Trailing by 12 points after three quarters, the Celtics powered on from the three-point line while stifling the Warriors for long minutes en route to a 40-16 final quarter.
Boston won 120-108 to take a 1-0 lead in this best-of-seven series. The next meeting will take place on Sunday, also in San Francisco.
Steph Curry marked his return to the Finals for the first time since 2019 with six shots from outside the arc in the first quarter, but the Celtics managed to stay just 4 points behind the Warriors after 12 minutes, despite the 21 points from the all-star point guard. Curry was shut out in the next quarter, however, and finished the game with a game-high 34 points.
However, it is the touch from outside the arc of the Celtics in the fourth quarter that will have decided the identity of the winners. Boston made its first seven 3-point shots and regained the lead for the first time with 5 minutes left on a shot from Al Horford, who added a second straight long shot seconds later, followed by a two-point shot that finished knocking out the Warriors.
In the end, the Celtics will have scored 17 points in a row from 100-103 to 117-103 to save themselves with victory, while the Warriors were unable to reply during this offensive barrage which lasted only four minutes.
Veteran Horford led the Celtics with 26 points, a career-high six shots from long range. Jalen Brown added 24 points and Derrick White 21 as Boston survived a tough night from all-star Jayson Tatum (12 points, 3 for 17).
Canadian Andrew Wiggins added 20 points for the Warriors in the loss.
