The Golden State Warriors have clinched the 2021-22 NBA championship in a sublime and composed performance, beating the Boston Celtics in game six – 103-90.
The Warriors have now won four championships in the past eight years and last night’s game gives Golden State their seventh title in franchise history.
Warriors’ superstar Stephen Curry capped off a brilliant post-season and finals campaign, finishing the game with 34 points and fittingly awarded the NBA finals MVP.
Speaking to ESPN after the game Curry said it had been a long road to win the championship for a team that had the worst record in the league just three seasons ago.
“We found a way to get it done,” he said.
“Everybody… had a part in this. From the front office, coaches, players.
“At the beginning of the year, what were they (critics) saying… we weren’t even on the radar and now we are here with two trophies.
“It means a lot”.
The Warriors managed to contain an aggressive start to the game by the Celtics with stars Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum making a pair of three-point shots to force the Warriors to take a time out with a 12-2 points lead early in the first quarter.
Warriors Guards Klay Thompson and Curry were booked for fouls early in the game with Thompson being booked for a pair as Golden State struggled offensively.
Check out the best of @StephenCurry30 in the 2022 #NBAFinals to see the plays that earned him the 2022 Bill Russell Trophy as Finals MVP!
? 31.2 PPG | 6 RPG | 5 APG pic.twitter.com/baNC3x67Rj
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2022
Just as Boston appeared to have overcome their woes in turning the ball over to gain momentum, the Warriors produced a thrilling turnaround to end the first quarter up 27-22.
Curry and emerging post-season stars Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, and Gary Payton Junior combined to orchestrate 11 unanswered points in the final two minutes of the first period.
Golden State’s suffocating defence fuelled their attacking onslaught as the team based out of San Francisco engaged in their typical slick ball movement to create scoring opportunities across the court.
The Warriors picked up where they left off in the second quarter forcing Celtics coach Ime Udoka to take a time out as Golden State took a 32-22 lead.
The first-year head coach was forced to take another time out in a matter of minutes as the Warriors continued to dominate, posting 21 straight points.
Poole shot two brilliant three-pointers that catapulted the Warriors to a commanding 37-22 lead.
Boston seemed to be rejuvenated after the time out as the home side went on a seven-nil run to reduce the deficit to eight, led by strong defensive efforts by power forward Al Horford and centre Robert Williams.
Despite the Celtics surge, the Warriors pressed forward with some slick ball movement that frustrated Boston’s attacking efforts, leading to turnovers that hampered the Celtic’s finals campaign.
Golden State’s attack was in sync as Curry continued to display his impeccable shooting abilities.
The All-star dominated in the paint as he finished off several attacking plays with drives down the centre of the lane.
It was a better long and mid-range shooting performance by Thompson with his splash brother Curry combining for 46 points.
The Warriors took a 54-39 lead heading into half-time which included an incredible 52-25-point run to end the first half.
The Celtics were evidently rattled as the finals experience of the Warriors who won back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018 came to the forefront.
The second half began with some resolute play by the Celtics led by Horford in the third quarter, but Curry lit up TD Garden with a pair of incredible three pointers from long range.
The two-time MVP went on to gesture to the crowd that he is about to earn himself another championship ring as the lead stretched out to beyond 20 points.
The Celtics managed to claw their way back to produce a 15-2 run led by some crucial buckets from Brown and spectacular defensive plays by Horford as the Warriors took a 10-point lead to end the third.
But Boston would not go away unhindered in the fourth as Power Forward Grant Williams along with Tatum, Brown, and Smart attacked the basket.
Golden State continued to turn up with their defence led by plays from Wiggins as the Warriors maintained scoreboard pressure in attack that sealed the win.
It was a tough night for the Celtics, but Brown finished the game with 34 points. The Warriors contained Tatum and Smart who managed just 13 and nine points respectively.
Main image screenshot ESPN.