Post Game - NBA Finals Game 1 - Warriors - Away

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/06/03/sports/instead-wilting-after-ugly-quarter-resilient-celtics-went-fourth-overwhelmed-stunned-warriors/

Instead of wilting after ugly quarter, resilient Celtics went fourth and overwhelmed stunned Warriors
By Gary Washburn Globe Staff,Updated June 3, 2022, 1 hour ago

SAN FRANCISCO — The one thing the Celtics possess that they didn’t in the past few years is resiliency, even when they are playing their worst basketball, even when they are going under screens on Stephen Curry or allowing Kevon Looney to look like Wilt Chamberlain.

The Celtics looked putrid in their first third quarter of the NBA Finals, like a team that was frazzled by their more experienced and precise opponents. Jayson Tatum couldn’t make a jumper. Al Horford was getting battered on the boards and Jaylen Brown was again driving into traffic with little success.

The third quarter was the lackadaisical stretch that has plagued this team all season. Just like in Game 1 against the Miami Heat, and that period eventually burned the Celtics and cost them that game.

Thursday’s recovery from adversity was stunning and reverberated all the way back to Boston. It’s been 12 years since the Celtics had been in the Finals and it would be understandable for the neophyte players were succumb to their jitters, relent under the pressure from the third-time champions.

Instead, the Celtics responded with their best quarter of the season, shocking the sold-out crowd at Chase Center that have watched the Warriors overwhelm opponents with dominant third quarters so many times and then cruise to victory.

The 120-108 Game 1 win has probably made some believers of those basketball pundits who believed the Celtics weren’t experienced, talented or savvy enough to make this a competitive series. Horford, who turns 36 Friday, spearheaded a 40-16 fourth-quarter run that rendered Golden State helpless.

Trailing by 12 to begin the fourth, Boston scored the first 9 points of the period behind Brown’s brilliance and then took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Horford, who played with the energy and enthusiasm that had sputtered late in the Miami series. He scored 11 points in just 5 minutes, 46 seconds, while Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard each added key 3-pointers.

The Celtics out Warrior-ed the Warriors, knocking down shots on every possession while their defense forced Curry into futile heroics to keep the Warriors close.

Not even Curry could bring the Warriors back. Golden State was completely engulfed by the Celtics avalanche of threes, their defensive aggression and ball movement. The Celtics picked a perfect time to play championship basketball.

“Yeah, that’s kind of who we’ve been all year,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said. “Tough grinders, resilient group that we can always know we can rely on our defense to kind of buckle down when needed.

“Like I said, we weren’t playing our best in the first quarter. Curry got loose, didn’t score in the second quarter, and we held them to 22, got ourselves back in the game. They had another big third quarter due to some of our mistakes, lack of physicality on our part. Then we locked down again and played great in the fourth. We always rely on that. Impressive against a really elite scoring team.”

More impressive was the Celtics’ ability to withstand the surge from a team that has been here so often, that has used Curry and Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to put away opponents, and send their fans home happy into the cool San Francisco night.

This time, the Warriors faithful began streaming out of Chase Center after Marcus Smart, who was 0 for 5 from the 3-point line in the waning minutes of Game 7 against Miami, canned his second consecutive 3-pointer after he made his first fourth-quarter appearance with four minutes left.

“It just says what we’ve been doing all year,” Smart said. “We’ve been counted out all year. Rightfully so. We’ve had moments. But we continue to fight. That’s who we are. I think over the last couple months that’s our identity. I think it stuck with us for a reason.

“We’re always telling each other to stay confident. There’s a game or two where we’re going to need to help our team win. They’re going to do a good job on Jaylen and Jayson and everybody else. We came prepared, and that’s what it came down to.”

What was most astonishing about the Celtics run is that it did not include All-NBA first-team forward Tatum. He did not score in the fourth quarter and converted just one field goal in the second half. Tatum was 3 for 17 from the field, often frustrated by the Warriors trapping defense.

Tatum then turned himself into a playmaker, which he likely would not have done a few years ago. He contributed four assists in the fourth period, allowing his teammates to get open shots, playing decoy instead of forcing matters.

It’s a testament to the trust that’s been established over the past few months, a belief that regardless of the circumstances, they will at least mount a respond. They will never fold or relent.

“The message at the start of the fourth was, we’ve been here before,” Tatum said. “We know what it takes to overcome a deficit like that. Obviously that’s a great team. It’s not going to be easy. But just knowing we’ve been in that situation before and we’ve gotten ourselves out of it. We had a lot of time left, right? It wasn’t time to hang your head or be done, it was time to figure it out.”

