Celtics destroy Warriors in the quarter-finals and open the NBA Finals with victory | NBA
4 min readThe Boston Celtics dropped by 15 points in the final stage of the third quarter, but imposed a 40-16 avalanche in the last period and brought down the Golden State Warriors by 120-108, Thursday night, in the first game of the NBA Finals. . It was San Francisco’s first home loss in these playoffs, after nine wins. Al Horford (26 points), Jaylen Brown (24) and Derek White (21) starred in a trilogy to defeat the Splash Brothers with their own weapons.
Jason Tatum, the team’s top scorer this season, scored just 3 out of 17 from the field for 12 points. But he provided 13 assists to his teammates. Marcus Smart, with 18 points, did his job in attack and defense. The team watched Stephen Curry break records in the first quarter with 21 points and 6 3-pointers. (see below), but only allowed the Warriors to score another 13 points in the past three periods. It was his eighth win in 10 away matches this post-season.
Jaylen Brown yells after Kevin Looney’s stunt – Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Few other brands have been matched or dropped. A 24-point fourth-quarter lead tied the largest quarter-gap in NBA Finals history. 40 baskets from three of the teams combined – 21 to 19 for Boston – were the most watched in the defining series. Boston scored 9 in the last quarter alone, out of 12 attempts (Warriors 2 of 8). Golden State, on the other hand, went to 38-24 in the third inning, their favorite since the Dynasties era, but the stunned team and fans saw their advantage waned when it mattered most.
Curry finished with 34 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Andrew Wiggins scored 20 points and 5 rebounds. Clay Thompson teamed up with 15 points. In a typical match, Draymond Green scored 4 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists and had sloppy problems. He ended up eliminating him in the end. The team loses the advantage of court control, but is counting on turning back to its advantage. He has won at least one away game in his last 26 streaks. Before traveling to Boston, Golden State tries to tie for the Finals next Sunday at 9 p.m., again at Chase Center.
Golden State Warriors
splatter | bounces | help | theft | stumps | Court use | use three | free throws | |
Stephen Curry | 34 | 5 | 5 | 3 | – | 12/25 | 7/14 | 3/4 |
Andrew Wiggins | 20 | 5 | – | 1 | 3 | 8/15 | 2/7 | 2/2 |
Klay Thompson | 15th | two | 3 | – | – | 6/14 | 3/7 | – |
Otto Porter Jr. | 12 | 4 | – | two | – | 4/5 | 4/5 | – |
Draymond Green | 4 | 11 | 5 | two | – | 2/12 | 0/4 | 0/3 |
kevon looney | 4 | 9 | 5 | – | 3 | 1/4 | – | 2/2 |
Jordan Paul | 9 | two | two | – | – | 2/7 | 1/5 | 4/4 |
Jason Tatum faces Stephen Curry tag – Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Boston Celtics
splatter | bounces | help | theft | stumps | Court use | use three | free throws | |
Alhorford | 26 | 6 | 3 | 1 | – | 12/9 | 6/8 | 2/3 |
Jaylyn Brown | 24 | 7 | 5 | two | 1 | 10/23 | 2/8 | 2/2 |
Derek White | 21 | 1 | 3 | – | – | 11/6 | 5/8 | 4/4 |
Marcus Smart | 18 | 5 | 4 | two | – | 7/11 | 4/7 | – |
Jason Tatum | 12 | 5 | 13 | 1 | – | 3/17 | 1/5 | 5/7 |
Robert Williams | 8 | 6 | – | 1 | 4 | 4/4 | – | – |
Payton Pritchard | 8 | 6 | two | – | – | 3/4 | 2/3 | – |
crucial stats
Golden State Warriors | Boston Celtics | |
field shots | 39/88 (44.3%) | 43/85 (50.6%) |
three shots | 19/45 (42.2%) | 21/41 (51.2%) |
free throws | 11/15 (73.3%) | 13/16 (81.3%) |
help | 24 | 33 |
transformations | 14 | 12 |
Points resulting from transformations | 10 | 21 |
points in the bottle | 26 | 34 |
offensive/defensive follow-ups | 12/27 | 7/32 |
Second Chance Points | 26 | 15th |
Transfer points | 11 | 12 |
Scoring chart – Photo: NBA
First Period – Warriors 32 to 28: Boston offered Stephen Curry a three-shooter freedom, and he thanked him. She was 6 baskets from the ocean (in 8 attempts), which is a record for a player in the history of finals in a quarter. The star scored 21 points, the most in a quarter-final since 1993 (Michael Jordan). On the other hand, the points were distributed with Tatum and Smart, with six points each. The Warriors made the score 9-3 in transitional games, betting on speeding up the game.
Second period – Celtics 28 to 22Boston’s defense is back to its usual level: the elite in the NBA. The warriors’ free throws were stopped. The visitors took off and turned the game around with a great ball movement without relying on the great scorers. Only Braun (12) and Smart (10) made it to both numbers. On the flip side, Curry didn’t score in the second quarter. Turnover increased (8-6 overall) and Boston exploited: 7-2 resulting from first-half turnovers. Score from 56 to 54 at rest.
Stephen Curry confronts Marcus Smart – Photo: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images
Third Period – Warriors 38 to 24: The Golden State is back in the classic third quarter of the dynasty: it’s time to run over the rivals. Wiggins scored 10 points in the segment, for a total of 20. Curry scored another 9, for a total of 30. On the flip side, Tatum was still shy. He had 3 of 14 on the field until then, for 12 points. Warriors inflicted an additional opponent on offensive rebounds and second-chance points, especially at the expense of Kevin Looney. At the small ball or with the big players on the field, Golden State simply had more weapons. Score from 92 to 80.
Fourth Period – Celtics 40 to 16: An avalanche in Boston decided the match in the last period. The team hit 10 of the first 12 attempts on the field, 6 of 6 from the perimeter, to overturn the duel. After that, unlock 15 advantage points. Warriors were limited to 16 points in that period, with the opponent’s defense stifling. Astonished, the crowd fell silent with each basket of Celtics. In the first game of his career finals, one day before his 36th birthday, Al Horford finished as the leading scorer and biggest event in fencing. Finals continue on Sunday.
First game (02/06): Golden State 108 x 120 Boston
Game 2 (05/06): Golden State vs Boston, 21:00
Game 3 (06/08): Boston-Golden State, 10 p.m.
Game 4 (10/06): Boston – Golden State at 10 pm
Game 5 (6/13): Golden State v Boston at 10 p.m. (if necessary)
Match 6 (6/16): Boston v Golden State at 10pm (if required)
Match 7 (6/19): Golden State v Boston at 9 pm (if necessary)
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