off in the wake of Stephen Curry, long the hero of this match which he finished top scorer 36 pts (at 12/25 5 rebounds, 5 assists).
His start was stratospheric.
Determined to spice up the debates, the 34-year-old leader, who has never yet been named MVP of a final, put up 21 points in the haversack, including six award-winning baskets registered (out of 8 attempted), in these first twelve minutes.
Curry couldn't keep up this crazy pace, since he didn't score a point, and at the break Boston went ahead (56-54), without Jayson Tatum, his driving force in attack, standing out. particularly, if not to the distribution (13 assists, 12 pts at 3/17).
👀 #NBA75 |
They managed the ＋ of assists, for their first match of Finals.
▪ 𝟏𝟑 — Jayson Tatum 📌
▪ 𝟏𝟐 — Isiah Thomas (1988)
▪ 𝟏𝟐 — Michael Jordan (1991)
▪ 𝟏𝟐 — John Stockton (1997)#AllAbout18 pic.twitter.com/M4jkCNu2BV
— NBA Stats France 🇫🇷 (@nbastatsfrance) June 3, 2022
The last time Golden State lost a home opener in a Finals was three years ago, it was against Toronto.
And it had ended badly.
Expected and mandatory reaction on Sunday.
