In Game 1 of the NBA Finals the Boston Celtics beat the Golden State Warriors by a score of 120-to-108. The game was tightly contested with neither team ever getting much of a lead until the closing minutes.
The fourth quarter was the most memorable of the game, including a 17-0 run by the Celtics. In a matter of minutes the C's erased a decent first half deficit and started a lead of their own that would outlast the Warriors. This run was led by their best players on the night, Al Horford who shot a career-high six three-pointers for 26 points and Derrick White who would end the game with a plus-minus of +25. Other key contributors were Jaylen Brown with 24 points and Marcus Smart with 18, including a crucial 10 in the 4th quarter. Jayson Tatum had a bad night shooting the ball, with 12 points on 3-of-17 shooting, but would end with a career-high 13 assists.
On the other end of the court, Steph Curry would lead his Warriors to a great game through the first three quarters. Curry would start the game on fire, raining 6 three-pointers for 21 points in the first quarter alone. Unfortunately for the superstar, he would immediately slow down after that, scoring 0 points in the second quarter and only managing 13 points in the second half. A similar pattern would happen with the rest of the team, like Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole would only put up single-digits in the second half on their way to 15 and 9 points respectively.
This game 1 win came as a shock to everyone in the world except for Boston. The Celtics were 4-point underdogs going into their first Finals appearance since 2010, while the Warriors were the favorites, playing at home in their 6th Finals in eight years. This series is truly a story of Seniors versus Freshman, with the young Celtics looking to run away with the championship before the more experienced Warriors have a chance to wake up.
Sunday's game 2 will have a much different feel to it, being a MUST WIN for the Warriors, expect a tougher game with more fouls and physicality. The Celtics played a physical series with the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals and came out victorious, but the Warriors are better at that style and have been here before. The Celtics open up at 4-point underdogs again for Sunday meaning the oddsmakers and sports geniuses all think the Warriors will come out with a vengeance and win.
This Celtics team will have something to say about that. The best defense in the league is run by younger players but young players that have a lot of experience in the playoffs. Even if this is their first time in the Finals, this team has been molded for these situations. Tatum, Brown, Smart, Horford and White all have the clutch factor that's needed for these series.
Game 2 Sunday. C's up!
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Stay tuned as we continue our coverage on the Boston Celtics and the 2022 NBA Finals.
-Z.D.