Boston Celtics star guard Jaylen Brown came off the bench to score 24 points and help the Celtics overcome a big deficit and beat the Golden State Warriors 120-108 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. As Boston put up a record-breaking fourth quarter, Al Horford added 16 points and six 3-pointers.
Horford had a big game for the Celtics, finishing with 26 points. They overcame a 15-point deficit in the third quarter and went on to win the game by outscoring the Warriors 40-16.
The Celtics made their first seven shots from behind the arc in the fourth quarter, and they ended up making 9-of-12 three-point shooting during the final 12 minutes. The only player who struggled was Jaylen Tatum, who finished with a 3-for-17 shooting performance.
Stephen Curry had a big game for the Warriors, as he was able to score 34 points in his return to the NBA Finals. However, the team could not maintain its momentum after a 38-point third quarter.
Biggest comeback in NBA Finals
The comeback by the Celtics was the biggest in the NBA Finals since Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 6 of the 1992 NBA Finals.
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After Curry missed a three-point shot with 5:40 remaining, Derrick White made a three-point shot to tie the game at 103. Horford then hit a long-range shot to help the Celtics take the lead.
The Celtics are now just three wins away from their 18th NBA title. If they win their next game, they will surpass the Los Angeles Lakers as the league’s all-time leader in victories.
Brown, who played in California during his college career, made back-to-back three-point shots to help the Celtics close the first half and take a 56-54 lead. The Warriors then used a huge third-quarter run to take a commanding lead.
In the fourth quarter, Brown made five quick points and assisted on an alley-oop pass to Robert Williams III to help the Celtics close the gap. After the Warriors went ahead by nine, Brown made a three-point shot, making it 94-92 with 8:22 remaining.
Andrew Wiggins had a great debut in the NBA Finals, as he scored six of Golden State’s first 14 points. Draymond Green had 11 rebounds before he was forced to foul out with 48.3 seconds remaining. Klay Thompson had 15 points for the Warriors, who are in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in eight years.
Warriors seek revenge in Game 2
The Warriors will have to win Game 2 as -4.5 point favorites at BetMGM sportsbook to avoid going down 0-2 in the series. They were 21-2 in their previous Game 1 victories under Steve Kerr. The head coach said the team will have to play with a different mindset after facing the Celtics in Game 1.
“It’s a different feeling. You obviously go into Game 2 with more of a sense of desperation. That’s all part of this stuff. We’ve been in this position before,” Kerr said. “Boston played a brilliant quarter. They came in and earned the win.”
Curry had a great start to the game, as he made six of his first eight shots from three-point range, including a missed half-court shot at the end of the first quarter’s buzzer. The Warriors were able to get out on fast breaks and make quick passes throughout the game. They will step up their game and do whatever it takes to win Game 2.