The Celtics let their casual observers know that they are indeed poised, with the faith they can respond even from their lowest points. It happened again on the biggest stage.

A couple of things. OK, ten.

1) I highly recommend "crow". It's DELICIOUS!! Could not be happier to be completely wrong in my prediction for last night's game. I thought if we had a chance, we'd win a nail biter at best. How wrong was I?!! Pretty sure none of us saw a 4th quarter like that coming.

2) Al better be Vegas' odds-on pick for MVP if Celtics win it all. I'm just sayin'! Brother is playing some amazing, man-possessed basketball all around. Such a humble man, too.

3) Target practice. Looks like Stevie Whiny Baby left Derrick White off the scouting report. Idiot. Nothing made me happier than looking at Whiny all smug and smiling with his legs stretched out, heads behind his head in the 3rd only to see that smart-a$S, Cheshire grin completely wiped off his face in the presser.

4) Only the Celtics themselves can beat themselves going forward. We didn't see much of our ghosts pop up in this game but they are still there and can come out at any time.

5) Target Practice - All of us on this site can make 3's like the Celtics when you're THAT wide open. We even missed a couple we should have made that I think we missed because we were so caught off guard how wide open we were and how we taught GS the lesson about offense and defense in the playoffs.

6) Not ever going to count chickens because we know who we are and where we've been this season, but if we are so fortunate to win on Sunday, which we have to now, that will be the notice not only to GS, but to the rest of the league that we're going on a very long run and there is nothing the rest of the league can do about it. Change up all you want, move players around, blah, blah, blah, but it's not going to matter. There will be a new sheriff in town.

7) All those still in favor of returning Derrick White to sender say, "Aye". No one? Anyone? Bueller? Ok, that's what I thought. WOW!! Thank you Pop and Brad!! Kid can hit the 3!!!!

A couple of very key timeouts by Ime in the 4th almost back to back to get our guys straight....during our run. Can't ask for more than that. Priceless. It's like Ime reads our site!!

9) We have to win Sunday because now I want to see Steve Kerr in complete panic mode along with Draymond and Steph, et al.

10) That may be the best quarter of basketball I've ever seen for the Fully Operation Death Star. Or any Celtic team except G6 2008 Finals.
Resiliency.Defense.Target Practice. That's going to win a lot of games, boys and girl. Regardless of this outcome.

No chicken counting! G2 is Sunday. Watch film. Normal routines. But clearly that was a shot across the bough with a direct hit to the engine room. We can only beat ourselves and we are quite capable of resorting back to old ghosts in any instance at any time. Celtics....Do EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING Ime says to do from here on out.

GS will again come out desperate. I don't think we can see much better from them. I believe they hit us with their best shot with Curry going nuts to start. Sunday will reveal. But GS has got and is going to have the same problems BKN, MIL and the Heat had that no one has solved yet. We make you look like G-Leaguers, plain and simple.

But if we're going to send a message, following up by winning again on Sunday will do just that...followed by us winning G3, of course. Remember, Celtics owe the Boston fans big time for G6 crap vs. Heat. Celtics has already given them what they wanted in G1 with the worst case split. Time for some Sunday gravy to go with my crow. DE-LISH!!!

BTW, if you liked me eating crow, you'll love First Take this am. Stephen A. will be having the same dish!!! Although he was trying to prepare himself at halftime.

db

tardust wrote:Tatum,  I have never read so many negative posts on a player on the game on thread.  Our best player.   Bad shooting night, yes, but  13 ASSISTS (7 in the first half and 6 in second half) and most of them for open 3's for teammates,( at least 30 points worth of assists)  but pull him from the game? He stinks.  If you look at his passes, they were right in the guys shooting motion.      Only  2 TURNOVERS as well.

I logged in and noticed the same. Then I logged back out.

Tatum showed why he is becoming one of the rising faces of the game last night.

Take away the game Tatum did have last night, then lower point totals for Horford, Brown, and White. No 4th quarter run either. When your shot is off, you can still pass, screen, and defend.

Looking like back when Smart called out the Js, preaching about what they needed to do to play unselfish basketball, he was exactly right. Some thought Smart should have done it privately, I think he knew how to get results.

Here’s to Tatum and Smart. On to game 2.

Hi,
Great win - no question.
Last night was a prime example of "defense wins championship"
Another very important (for us) point was GSW gave up. 3-4 minutes left in the 4th with the difference of only 8 points.
JT couldn't hit the Bay from the pier, JB, Al and White picked up the slack. He will come out of this funk.
All this gives me hope for #18.

