June 03, (THEWILL) – In Game One of the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics scored nine three-pointers in the final quarter to overcome a 12-point deficit and defeat the Golden State Warriors 120-108.
It was a shocking return to the Finals for Eastern Conference champions Celtics, who had previously failed to reach the Finals five times in the previous 12 years.
They also faced a tough opponent and were having a rough time making headway as the Warriors, who had not lost in their previous nine home games in the playoffs, led 92-80. An inspired Stephen Curry had a game-high 34 points.
Yet, Ime Udoka’s Celtics displayed some of the same tenacity that saw them defeat last year’s champions, the Milwaukee Bucks. Al Horford, who joined Boston in 2007, scored 26 points in the fourth quarter, while Jaylen Brown added 10 points to help the Celtics finish the comeback.
Steve Kerr, GSW’s coach admitted that Celtics earned their win after the excellent fourth quarter: “You have to give them credit. They just came in and played a helluva fourth quarter. It’s as simple as that. They deserved their win.”
Game two of the best-of-seven series will take place in San Francisco on Sunday.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
