The Celtics rocked the Warriors in Game 1 with a dazzling display of shooting, especially in a massive fourth-quarter comeback. Veteran big man Al Horford, who made his NBA Finals debut, led Boston with 26 points on 9-of-12 field goal shooting, including 6-of-8 from 3. He scored 11 of those 26 in the fourth quarter, with the Celtics outscoring the Warriors in a 40-16 final frame. Jaylen Brown also came up big with 24 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, while Derrick White drained five huge 3-pointers en route to 21 points off the bench. Jayson Tatum had a rough night from the field, going just 3-of-17, but he did impact the game with his playmaking by dishing out a career-best 13 assists.
Meanwhile, the Warriors didn’t know what hit them after they took a 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Golden State took control with a patented third-quarter run, only to fall apart in the final 12 minutes of the game. Stephen Curry led the charge for the Warriors, scoring 34 points on 12-of-25 shooting from the field. The two-time NBA MVP came out firing, scoring 21 in the first quarter to go along with six triples. Andrew Wiggins added 20 points, five rebounds, and three blocks, while Otto Porter Jr. tallied 12 points on 4-of-5 3-point shooting off the bench.
For a while, it looked as though a superlative effort by Stephen Curry would be enough for the Warriors. Curry dominated the first quarter, scoring 21 of his 34 points, including 6-of-8 shooting from three-point range. Curry added three rebounds and two assists and was the only player on either team to play all 12 minutes. He scored as many points as Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the rest of the Warriors combined.
Despite that early heater, Curry ended up scoring zero points in the second quarter, which helped allow the Celtics to claw their way back to the lead. The Warriors went up 47-37 midway through the second, then the C’s closed the first half with a 19-7 run to take a 56-54 lead to halftime. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 12 first-half points, and also made a big play at the defensive end with a block on a Kevon Looney layup attempt.
Both teams racked up the threes in the first half, resulting in a new NBA Finals record for a single half, with 20 combined. The teams ended up combining for 40 three-pointers.
The Warriors found a way to surge back ahead and take their biggest lead of the game in the third quarter, when they went up by as many as 14 points while outscoring the Celtics 38-24. Curry came alive again for nine more points, while Andrew Wiggins scored 12 of his 20. Golden State took a 92-80 lead into the fourth, setting the stage for the Celtics’ furious comeback.
Why the Celtics could cover the spread
Well, the Celtics could cover the four-point spread if they shoot like they did in Game 1. Boston shot 50.6 percent from the field and 51.2 percent from long distance on Thursday. Al Horford made six triples, Derrick White drilled in five, and Marcus Smart drained four as the Celtics connected on 21 three-pointers — including nine in the fourth quarter — throughout the evening.
3-point shooting aside, the Celtics could also lock up the Warriors defensively as they did in the fourth quarter of Game 1. A lot of the headlines spoke about Boston’s scintillating fourth-quarter display. But they got it done on the defensive side of the floor as well. The Celtics held the Warriors to just 16 points on 41.2 percent field goal shooting and 2-of-8 3-point shooting in the final period. They also forced Golden State to commit six turnovers in the last quarter.
Boston did all this and got the win despite Jayson Tatum scoring just 13 points on 3-of-17 shooting. As mentioned, Tatum did make his impact with his facilitating and growth in finding open teammates. If the All-NBA star plays up to his standards scoring-wise, the Celtics have a massive chance to go up 2-0 with the series heading to Boston.
Why the Warriors could cover the spread
The Warriors lost at home for the first time in the postseason and will be playing with serious desperation in Game 2. Golden State will need another huge night from Stephen Curry, who scored 21 of his 34 points in the opening frame. Boston did uncharacteristically give up plenty of wide-open 3s to the greatest 3-point shooter of all time early on. But as soon as they tightened up defensively, the Celtics forced Curry to shoot just 5-of-16 the rest of the way.
Golden State will need more production from the rest of the pack. Klay Thompson had a subpar game with just 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Jordan Poole struggled mightily, scoring just nine points on 2-of-7 shooting with four turnovers. Even Draymond Green had a rough night from the field despite his aggressiveness, going just 2-of-12 on the evening. Golden State will also need to limit turnovers, which has been an Achilles’ heel this season. They committed 14 in Game 1, with four of them coming in the disastrous fourth quarter.
Aside from their offensive woes in the fourth quarter, Golden State will also need to tighten up defensively. NBA.com‘s tracking data showed that of Boston’s 41 3-point shot attempts in Game 1, 38 of them were of the open (15) or wide-open (23) variety. The Warriors are susceptible to giving up open 3s. In their previous series versus the Mavericks, 93.3 percent (208-of-223) of Dallas’ treys were either open or wide open, per NBA.com. The Warriors will need to do a much better defending the 3-point line and making the right rotations and at least get Boston to take tougher shots. If they are able to make adjustments with their defense, they should be able to bounce back.
Following the Game 1 defeat, Stephen Curry hinted that there might be some adjustments needed in terms of his minutes and rotation. This is the Finals, so the Warriors may look to go all in and get their best player out there as much as possible.
Final Celtics-Warriors NBA Finals Game 2 prediction and pick
The Warriors should be able to bounce back in Game 2. Boston shot historically well from beyond the arc, which may not happen again on Sunday. Golden State has also yet to lose two in a row this postseason, showing resolve and resiliency throughout the entire year. Look for Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, and Draymond Green to play much better as well, which should help the Warriors even up the series heading to Boston.
Game 2 Pick: Warriors: -4 (-112)