AK

Tatum deserved the comments he was getting in my mind and the whole world was watching him miss everything on the worlds biggest stage. He had a point blank lay up where he could have easily dunked, that he bricked that just set me off….

Thank god Jaylen was playing like Jaylen and playing hard at the start of the 4th, he and Pritch brought us back and at the same time our defense tightened and choked the sh!t out of the Dubs. Suddenly Steph couldn’t get off, Klay couldn’t and Poole couldn’t either and it was basic hard man to man with switching; not caring who was on who, just someone in their face, no open looks. Thank god Draymond was matching Tatum brick for brick, then Al and White got hotter than hot, scorching hot and finished off the Dubs in the 4th. Incredible, indescribable, 40-16 point 4th quarter and it was as dominant as any stretch of basketball I’ve ever seen from this franchise. Amazing.

I would love to see this team play well off a stellar performance for once and with more rest between games, hopefully we will. My game ball goes to Jaylen and Al. Jaylen for taking it right to them at a crucial part of game, giving us life and Al for completely demoralizing them. This game is just like this season has played out, in I didn’t see this coming like that even during the game, which is the same was this season. Damn what a great start and Tatum can’t shoot that bad again right?!’ll just shut the fo(k up now.

sinus007 wrote:Hi,
Great win - no question.
Last night was a prime example of "defense wins championship"
Another very important (for us) point was GSW gave up. 3-4 minutes left in the 4th with the difference of only 8 points.
JT couldn't hit the Bay from the pier, JB, Al and White picked up the slack. He will come out of this funk.
All this gives me hope for #18.

AK

Great point, they sure didn’t fight like the grizzled Miami vets in last minutes of the game, our defense really choked the life out of them. They submitted. They were in shock as was I watching lol.

https://twitter.com/nbastats/status/1532606688179658752?s=20&t=dPHFepcCBCDcxvHUBEpZ6A



Click on the link to see the video

https://twitter.com/taylorcsnow/status/1532563032009805843?t=RvH7QGhfPJaaS7HtVjHBuA&s=19




Click on the link to see the video

Up 2 at the half turned into down 12 after 3.  Didn't look too promising, did it?  We forgot who we were talking about.  I was watching at a restaurant out here, so I wasn't in front of my computer.  I posted as much as I could using my phone on the Game On! thread, but it's very awkward, and texted with Steve3344 throughout the game (pretty much business as usual.  If not during the game then afterwards).  I'm glad he's back to posting articles for us.  I wish he'd add a few of his own thoughts too, he knows hoop, but he too forgot who we were talking about when we went down 17 points with 7:17 left in the 3rd.  The only time I can remember a team coming back from 17 points down in the 2nd half in an NBA Finals game was Game 4 of the 2008 Finals vs the Lakers.  We were down 24 points at some point in that game, not sure which half but we were down 19 after 1, and came back to win on the road in LA.  That had been the biggest Finals comeback win since 1971.  This might be the biggest one since 2008, and we all know how that series ended up.  A stat I've been citing all along is Margin of Victory, how big are our wins.  The bigger the MoV the more dominating you are.  In another thread I pointed out our playoffs MoV is #1.  We're now seeing what that means.  It means when we're firing on all 8 we don't just eke out wins, we dominate.  We won this game despite Jayson Tatum's awful, awful shooting night.  We won this game, on the road, with a offensively and defensively dominating 40-16 4th quarter.  That should terrify the Warriors.  I have a normal Friday afternoon routine of getting together after work for a drink (or two) with some people.  All of them are Warrior fans.  This will be a tough get-together for me since humility is not one of my strong points and I've been taking a raft of shite from everybody about how the Dubs are going to return to their rightful place as the league's dynasty.  Mark Jones called our 4th quarter "an insurrection".










We shot 51% from 3.  That's crazy.  GSW's 42% if really good and we just crushed that.  What's even crazier is that we were 12-29 from 3 through 3, 41%, which isn't too shabby at all, but then shot 9-12 from 3, 75%, in the 4th.  The Js were a combined 3-13 from 3 and we still shot > 50% from 3.  That's because Horford, Smart and White shot a combined 15-23, 65.2%.  Grant 0-1 and Pritch 2-3.  Take the Js out and players 3-8 shot a combined 63% from 3.

We had 9 3pt fgm in the 4th quarter on 22 fgas, making a total of 15 of them.  The Warriors had 7 fgm in the 4th, 16 fgas total, and shot 2-8 from 3.  We took 6 more fgas.  In fact, we almost had as many fgm as they had fgas.  


