Celtics 49-51 Warriors, 10:15 third quarter
Tatum hits another three-pointer and like that it’s a one possession game. A dazed Steve Kerr calls a Warriors timeout.
Celtics 46-51 Warriors, 10:56, third quarter
Tatum with a three-pointer and this is suddenly a five-point game! Brilliant start to the second half for Boston.
Celtics 43-51 Warriors, 11:08, third quarter
Thompson immediately picks up a foul, putting Brown on the line. He hits both free throws. I literally just copy-and-pasted that.
Start of the second halfCeltics 41-51 Warriors, 11:33, third quarter
Thompson immediately picks up a foul, putting Brown on the line. He hits both free throws.
Are the Warriors winning this game with defense or are the Celtics losing it with bad decision making? Yes, the answer is yes.
You know the numbers.
Through four games in the Finals….
3rd Quarter: Golden State +49
4th Quarter: Boston +31
— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) June 14, 2022 The Celtics are going to have to reverse these third-quarter trends, it feels like, if they want to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time this postseason.
Andrew Wiggins
Andrew Wiggins was this close to being dismissed as yet another draft bust. All that he’s done with the Warriors is revive his career. Now, he’s scoring 16 points and collecting seven rebounds in the first half of an NBA Finals Game 4.
Halftime thoughts
The bad news for Boston is that they came out listless and the Warriors have led, mostly comfortably, for the entire first half.
The other bad news for Boston is that the Warriors are the best third quarter team in the NBA.
Celtics 39-51 Warriors, end of the first halfCeltics 39-51 Warriors, end of the first half.
That doesn’t help their cause. Wiggins, the best player in the game so far, makes an easy layup. White gets one of two free throws after being fouled. Curry scores, Smart turns the ball over, Green misses the final shot.
The Celtics play a much better second quarter and somehow the Warriors’ lead is one point higher than it was after the first.
Celtics 38-47 Warriors, 53.5, second quarter
Celtics finally get to the line. Horford makes one of two free throws. Curry scores on the next Golden State side. No separation for Boston?
Well that will help, Tatum with a layup. They just have to keep this in single-digits before the half.
Celtics 35-45 Warriors, 1:56, second quarter
You’ll never believe this, but Curry has made both of his free throws.
So much for taking advantage of free throws. It’s been all Golden State on that end.
Celtics 35-43 Warriors, 2:18, second quarter
Back-to-back baskets from Wiggins. I’d call a timeout if I were Boston… and I’d be wrong. Smart scores with a three-pointer. After Smart fouls Curry for free throws, Boston takes a timeout.
Celtics 32-39 Warriors, 3:51, second quarter
Finally, a Celtics player hits a three! It’s Tatum. Of course, Payton scores a two-pointer right back.
Oh maybe this is a trend: Horford connects and that’s back-to-back threes after laying a goose egg from long distance to start the game.
Celtics 26-37 Warriors, 4:49, second quarter
Curry misses a three-pointer. What is going on here? Instead, Wiggins tries to get one the old fashioned way, hitting a floater, picking up a foul and knocking down a free throw. Warriors lead is 11 again.
Celtics 26-34 Warriors, 5:05, second quarter
Okay, Celtics just six points down. Thompson picks up a foul here, that puts Boston in the bonus. With the long-ball not working, that could be part of their strategy for the rest of this quarter.
Brown, however, picks up his first personal foul. Porter and Tatum both miss threes and Green hits a jumper. Finally, the Warriors score here, courtesy of Green.
Celtics 26-32 Warriors, 6:47, second quarter
Warriors can’t score on their possession. Tatum attempts a three-pointer, and these just aren’t going down for Boston. Payton’s three misses. Something of a brick contest here, so when Williams gets the ball he just lays one down. Celtics whittling down the Warriors lead.
Celtics 24-32 Warriors, 8:36, second quarter
Marcus Smart hits a jumper to cut the lead to single-digits and force the Warriors to take a timeout.
Celtics 24-32 Warriors, 9:57, second quarter
On the line, Green makes both free throws. Marcus Smart makes a floater for Boston.
Finally, a bad turnover for Golden State, this one snatched away by Derrick White. White misses a three-pointer, but a loose ball foul on Poole means they maintain possession. Tatum hits a jumper on this second chance opportunity.
Celtics 18-30 Warriors, 9:57, second quarter
Warriors aren’t playing amazing here, but they’re doing what they need to do while the Celtics continue to struggle. Celtics haven’t hit a single three-pointer in this game so far, which is something they kind of need to do against Golden State.
Draymond Green fouls Robert Williams, who hits two free throws but Jordan Poole hits his first basket of the game on the other end. Green then picks off a terrible Tatum pass, forcing Williams to foul Green on the rim to prevent an easy layup.
Celtics 16-27 Warriors, 10:49, second quarter
Celtics get the ball to start the second. Pritchard misses a three-pointer, but a foul on Nemanja Bjelica allows them to keep the ball. They still can’t do anything with the ball, however.
Other Than That, How Was The Play Mrs. Lincoln? Department
Celtics shoot 34 percent in first quarter, go 0-of-5 from 3, just one free throw attempt and four turnover. They are lucky to be down just 11.
