BOSTON, JUNE 17 (BUS): The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA once again, topping the Boston Celtics 103-90 Thursday night to claim their fourth title in the past eight seasons.
Stephen Curry scored 34 points and was named the NBA Finals MVP as the Warriors claimed the franchise’s seventh overall championship, AP reports.
And it has completed a journey like no other, after a run of five consecutive Finals, plummeting to the bottom of the NBA, and now a return to greatness after just two seasons with the worst record in the league.
“We found a way to get it done,” Curry said after accepting the Warriors’ championship trophy and celebrating on the field.
With tears in his eyes and emotion, Carrie struggled to speak as he explained what allowed the Warriors to capture their last crown.
“It’s part of the championship lineage and our experience,” he said. “We have built this for 10-11 years. It means a lot when you get to this point.”
For Carey, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, it’s a fourth championship. The first three episodes came in 2015, 2017, and 2018, when the Golden State was a dynasty and made five consecutive trips to the Finals.
“They’re all unique, they’re all special,” coach Steve Kerr said of the multiple titles. “This was probably the most likely. … It takes a team effort to get it done and we had a great group.”
Injuries, including one that kept Thompson out for two and a half years, and roster changes changed everything. But this season, with Thompson back near the halfway mark, the Warriors are finally back.
Back to the top too. The champions, once again, denied the storied Celtics what would have been their record 18th championship, a tournament that would have allowed Boston to break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the greatest amount in league history.
This The Warriors story ended very differently than their last World Cup appearance against Toronto in 2019, with Kevin Durant rupturing his Achilles tendon in Game 5 and then Thompson ripping his ACL in what became the game’s Raptors title winner. 6.
The effects of that loss were compounded by Durant’s decision to leave that summer at free agency to join the Brooklyn Nets and Thompson injured Achilles while rehabilitating his knee injury.
“It all paid off,” Thompson said. “It was dog days, so many tears were shed. … You knew it was a possibility, but to see it in real time. … That’s crazy.”
The Golden State team pushed for a rebuild that turned into a reload. The Warriors used their two-year hiatus from the biggest NBA stages to rearrange their roster — adding a first-time draft pick in Andrew Wiggins, who excelled in his first Final, alongside another rising star in Jordan Bowl.
“That’s definitely different knowing what the last three years have been like, how it’s been,” said Carey. “Injuries, changing goalkeeper, rolls, youth. … Now, we’ve got four trophies. Me, Dray, Clay and Andre.
“I finally got that bad boy,” Curry added, referring to the Player of the Year trophy. “It is special. …everyone was important in the process.”
Yes, everything clicked.
For Kerr, it’s his ninth tournament overall after winning five tournaments as a player. He is the sixth coach to win four titles, joining Phil Jackson, Reed Auerbach, John Kondla, Greg Popovich and Pat Riley.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 34 points but Jayson Tatum finished with just 13 points, shooting only 6 of 18 from the field. Boston also committed 22 spins, dropping to 1-8 in the postseason when they committed 16 or more.
It was only the fifth defeat in 22 games in the series of titles for Boston, which turned their season around for a chance at that crown. Boston were 25-25 after 50 games and then went off their rip to reach the Finals and nearly claimed what would have been just their second franchise championship since 1986.
This was the third consecutive season that things have been affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and while things have been closer to normal, photos and video of the tournament celebration will serve as a constant reminder that the virus remains an issue.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was unable to be in the game because he remained within the league’s health and safety protocols related to the virus. The redesigned Larry O’Brien Trophy – the golden trophy for the NBA champions – was presented to the Warriors by Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum instead.
Boston trailed by 22 points but fought back and reduced the difference to eight. The Jaylen Brown 3-pointer came to 86-78 with 5:33 to play, but the Warriors didn’t concede the lead.
“I just couldn’t stand the run,” said Robert Williams of the Celtics. “Mess up. They played more aggressively and won tonight.”
Curry sent Boston fans swarming the exits with his sixth of the night to give the Warriors a solid 15-point lead, 96-81 — then clasped his hands in the face as he ran back down the field, signaling the end of Boston’s hopes of extending the streak.
“We’ve had a lot of great players, but Steve, at the end of the day is the reason this race happened,” Kerr said.
Hints
Warriors: They went on 19 of 45 from the 3-point streak. …improved to 20-1 when Green makes 3 pointers.
Celtics: Boston’s 13-point loss was their first Final without a number-one game. … former Celtic Ray Allen, a member of Boston’s last championship team in 2008, sat on the court. Also in attendance was Hall of Famer Robert Parish.
operation and response
The Celtics came out shooting, and they drew energy from the deafening TD Garden crowd to take an early 14-2.
Golden State was unwavering and responded with a 35-8 sprint that extended into the second quarter on its way to building up to 22 points. The Warriors beat the Celtics 27-17 in the period and led 54-39 in the second half as some Celtics fans booed the home team as they left the field.
Boston fought back for third, but the Warriors found their range from behind the arc, connected by a six 3-second quarterback.