Golden State disposed of Boston on the boards of the TD Garden (90-103) last night and thus won the seventh NBA championship title in its history.
The victory and the coronation for Golden State. Led by the MVP of the 2022 NBA Finals, Mr. Stephen Curry, author of 34 points at 6/11 three-pointers on Thursday evening, with 7 rebounds and 7 assists as a bonus, the Warriors disposed of the Celtics (90-103) at TD Garden, Mass., and won the series 4-2, capturing their fourth title since 2015 and seventh in franchise history. Only two clubs have more banners hanging from the ceiling of their hall: the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers (17).
Pushed back to 22 lengths at the height of Golden State’s domination on Thursday, Jaylen Brown (32 pts), Al Horford (19 pts, 14 rbs) and company held on as long as they could. But how can you hope for victory with 22 bullet losses… Especially when the other local star, Jayson Tatum finishes at 6/18 on shots (13 pts)! On the Warriors side, 18 points from Andrew Wiggins, 16 for Jordan Poole, 12 for Klay Thompson, clumsy (5/20), and 12 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks to credit to Draymond Green. The account is good for the Californians, last in the standings for the 2019-20 season (15-50) and now back at the top. “No one believed we’d be here a year ago, except the people who are there on the floor“recalled Curry, moved to tears at the end. Strong, very strong.
Boston is off to a strong start, but…
Everything had however started ideally for the players of Ime Udoka, developing a dream basketball offensively and taking advantage of the visitors’ cascading ball losses (14-2). It was not going to last… Curry and company found their spirits, their game, their defense, and the C’s also began to multiply the losses of ball while the triples fell like the rain on the Warriors side. The start of a 21-0 straddling the first two quarters (22-16, then 22-37)! Rhythm, skill, Poole as a blaster off the bench: Boston overwhelmed… but not drowned, with a 7-0 to revive the machine and the suspense (29-37). Despite the dissuasion of Robert Williams III (10 pts, 7 rbs, 5 cos) in the paint, Golden State started again to (re) take off (33-54) and complete the first period at +15 (39- 54 MT). 24 points for the “Splash Brothers”, 26 rebounds at 17 for the Warriors, 10 increased to 3, 12 ball losses for the C’s (at 8)… The Dubs just a notch above.
Le festival Curry
A notch above, but not yet enough to declare victory, with always these losses of ball and Horford which put the nose with the window (44-57, then 47-60). The moment Curry chose to climb the towers and catch fire: three pluses for him, in addition to two for Otto Porter Jr (50-72). The Curry festival, after his match at 0/9 by far last Monday, at the Chase Center, it was to be expected…
Accustomed to reversals of situation, the C’s had not yet said their last word, led by Brown and Horford, the latter, author of a third quarter of madness, blowing up the TD Garden by countering Poole (65-74, then 66-76 end of 3rd QT). Taking cold from afar, with a series of 11 missed triples, the visitors left the door open, Brown bringing his team down to -8 with 5’35 remaining (78-86). Never closer. The Warriors scored 10 of the next 13 points (81-96), with a Curry triple that air-conditioned the TD Garden. That of Wiggins, still magnificent in defense, with less than 2 minutes to play, killed the match (84-99, then 90-103 final score).
Tatum and Brown, the future ahead of them
After dismissing Brooklyn (4-0), supporters of Milwaukee (4-3) and Miami (4-3), the Celtics, in search of an 18th coronation and their first since 2008, have found someone to talk to. The Warriors were at the end of their odyssey after taking out Denver (4-1), Memphis (4-2) and Dallas (4-1). It remains to be seen whether they will have the opportunity to further embellish their record in the years to come, when Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have all passed their thirties. At 24 and 25, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have their whole future ahead of them. Their time had simply not yet come. It was still that of these Warriors that we thought was over after the departure of Kevin Durant in 2019 and the injuries of the “Splash Brothers”, in particular Klay Thompson. We were wrong. The proof.