Jayson couldn't throw the ball in the bay last night but, as a testament to his growth, he did other things to help us win.  He fed the shooters.  He took 7 ftas and he had 13 assists with only 2 turnovers.  This is what superstars do.  When Larry was having an off shooting night he rebounded like a fiend and passed to his teammates.  When Giannis isn't having a good scoring night he sets up his teammates, rebounds and runs, runs, runs.  Yeah, if had lost last night there would be people saying that Tatum's shooting lost it for us, I even said that in a text to Steve, but we didn't and it was in large point because he was drawing defenders and kicking it to guys who were catch-and-shooting.  The stats on catch-and-shoot vs just about any other shooting play show why coaches are always trying to run plays that produce that opportunity.




The O.G.  Wow.  There wouldn't be a Game On! thread for Sixers fans, why would there be, but I sure would love to hear what they're thinking when they see the player they made a point of signing away from us, and then reviled and ran out of town when he was there, dissect the Golden State Warriors.  He played great for us when he came to Boston from Atlanta, played like crap as part of "The Process", can't count OKC because they went a different way, and now he's killing people in the playoffs.  Al is normally a little deliberate when he sets himself up for taking a shot, he's almost robotic in his movement, but he was going straight into his shooting motion faster in the 4th quarter than I've ever seen him do before.  It was flowing without any hesitation or even much of a set up, just flowing.


Boston Celtics @celtics
about 12 minutes ago
Happy birthday @Al Horford pic.twitter.com/ibh5JjVEh4



36 years old.  Today.  Quite the birthday present to himself.




Jaylen's 10 4th quarter points broke it open.  4-6, 2-3 from 3 in the 4th.  He was 6-17, 0-5 from 3 after 3, so NOT a good shooting night for him through 3, and then...Klay's the better shooter, but he's not anywhere nearly as athletic as Jaylen and is coming off an ankle injury and is 7 years older.




Derrick, Derrick, Derrick.  Where've you been?  I've pointed out how Brad's changes before this season by swapping out Kemba for Al and at the trade deadline by swapping out JRich and Schroder for White and Theis had a large impact on what we could do.  Last night's game shows why a lot of fans on the Comments From The Other Side were really envious that we got White, especially the fans of WC teams who got to watch the Spurs more regularly than EC fans do.  Moron Mark Jackson said that "Derrick White with 5 3pt fgm is as many as he's made all season, and Al Horford with 6 3pt fgm is as many as he's made in his entire career".  You know, if they're going to hire people to work games who don't actually watch games they could hire Skip Clueless for less than Moron Mark costs them without losing any value in the broadcast booth.




The back breaking 5:51.  From down 3 to winning by 12.





Styles make fights, and Danny built this team to compete with GSW's style.  We've known this for years, we've known we have had the best regular season record vs the Dubs since 2015, we just never was able to get over the hump and get to the Finals against them so we could apply that roster planning.  Well, it took us a few more years than we'd have liked but we're finally here.  We're more seasoned, more mature, more capable and, let's not overlook, their core 3 of Curry, Thompson and Green are all on the other side of 30.  Steph Curry is 34 years old and he played 38 minutes last night.  Thompson is 32 and played 39 minutes.  Green is 32 years old and he played 38.



Sean Grande
@SeanGrandePBP
I'm sure Celtics fans will not in any way overreact to the latest projections from
@FiveThirtyEight
.



13 down and 3 more to go.  That's what the above prediction doesn't take into account, we still have to play the games.  Still, I'd rather be up 1-0 than down 0-1.  We wanted (not 'needed', wanted) at least a split out these opening 2 games on the road.  Mission already Accomplished.  Now we need to win the next one so that we don't have the pressure of having to win every home game.


Bob


.

The good news is regarding Jayson, he's going into G2 coming off what most are calling a bad performance.  Yeah, shooting, but everything else, he was staring at a poor man's 3D.  Yeah, let's call that a bad game for now.

He will also without fail follow up those "bad shooting" games with a 45-piece wing dinner with 12 biscuits as Perk will say!!  Oh please, G2!!  Can you get here any faster?!!  U-B-U, Jayson!!  Nice to know you are needed and when you ain't hitting 4-5 other guys step up.

Panic will not set in for GSW unless we win G2 and head back to Boston during G3 and run up a 20-point+ lead. Then Ol' Whiny Baby will start throwin' chairs and punching people, ejecting himself, showing his arse, etc.  We've seen this movie before. We're a long way from that though.  Move along, folks. Nothing to see here....yet. Sunday first.  

db