Golden State 108 Boston 120: Celtics Comeback Thwarts Warriors In Game 1
Boston Celtics overturn a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to coast to a 120-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors
Brown Inspires Comeback
The Golden State Warriors looked to be easing to a Game 1 win in the third quarter when the California franchise led by as many as 14 points and finished with 38 points in the third quarter in comparison to Boston’s 20. But Boston came roaring back in the fourth quarter led by Jaylen Brown. The Celtics No7 completed an impressive sequence of play when he made a huge block on Kevon Looney before he went coast-to-coast to dunk down the other end. It set the tone for Boston’s comeback that left the Warriors stunned. Brown scored 24 points with seven rebounds and five assists for the Celtics, while he was supported by Derrick White, Al Hoford to wrestle away control of Game 1 from Golden State.
Chef Curry Can’t Whip Up Win
Klay Thompson (Photo: headlinephotos / Marty Jean-Louis / depositphotos.com)
We were treated to vintage Steph Curry in the first quarter and throughout most of Game 1. He scored 21 points in the third quarter with 6 of 8 3-pointers. It was Curry’s best-ever performance in a single quarter in the NBA Finals, while it was the best return of any player in a NBA Finals quarter since Michael Jordan in 1993. Curry broke his own record (which was shared with Ray Allen and Kenny Smith) of five 3-pointers in a Finals quarter. It wasn’t just his shooting from distance as Curry was playing with supreme confidence and he danced to the rim and showcased his mesmerizing handling. The No30 finished with 34 points but it wasn’t sufficient to get the Warriors over the line. It was a mercurial performance from Curry but his supporting cast weren’t quite able to match his heroics.
Boston Barrage In Q4
With 12 minutes left to play, it looked like the Warriors had done it again by dominating a third quarter to extend their lead into double figures and set themselves up for a comfortable win. But what Chase Centre didn’t expect was a Boston barrage in Q4 to squash Golden State. Boston scored 40 points and the Warriors managed just 16. Brown was brilliant but Horford and White were clinical from three-point range and it was the difference. There are few teams that can go toe-to-toe with the Warriors from distance but the Celtics have sufficient weapons in the starting IV and bench to punish Golden State. Much was made of the chasm in NBA Finals experience between the two teams. The Warriors team had 123 NBA Finals appearances but the Celtics had none. It made no difference as Boston held their nerve and it was the veterans who crumbled.
What Next For Kerr & Co?
Jordan Poole (Photo: Golden State Warriors / YouTube / Screengrab)
The Warriors slumped to their first post-season loss at Chase Centre. They’re now 9-1 ahead of Game 2 on Sunday night. It felt like the Warriors gave their best punch in the opening three quarters but Celtics managed to hang around before mounting their sensational comeback. Jordan Poole hasn’t really got going in the post-season apart from some early flurries against Denver Nuggets in the first round. Kerr will want to see more from Poole. Andrew Wiggins had a good game but he wasn’t as dominant as he was against Dallas Mavericks. Gary Payton II was cleared to play after recovering from a broken elbow but he didn’t feature but perhaps there’ll be room for his defensive abilities as the series progresses.
