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SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Al Horford led an electrifying fourth quarter comeback because the Boston Celtics surprised the Golden State Warriors 120-108 to attract first blood of their best-of-seven NBA Finals sequence on Thursday.
Celtics veteran Horford scored 26 factors, together with 11 within the fourth quarter, as Boston inflicted Golden State’s first residence defeat of the post-season at their Chase Middle fortress.
Horford’s tally included what turned out to be a decisive burst of eight unanswered factors within the fourth quarter because the Celtics pulled clear having trailed by 12 on the finish of the third interval.
Boston defensive linch pin Marcus Good additionally got here up massive late on with back-to-back three pointers because the Celtics surged right into a double-digit lead towards a shellshocked Warriors.
The victory was a minimum of Boston’s gutsy never-say-die method deserved in a full-blooded contest that resembled a heavyweight title combat, full of untamed momentum shifts, twists and turns.
“Simply proceed to play. That was our message all through the entire sport,” Horford stated afterwards.
“They’re such an excellent staff. And for us, it was simply, , proceed to play it doesn’t matter what. That’s what we did.
“It wasn’t our greatest sport, however we continued to combat and discover other ways to get this win.”
Boston twice recovered from double-digit deficits both aspect of halftime when it seemed as if the Warriors have been poised to chop unfastened.
Not even a blinding taking pictures show by the Warriors’ Stephen Curry — who exploded for 21 factors within the first quarter alone together with a report six three-pointers — might fluster the Celtics.
Regardless of a vastly much less skilled line up — not a single participant on the Boston roster had performed an NBA Finals sport earlier than Thursday — the Celtics refused to crack below strain.
As a substitute it was the Warriors whose resistance crumbled in a fourth quarter that noticed the house aspect outscored by an astonishing margin of 40-16.
“That’s form of who we’ve been all yr,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka stated.
“Robust grinders, resilient group that we will at all times know we will depend on our protection to form of buckle down when wanted.”
Boston’s win was all of the extra notable because it got here with solely a modest contribution from star Jayson Tatum, who completed with 12 factors and 13 rebounds.
“We delight ourselves on everyone having the ability to contribute on each ends,” Udoka stated. “That’s rewarding, particularly on an evening when your finest man has an off evening. Others step up.
“So it’s rewarding, and realizing we will play so significantly better, that’s the principle factor. Didn’t have an awesome three quarters and stored ourselves within the sport, then locked down after we wanted to.”
Golden State coach Steve Kerr paid tribute to Boston’s fourth quarter show.
“These guys, give them credit score,” Kerr stated.
“My intestine response, what I simply witnessed, they got here in and performed a hell of a fourth quarter, and you must give them credit score. It’s just about so simple as that.”
– Blow-for-blow –
Horford led a balanced Boston offensive effort that noticed 5 gamers end in double figures.
Jaylen Brown completed with 24 factors with seven rebounds and 5 assists whereas Derrick White added 21 factors. Good added 18 factors.
Curry led the Warriors scorers with 34 factors whereas Andrew Wiggins completed with 20 and Klay Thompson 15.
Otto Porter Jr. had 12 off the bench, however the Warriors have been left ruing their catastrophic fourth quarter once they made simply seven of 17 from the sphere.
Nobody might have foreseen the Celtics’ fourth quarter onslaught throughout a 3rd quarter when it appeared that the Warriors’ larger expertise was lastly starting to inform.
The Warriors had pulled into what seemed like a game-winning place after outscoring the Celtics 38-24 within the third to open up a 12-point lead.
It had been the same story within the first half, when Curry’s first quarter efficiency left Boston scrambling to compose themselves.
But regardless of Curry’s brilliance, Boston have been at all times in contact, with their dogged protection and balanced offense limiting the Warriors result in simply 4 factors at 32-28 on the finish of the primary quarter.
The Warriors threatened to drag away within the second, surging into their largest lead of the half to go 10 factors clear at 47-37.
However as soon as once more the resilient Celtics responded brilliantly, rattling off a 10-0 run to attract degree at 47 factors apiece with simply over 5 minutes remaining within the half.
After the feast of scoring within the first quarter, Curry endured a famine within the second, scoring zero factors because the Celtics finally edged clear to steer 56-54 on the break.
The Warriors have the possibility to degree the sequence in sport two in San Francisco on Sunday.
© Agence France-Presse
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