The Boston Celtics Win Game 1 in the Most Lopsided Fourth Quarter in NBA Finals History
The Boston Celtics Win Game 1 in the Most Lopsided Fourth Quarter in NBA Finals History
The Boston Celtics rode the most lopsided fourth quarter in NBA finals history to a 120-108 victory over Golden State in Game 1 of the NBA Finals Thursday night. The Celtics roared out to an early 12-point lead, but Golden State fought back to tie the game at 80 with just under six minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Warriors took their first lead of the game, 86-85, on back-to-back layups by Kevin Durant and Steph Curry midway through the fourth quarter, but that’s when things really started to take off for Boston.
What happened?
The Warriors entered Game 1 of the NBA finals as +235 favorites, a point spread that, for what it’s worth, was by far their biggest of these playoffs. On Monday night, with 5:26 left in regulation and a five-point lead on their rivals from Boston, Golden State had all but wrapped up an easy victory. Then they were outscored 20-2 over less than four minutes—the worst quarter to that point of any finals game since at least 1983. The Celtics went on to win 120-108; it would be unreasonable to expect a repeat performance. But who knows? Maybe they can even things up by winning by 40 points...
How did they do it?
Golden State lost three straight games to close out its second-round series against San Antonio, and that game fatigue showed up in Game 1. As soon as Stephen Curry picked up his fourth foul with just over a minute left, it was clear we were headed for a memorable finish. With Golden State still within striking distance at 99-96, Stevens pulled Isaiah Thomas—who had just 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting—from the game and inserted Jonas Jerebko. Jerebko proceeded to score five quick points before Golden State called timeout with 34 seconds left on its bench.
What does this mean?
The Boston Celtics finally won an NBA championship last night. That's old news and most of us expected them to win after they blew a 26-point lead to Golden State in game 7 of last year's finals. What shocked everyone is how they won. Down by 9 with just five minutes left, it looked like Golden State was going to force another game 7 against a team that was playing with all its might. Then Isaiah Thomas hit back-to-back threes, Al Horford made a few jumpers, Marcus Smart scored 6 points and suddenly...the C’s were ahead 98-89 with 40 seconds left! It was one of those games where fans knew their team would find a way to win – despite being down big – but nobody could believe HOW!
How will the Warriors respond?
The Warriors had a 35-point lead to start the fourth quarter, but it evaporated in a few minutes. That's basketball, and that's why you've got to have a veteran team. But if you're going to go down, do it swinging. Do it like Ray Allen was doing last night, hitting shots from impossible angles as time ticks away with LeBron James closing on him. If there's any aspect of last night that I'd give Coach Mark Jackson credit for, it's being willing to let his team play through losing their lead rather than choking up and trying not to lose too badly.
Will there be another comeback?
Given Golden State’s incredible play throughout these playoffs, it’s easy to feel like no lead is safe against them. We saw them come back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals, so maybe a two-possession fourth quarter deficit will seem trivial by comparison. But I’m not sold on that idea. The Warriors have been here before and they don’t panic. Still, if there is one team that can force a comeback out of them, it’s probably Brad Stevens and Co. They just have so many weapons—they shoot well from outside, they get to loose balls and second chances, they get timely stops—that it can be tough for any team to close out tight games against them.
Will they win again at home?
Perhaps Golden State will have a solution for its fourth-quarter woes by next weekend, but it is hard to imagine a way for them to go from being outscored by 15 points per 100 possessions over 41 minutes of action on Monday night to winning two games in Boston. The Warriors were so flummoxed that they could not get their offensive sets properly designed, often having poor floor balance and putting Stephen Curry (29 points) and Klay Thompson (13 points) into difficult situations. The problems were obvious: Golden State looked like a team completely at sea as soon as it fell behind and spent most of fourth quarters with lots of miscommunication on both ends of the court.
Is this as good as it gets for them?
It’s difficult to put an asterisk on such a resounding victory, but it’s worth noting that the Warriors were shorthanded and likely won’t be again. Stephen Curry’s re-injury to his right ankle just 11 minutes into Game 1 is significant; even if he returns for Game 2—and it’s currently unclear whether or not he will—he probably won’t be 100 percent. Golden State could still come back here and make things very interesting, but don't get ahead of yourself.