SAN FRANCISCO — The Boston Celtics’ response to successful Sport 1 of the N.B.A. finals on Thursday night time was a marked distinction from the joyous celebration they’d held after successful Sport 7 of the Jap Convention finals earlier within the week. As a substitute of chest bumps at midcourt after the ultimate buzzer, the Celtics walked stoically off the courtroom on Thursday, every participant stone-faced, some engrossed in conversations with coaches.
This stage was purported to be too massive for these Celtics, a staff, although not a franchise, that was new to the finals. There have been purported to be jitters as soon as the sequence began for this band of principally 20-somethings dealing with a veteran Golden State Warriors staff that has been right here loads of occasions. Maybe the Celtics would act as if they’d by no means achieved this earlier than — as a result of, effectively, they hadn’t.
But of their 120-108 victory in Sport 1, the Celtics confirmed no indication that they might shy from the stress and expectations that include taking part in within the finals. They confirmed a capability to be hit first, and arduous, solely to get well and prevail anyway.
“We’ve been counted out all 12 months,” Celtics guard Marcus Sensible stated. “Rightfully so. We’ve had moments. However we proceed to battle. That’s who we’re.”
Earlier than Sport 1, Celtics Coach Ime Udoka was requested if he thought finals expertise was an overrated metric for predicting success within the sequence. In answering, he famous first that he and others on his workers did have expertise within the finals, even when their gamers didn’t. However then he dismissed the premise that his staff was at an obstacle even earlier than the sequence started.
“Our younger guys have had numerous success to this point attending to the Jap Convention finals a number of occasions,” Udoka stated. “So for us: Attempt to simplify it, not overcomplicate it. Enterprise as regular. Basketball as regular. The issues we did to achieve success coming right here, we’ll attempt to do extra of the identical.”
It was extra of the identical in some ways.
The Celtics endured loads of dramatic swings through the common season and, extra narrowly, in these playoffs. They struggled firstly of the 12 months, then grew to become the most well liked staff within the N.B.A. They absorbed blowout losses previously two rounds of the playoffs, in opposition to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Warmth, then recovered to ship blowout wins. Each sequence went to seven video games.
So in Sport 1, they have been assured of their means to get well from any drawback. Udoka acknowledged noticing some early nerves however stated he additionally noticed them dissipate as the sport progressed. Every time he appeared on the rating and noticed it was shut regardless of his staff’s missteps, he took coronary heart.
Stephen Curry, for instance, scored 21 factors within the first quarter, making six of eight 3-point makes an attempt, which set a document for 3-pointers in 1 / 4 within the finals.
“I believe I discovered numerous area clearly within the first quarter and simply was attempting to trip that wave so long as I may,” Curry stated. However Boston made changes and Curry didn’t rating within the second quarter. He completed with 34 factors.
One other Boston turnaround got here within the second half.
Within the third quarter, the Warriors outscored the Celtics by 14 factors, seeming to drag away and opening a 15-point lead at one level. Golden State is known for its means to dominate third quarters on its option to wins, however this time it didn’t work.
Boston made defensive changes to answer what they’d seen within the third quarter and held Golden State to only 16 factors within the fourth. Their offense abruptly appeared unstoppable. The Celtics scored 40 factors within the fourth quarter, and, at one level, Boston made seven consecutive threes. Al Horford scored 11 fourth-quarter factors and Jaylen Brown scored 10.
“The message firstly of the fourth was, we’ve been right here earlier than,” Jayson Tatum stated. “We all know what it takes to beat a deficit like that.”
He added: “We had numerous time left, proper? It wasn’t time to hold your head or be achieved, it was time to determine it out.”
Tatum himself proved an instance of Boston’s means to adapt and alter within the face of struggles. He shot 3 for 17 within the recreation, however remained engaged, ending with extra assists (13) than factors (12). Within the fourth quarter, the Celtics outscored Golden State by 27 factors when Tatum was on the courtroom. Regardless of his poor taking pictures, he declared himself “ecstatic.”
“I had a nasty taking pictures night time,” Tatum stated. “I simply tried to influence the sport in different methods. We’re within the championship. We’re within the finals. All I used to be frightened about was attempting to get a win, and we did.”
Boston swept the Nets of their first-round playoff sequence, however they have been acutely aware of the truth that in each the convention semifinals in opposition to the Bucks and the convention finals in opposition to the Warmth, they misplaced Sport 1 earlier than successful the sequence. After opening the finals with a win, they have been eager to protect in opposition to falling sufferer to the reverse.
Golden State will definitely alter to what went fallacious Thursday night time. Their coach, Steve Kerr, has stated the problem of determining how to try this is his favourite half about being within the playoffs. A sequence affords the chance to strategize far more than a single recreation through the common season.
Tatum was taking part in the lengthy recreation after Boston’s victory, too. He stated the Celtics had proven a bent in previous sequence for relieving their depth after wins, one thing they can’t afford to do in opposition to Golden State.
“This time of the season, you’re feeling nice after you win,” Tatum stated. “You are feeling horrible after you lose. You bought to only be capable of keep mellow, keep balanced, particularly this early.
“It’s removed from over, proper? It’s only one recreation. And we obtained to be prepared for them to reply as if we might if we misplaced the primary recreation.”
