Golden State Warriors celebrate World Championship victory at TD Garden in Boston after defeating the Boston Celtics in six games on Thu Jun 16, 2022 (@warriors photo)
Golden State Warriors World Champions After Beating Boston 103-90
By Barbara Mason
Thursday night the Golden State Warriors took on the Boston Celtics and closed it out in six games winning the NBA Finals 103-90 at TD Garden.
The Warriors were 0-3 in playoff play when they had the chance to close out a series on the road. On the flip side of the coin the Boston Celtics have a 3-0 record in elimination games.
Teams leading 3-2 going into a game six have an 81% chance of winning. The last team to blow a 3-2 lead however, was the Warriors against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
Game 6 recap: The Celtics came into the first quarter on fire taking a 12-2 lead in the opening minutes. A couple of turnovers from the Warriors and a couple of three’s from Jaylen Brown was the difference in this game with a long long way to go. Three minutes into this game Klay Thompson was already in foul trouble and later Kevon Looney would find himself in foul trouble as well with two fouls. In a 17 point turnaround the Warriors took a 27-22 lead after 12 minutes.
The Warriors took a 15 point in the first two minutes of the second quarter. Marcus Smart had his third foul in the quarter but the Celtics were fighting their way back into this game trailing 37-29 with a lot of time left in the second.
Looney picked up his third foul in the second quarter. With under three minutes left in the first half the Warriors had taken an 18 point lead 51-33. Draymond Green was having an amazing game offensively and defensively with five points, five assists and seven rebounds. Golden State led at the half 54-39 with the Splash Brothers each turning in 12 points.
Boston turned a 22 point Warrior lead into 12 in the closing minutes of the third quarter, With under two minutes left in the third Boston had made a real push trailing 76-66 after three. It had been a 16-4 run for the Celtics despite a 17 turnover tally.
Golden State turned it on in the fourth quarter leading 101-86 with 1:30 remaining in the game. There would be no collapse for the Warriors in this game. The Celtic turnovers were a huge factor in the Boston loss. The Golden State Warriors were the NBA World Champions. The final was 103-90. It was nothing short of a finals masterpiece.
Curry was back after a tough game five with 34 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Green was amazing with 17 rebounds, eight assists and 12 points. This was a real team effort that could not have been accomplished had it not been for every single player on the floor tonight.
A rough start for the Warriors turned into a glorious finish. “I’m so proud of our group. I thank God everyday that I get to play this game at the highest level with some amazing people,” said Curry the NBA Most Valuable Player after the game. “What we’ve been through in the past few years: it’s amazing. We hit rock bottom with injuries. We never take this for granted because you never know when you will be back here” he said.
It was a massive celebration for the Warriors on center court and a tough pill to swallow for the Celtics watching their opponents celebrate on their home floor. There was a huge celebration back at Chase Center with a watch party inside and out.
The Warriors now have their fourth championship in eight years, a level that few teams have been able to reach. They came so far in the past three years, going from worst in the league to world champions making this championship probably the sweetest they have ever celebrated.