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) June 14, 2022 Celtics 16-27 Warriors, end of the first quarter
Disaster ending for the Celtics: Williams gets called for a foul right before the buzzer went off. It’s a shooting foul that puts Wiggins on the line. Plus, Boston head coach Ime Udoka gets called for a technical foul for arguing it. So much for any momentum for the Celtics for that mini-run at the end of the quarter.
Curry—somehow—badly misses the technical free throw. Wiggins only makes one of his free throws. So, that could have gone worse but still terrible end-of-quarter game management.
Celtics 16-26 Warriors, 30.3, first quarter
Tatum with back-to-back makes. The Celtics are desperately going to need him if they want to get back into this game. They also need more stops, which they do not get here. Wiggins scores.
Make that back-to-back-to-back shots by Tatum, who hits a layup. Robert Williams gets a put-back and cuts the Warriors lead to ten points.
Celtics 10-24 Warriors, 1:41, first quarter
Payton Pritchard gets into the game and immediately goes out of bounds. Curry gets a lucky bounce on a jumper and then, FINALLY, Tatum attempts (and makes) a shot.
Celtics 8-22 Warriors, 2:38, first quarter
Brown gets called for a foul, Payton gets on the line. He hits both free throws. Still waiting for the C’s to realize that the game has started.
Celtics 8-20 Warriors, 3:14, first quarter
And Payton hits a three-pointer. This could be over early if the Celtics don’t wake up.
Tatum zero shot attempts or assists, one turnover, exits the game -11.
I’m starting to wonder if he will ever show up to the NBA Finals.
— Jason Timpf (@_JasonLT) June 14, 2022 Not ideal for Boston. I feel like I’ve said that before.
Celtics 8-17 Warriors, 3:50, first quarter
The Celtics are doing a great job in limiting Curry, the problem is this time around the rest of the Warriors are burning them. We get a Warriors timeout after Payton secures a rebound on a Marcus Smart miss.
Celtics 8-17 Warriors, 4:13, first quarter
Second foul on Looney, we’ll see if that’s a factor. Gary Payton II spells Wiggins. This time around, Brown drives through the Warriors defense for a layup and gets a third foul on Looney. He has a chance for a three-point play, but can’t cash in the free throw.
Celtics 6-17 Warriors, 4:54, first quarter
And a long-distance make from Thompson. They are just owning this first quarter.
Celtics 6-14 Warriors, 5:26, first quarter
Finally, the Celtics score. Horford hits a hook shot to put the Celtics on the board after an endless drought.
Celtics 4-14 Warriors, 6:26, first quarter
Here’s Looney in for porter. Derrick White is in for the Celtics, probably the right move. Horford misses a shot after the timeout. Nothing doing for Boston so far. Thompson, of course, hits a jumper and the Warriors already have a ten-point lead.
I see the Celtics decided to do the third quarter early tonight
— Dr. Daniel fromSport, Esq. (@DanielfromSport) June 14, 2022 Maybe it’s going to be out of their system?
Celtics 4-12 Warriors, 7:28, first quarter
Brown and Wiggins trade failed three-point attempts. Both of them looked like good looks. After a brief offensive surge, it looks like both teams are finding a defensive rhythm here. After Wiggins blocks Brown, Green (who looks better here than he has since Game 2) dunks and forces Boston to take an early timeout. Their offense has been utterly lifeless against Golden State.
Celtics 4-10 Warriors, 9:09, first quarter
Brown finds Williams for an alley-oop. Green hits a layup. Then, Brown turns the ball over. Wiggins gets a jumper in the paint and it feels like it’s all Warriors early on.
Celtics 2-6 Warriors, 10:01, first quarter
Brown scores first for the Celtics, followed promptly by an answer from Wiggins. Draymond Green gets called for an early foul, fouling Smart. Boston can’t score on their possession. Curry hits a layup for Golden State.
Opening tipCeltics 0-2 Warriors, 11:42, first quarter
Warriors win the opening tip. Porter starts off with a layup.
National Anthem
Today’s anthem performer? Another Santana veteran: singer Tony Lindsay. No frills, big booming voice, very smooth delivery. 7/10.
The real MVP of this series is whoever has been choosing the Gang Starr songs that ABC has been playing to transition from the pregame show to the broadcast proper. R.I.P. Guru.
Michael Wilbon also has the Warriors scoring 120 points today. So at least I’m in good company, even if my prediction doesn’t pan out.
Golden State Warriors starting lineup
Andrew Wiggins, F
Otto Porter Jr, F
Draymond Green, C/F
Klay Thompson, G
Stephen Curry, G
Kevon Looney is on the bench rather than Draymond Green, that’s an interesting move from the Warriors but one imagines that Looney will be playing starting-type minutes. Porter has had a fantastic series, however, and has earned starting honors.
Boston Celtics starting lineup
Jayson Tatum, G/F
Al Horford, F
Robert Williams, C
Jaylen Brown, F/G
Marcus Smart, G
Jayson Tatum
If this series was supposed to be Jayson Tatum vs. Steph Curry, well clearly that’s not really a contest. Tatum has been alternating between good games and subpar ones, something which is partly due to how the Warriors have been defending him.
Stephen A. Smith is going off here on the prediction that Curry could win Finals MVP even in a losing effort. That is as good of a time as any to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the greatest sports-related tweet of all time. ALL TIME.