#Boston #beats #Golden #State #dream #fourth #quarter
While Golden State had the game in hand, Jaylen Brown reversed the trend early in the fourth quarter to lead an incredible fireworks display from the Celtics! 9/12 from 3-point range and a 40-16 winning period to inflict the Warriors their first home loss in these playoffs. The Al Horford – Derrick White – Payton Pritchard trio scored 55 points on 13 of 19 from far! Boston finished the game with a 51% accuracy from distance to erase Jayson Tatum’s clumsiness (3/17).
In a Chase Center that we have never seen so boiling, the game starts in the quarter turn. The Celtics’ defense made four small errors that turned into five Splash Brothers award shots, including four by an ultra-determined Stephen Curry. Boston, however, stays in touch thanks to the direction of Marcus Smart and Al Horford (25-22). Curry’s madness continues, the point guard makes all the mistakes of the opposing defense and ends the first quarter with 21 points on 6 of 8 from distance! The Celtics are still in contact with a well-distributed mark (32-28).
Daniel Theis, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard each confirm that they hit the target from distance, but Otto Porter Jr, Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson follow suit to keep the Warriors in control (47-41). In the wake of Marcus Smart stifling Jordan Poole, Boston’s defense is stabilizing. With Williams on the bench and Horford in position 5, they limited their rival to 7 points in the last seven minutes of the first half to take the lead at halftime (56-54).
The Warriors return to the field with much more intensity and movement. Seven points from Stephen Curry and ten from Andrew Wiggins then launched a 21-8 that gave them back control of the game (75-64). Boston tries to respond, but Wiggins and Curry continue as the Warriors’ defense drives the point home. The difference reached 15 units and it took Robert Williams to wake up in the circle and two shots from Derrick White to stop the bleeding (92-80).
With Curry and Wiggins blowing and Brown and Tatum back on the field, the Celtics are seizing their opportunity. While Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson force, Jaylen Brown scores five straight points and alley-oops Robert Williams to lead his team 9-0 in three minutes (92-89). Steve Kerr doesn’t procrastinate and immediately brings out Poole to revive Stephen Curry. The Warriors find their attack but Brown, in a cloud and already author of ten points in the period, then five winning shots by White, Pritchard and Horford put the Celtics in front (109-103)!
However, with four minutes played, the game seems bent. KO, the Warriors stutter their basketball as Al Horford and Marcus Smart chain game-winner after game-winner to end the game 20-5 that shocks the Chase Center. Just like against Milwaukee and Miami, the Celtics showed they were fearless on the outside. They will play Sunday in Game 2 without any pressure. Attention danger for the Warriors!
WHAT TO REMEMBER
– Stephen Curry’s historic first quarter. The Warriors star started these Finals by being aggressive and looking for his shot. He was helped a lot by the multiple errors of the Celtics that left him alone on several occasions. It didn’t take much for him to catch fire. Stephen Curry set the Finals record for 3-pointers in a quarter with six of eight attempts, breaking the previous record (5) that he shared with Ray Allen and Kenny Smith.
– The Boston defense recovers bite with its “little ball”. After conceding 47 points in 17 minutes, Ime Udoka decided to go with Al Horford at center and play small. This tactical choice allows Boston to “change” on all screens and limit the changes created by Golden State. With the wind in their tail, the Celtics increase their aggressiveness and like Marcus Smart, they steal the ball from the hands of Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney. It’s their one-on-one defense and undefeated skill that allows them to keep the Warriors from losing their temper. They turn 7 turnovers in the quarter and watch Boston limit them to 7 points in the last seven minutes of the half.
– Offensive rebounding revives Golden State. The Warriors managed to reverse the trend in the third quarter thanks to the awakening of Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins and the return of one of their favorite weapons: the offensive rebound. They take 5 offensive rebounds that will mean 11 points. Andrew Wiggins in particular, author of 12 points in the period, had two winning shots on his offensive rebounds that allowed the Warriors to take a 15-point lead.
– The three minutes that decided the game in favor of the Celtics. With +12 at the start of the fourth quarter, Steve Kerr decided to keep his classic rotation with Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson alongside two non-shooters, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, and Otto Porter Jr. Opposite, Ime Udoka brings up Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum . Poole and Thompson struggled throughout the game, then forced four possessions in a row when Jaylen Brown took matters into his own hands by scoring 10 points while getting his shooters into a rhythm. The Warriors, however, hold the lead (103-100) but the momentum drastically changes sides. Full of confidence, Boston runs past his opponent 17-0 in five minutes, including five winners! Boston ends the fourth quarter in fireworks shooting 9/12 from 3-point range, allowing them to win the period 40-16!
TOPS/FLOPS
Jaylen Brown. The most effective scorer in the playoffs in the fourth quarter was no exception to his rule. He scored 10 of his 24 points in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter to put his team into orbit. He also grabbed 7 rebounds and handed out 5 assists.
✅Al Horford. The Celtics center had waited 141 games to reach the Finals and didn’t miss his debut on the NBA’s biggest stage! He scored 11 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, shooting 100%, and finished the game 6/8 from 3-point range, punishing the Warriors with corners and headers.
✅ Derrick White. Like Milwaukee, and like the Heat, the Warriors left Derrick White wide open and the former Spur continued the momentum of his last streak against Miami. He scored 21 points on 5/8 from 3-point range, demoralizing Golden State in the fourth quarter.
✅ Stephen Curry. The two-time MVP scored 21 of his 34 points in the first quarter and finished the game 7/14 from 3-point range. He could not stop the green wave in the last quarter.
✅ ⛔ Jayson Tatum. With no rhythm from the start of the game, the Celtics star was limited to 12 points on 3/17 on shots from Andrew Wiggins and the Warriors defense. He still dished out 13 assists, creating gaps to take advantage of the incredible direction of his teammates behind 7m25.
⛔ Jordan Poole-Klay Thompson. The two full-backs finished with 2/7 and 6/14 shooting but it was above all their decision-making that left much to be desired, especially at the start of the fourth quarter. It was his forced shooting and stray bullets that revived Boston.
⛔ Dramond green. The Celtics forced Draymond Green to shoot and the latter passed, finishing 2/12 in shooting, hampered by long runs and Celtics aggression.
THE CONTINUATION
Game 2: at night from Sunday to Monday in San Francisco.
