CelticsBlog Live: Game 1 of The 2022 NBA Finals

Ime Udoka says that he’d like to use Time Lord for twenty minutes tonight but can go longer if need be. Williams didn’t look great in Game 7 in Miami, but four days off should help his mobility heading into Game 1 of The Finals.

Steve Kerr says that Gary Payton II, Andre Iguodala, and Otto Porter Jr. will all be available, but was vague on whether they’d play today.

— Bill Sy

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Banner 17 in gold on the neck line with the gold Finals logo is giving me chills.

— Bird Rights

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KG picks Celtics in Game 1. I looked it up. Garnett was 8-6 in Game 1’s when he was in Boston.

— Bill Sy

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In the regular season, the Smart-Brown-Tatum-Horford-Williams starting lineup finished with a 24.6 net rating (118.8 offensive, 94.2 defense). In the playoffs, they’ve been a -9.9 (95.9 offensive, 105.8 defensive). Some of that is injuries, but it’s been a marked drop off from the first 82.

The Warriors are going with their normal starters of Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, Green, and Looney.

— Bill Sy

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Boston’s 22nd iteration of a Finals starting 5.

— Bird Rights

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The NBA. It’s fantastic.

— Bill Sy

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There hasn’t been a Game 1 like tonight’s, not just because it’s the Finals, but there’s just so much unknown. Against Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Miami, you kinda knew how the Celtics would approach defending Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Butler & Bam. With how versatile and unconventional the Warriors play, there are just so many ways to defend them. That’s the big question heading into this first quarter.

— Bill Sy

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Underdog narrative engaged.

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I’m excited for Mark Jones to get the call up while Mike Breen recovers from COVID-19. Jones has called quite a few Celtics games this season with partner, Doris Burke.

— Simon Pollock

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That lineup has never lost a playoff series - right, Doc?

— Jeff Clark

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Entire ESPN panel picking the Warriors? Sounds like the perfect recipe for Boston!

— Jack Simon

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Who did The Finals national anthem better: Neil Schon or Carlos Santana?(There is a right answer, and it’s Santana.)

— Simon Pollock

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Santana FTW

— Bird Rights

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CANNOT let Looney dominate the offensive glass. Giving the Splash Bros multiple looks is a recipe for disaster.

Would also recommend actually guarding Steph Curry. Seems like that’d be a good plan…

— Jack Simon

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Fifteen of the first twenty-five shots between both teams are threes. It seems unlikely that the Celtics will have a chance to win this game let alone the series with those numbers. Boston has gone under screens and lost guys in transition. Expect Ime Udoka to go small after the timeout to cut out those open shots.

— Bill Sy

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Jaylen Brown with a stunning chase down block on Looney then ran the floor for an uncontested throw down. Great B2B effort plays.

— Bird Rights

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Ime has gone deep into the bench after playing only 7 guys vs Miami. Theis, Pritchard, Williams, White all in to close the quarter alongside Jayson Tatum.

— Bird Rights

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Curry has 21 points on 6-of-8 from behind the arc in the first quarter. That’s a Finals record for most threes in a single frame. And yet, Boston is down just 4.

— Bill Sy

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Legit confused and concerned about the Celtics seemingly dropping on coverage and giving wide open 3’s. Gotta figure that out and adjust or we’re going to be toasted smores.

— Jeff Clark

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The Celtics have started to use their enormous size differential against the Warriors. They’re isolating Tatum on Steph, utilizing Time Lord in their vertical game. After three straight physical series out east, they’ve brought bully ball to left coast.

Remember the foulfest that was the Eastern Conference Finals? At halftime, none of the starters have a foul. Derrick White has two, Grant Williams has one, and Daniel Theis, of course, has one, too.

— Bill Sy

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Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Great half from Boston, fueled by a 10-0 run in the 2nd quarter, the defensive effort ramped up on the Warriors. Up two points over the home team in Game 1 of the Finals is big time. How will both teams adjust in the 2nd half?

— Bird Rights

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Boston coming out of halftime playing undisciplined. Looney has 6 offensive rebounds, as the Warriors are winning the battle of the boards 29-22. Tatum is 2 from 11 with just 10 points. He is passing the ball well though with 7 assists, but the Celtics need more from Tatum, as a superstar player. His direct opponent Andrew Wiggins is outscoring him by 5 with 16 points.

— Bird Rights

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Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Tatum has started Game 1 shooting 2-for-11, but has seven assists. The Warriors aren’t doubling him on the catch and he’s been able to put the ball on the floor, but he’s taken seven long-2’s outside of the restricted area so far.

— Bill Sy

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Warriors still absolutely torching the Celtics from deep. Celtics adjusted in the second quarter then reverted back to inexplicably bad perimeter defense. Have to adjust back. Through three quarters, Golden State has hit 16-of-35 from behind the arc for 45.7% from behind the arc.

— Jack Simon

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Another trademark disaster third quarter for Boston. The Celtics gave up 38 points and now trail by 12. Boston has a mountain to climb if they want to come back and make it close. Not impossible but the play of the team in the third, doesn’t instill much confidence.

— Bird Rights

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The Celtics are just the latest opponent in almost a decade of Warriors greatness to suffer this third quarter onslaught.All things considered, it could be worse?

— Simon Pollock

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Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

What makes Derrick White the perfect 6th man is that he’s coming in with the opposing team most likely in the penalty and constantly driving. He closes the third quarter with a big three and four free throws to give Boston a puncher’s chance.

— Bill Sy

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Boston flipped a switch in the start of the quarter. Led by Jaylen Brown, the Celtics got stops and with Curry on the bench, rattling off the first 7 points to get it back to 5 points in the blink of an eye.

— Bird Rights

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Drive and kick game alive and well in San Fran. Celtics have hit four straight 3’s to take a 3-point lead!

— Bill Sy

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Boston’s shooting is the story of the 4th quarter thus far, Derrick White with a pair of triples, Al Horford with a pair of triples, Payton Pritchard with his own triple. Boston up 8 and 3:27 away from stealing homecourt as the Warriors fans are shocked.

Boston was ultra aggressive to close this one out. Unlike the Heat series, Boston stepped on the necks of the Warriors, as the Celtics take homecourt away from Golden State with a Game 1 win. Horford finished with 26 points, Jaylen Brown 24 and Derrick White 21.

— Bird Rights