NBA Finals 2022, Game 1: Boston Celtics stun Golden State Warriors with fourth-quarter comeback

After a fourth-quarter onslaught, Boston Celtics defeated Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA 2022 Finals, held at the Chase Center in San Fransisco on Thursday night. The game started with a shooting barrage from Stephen Curry, who made a record six three-pointers in the first quarter, the most threes made in an NBA Finals opening quarter. Thanks to Curry’s 21 points and two assists, the Warriors took a four-point lead at the end of the first period. The Celtics would cut this lead and eventually take a lead of two points to half-time with a balanced offensive display. Jaylen Brown had 12 points, Marcus Smart had 10, and Jayson Tatum would put up eight points with seven assists.

However, in typical Warriors fashion, it dominated the third quarter. The home team scored 38 points in the quarter, including 28 from the trio of Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole. Thanks to its brilliant offensive execution, the Warriors took a 12-point lead into the fourth quarter.

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The Celtics would need an exceptional performance in the final quarter to beat the Warriors that had not lost a Playoff game at Chase Center, with a 12-point deficit on the road. It managed to get the exceptional performance it needed. The Celtics did the unthinkable with a Finals-record of 40 fourth-quarter points while stifling the Warriors to 16 points. The Celtics couldn’t miss from three, as it made nine threes in the quarter at 75% shooting.

Al Horford was the hero of the final quarter and the total game. Horford, who turns 36 on Friday, had 11 points, a couple of rebounds, an assist, and a steal in less than six fourth-quarter minutes. Horford had his team-leading 26 points, with six rebounds and three assists for the game. Horford was highly efficient with his scoring, as he made nine of his 12 shots, including six three-point makes from eight attempts. Twitter was full of praise for the Celtics’ big man.

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The Celtics also got valuable contributions from Jaylen Brown, who had 24 points, Derrick White (21), and Marcus Smart (18). While Jayson Tatum had one of his worst scoring games, he compensated somewhat for his passing and playmaking, as he ended the game with 13 assists.

Steph Curry had an excellent performance for the Warriors, with 34 points, while Andrew Wiggins had 20 points. Draymond Green struggled on the offensive end as he only made two of his 12 field goal attempts. Twitter was impressed with the Celtics’ depth, especially as its superstar had a poor game by his standards. The Celtics also created history with their comeback. Game 2 of the NBA Finals will take place on Monday, starting at 5:30 AM.