Jillian Brown fueled a return charge and scored 24 points, Al Harford hit six three-pointers and the Boston Celtics beat the Golden State Warriors 120-108 in the first game in the most one-sided fourth quarter in NBA Finals history.
Harford finished with 26 points and beat Celtics Warriors 40-16 in the last 12 minutes after trailing 15 points late in the third quarter.
Boston made its first seven attempts from a long distance in the fourth and surpassed the 9-of-12 arc in the last 12 minutes as almost everyone was involved in a 3-point jump. Jayson Tatum was the only Celtic regular who struggled aggressively, finishing 3 out of 17.
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Stephen Curry scored 34 points when he returned to the NBA big stage for the first time in three years, but the Warriors could not keep pace with the 38-point third quarter that put them ahead 92-80 in the last 12 minutes.
The best two games of the seven series returned to AEST on Monday at the Chase Center
Celtics’ return to the final was the biggest in three quarters since Michael Jordan’s Bulls beat the Trail Blazers in six games in 1992 to cut a 15-point deficit.
Derrick White’s three-pointer 5:40 left in the curry over was a game tie at 103, then Harford hit deeper next time as the Celtics took their first lead from halftime.
The Celtics are looking to capture their record-breaking 18th title, which will surpass their Lakers and are now just three wins away from doing so.
Brown, who played in nearby California during a college season, made consecutive baskets that tied the game at 47 with 5:03 left before halftime and led the Celtics 56-54 at break. Golden State then used a signature in the third-quarter to pour in 38 points to create a big lead.
Brown then scored five quick points early in the fourth half and helped Robert Williams III to an all-op dunk as the Celtics trailed 92-87 with 9:35 left. Clay Thompson made 94-92 at 3:22 Brown before answering with his own three.
Andrew Wiggins scored six of Golden State’s first 14 points and was injured with 20 in his debut match in the final, with Drymond Green rebounding 11 before fouling with 48.3 seconds remaining. After five consecutive trips and three championship wins since 2015-19, Thompson contributed 15 points as the Warriors started their sixth final in eight years.
They need to win it from behind after being 21-2 in their previous series-opener under Steve Kerr.
“It simply came to our notice then. You obviously have to go through the two games with more frustration. That’s all part of this thing. We’ve been in that position before, “Kerr said.” Boston played a great quarter. They came and won. “
Curry scored a smooth 21 points in the opening period of the 7-of-8 shooting, which included 3 of the 6-of-8 – a half-court haveh missing in the buzzer. And at every spot on the Boston floor the Warriors fought to keep pace with the Snappy Ball Movement and the shooters.
Auto Porter Jr. came back from a two-game absence and scored 12 points for the resting Warriors. Golden State finished its Western Conference final game five at home against Dallas a week ago, while Boston pushed to the limit with seven games in Miami last week.
This post-season Golden State has slipped to 9-1 at home, with the crowd selling yellow final T-shirts shouting “MVP!” Gave the slogan. For curry at every opportunity.
Marcus Smart scored 16 points in four overs for Boston. Celtic star Carrey was criticized by Golden State coach for calling it a “dangerous game” on March 16 in Boston 110-88 in Boston with Curry’s left foot slammed, sidelining the 2021 scoring champion for a month before returning to a game. The first round against Denver.
Now the hard work begins for a Warriors team that went into the league’s worst 15-50 gap in the epidemic-short 2019-20 season two years ago and lost to Memphis in a play-in game last season before eliminating the Grizzlies in the first round this season.
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