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SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors dropped Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics in shocking fashion, getting outscored 40-16 in the fourth quarter en route to a 12 point loss. Draymond Green, however, is not worried.
The Warriors became the first team in NBA history to lead by 10+ points entering the fourth quarter and lose said game by 10+ points. Green struggled with his shot in Game 1, going 2-of-12 from the field as Boston consistently left him open to turn their attention to other Warriors.
Golden State came into Game 1 having rested for a full week. The Celtics, on the other hand, played Game 7 vs. the Miami Heat on Sunday night. They took Memorial Day to go home and be with their families before traveling to San Francisco on Tuesday.
Could the exorbitant amount of time off for Green and the Warriors have worked against them in Game 1?
“No, I think they stayed within striking distance, and they made shots late,” Draymond Green said postgame. “So we'll be fine. We'll figure out the ways we can stop them from getting those threes and take them away.
“But no, I don't think it was a rhythm thing. We pretty much dominated the game for the first 41, 42 minutes. So we'll be fine.”
"I think they stayed within striking distance, and they made shots late. So we'll be fine… We pretty much dominated the game for the first 41, 42 minutes. So we'll be fine."
Draymond Green on Game 1 of Warriors-Celtics pic.twitter.com/g6LgzECJ9S
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 3, 2022
The Warriors led Game 1 by as many as 15 points in the third quarter. They outscored Boston 38-24 in the third and appeared poised to take a commanding lead in the fourth quarter as well as the series.
That's when the Celtics responded with their own run, a 40-16 fourth quarter burst that shocked Warriors fans at Chase Center and brought the Celtics out of the woodworks.
“LETS GO CELTICS” chants here at the end of Game 1 😳
Warriors fans were stunned. pic.twitter.com/D8TDL4cXHw
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) June 3, 2022
“I think when you're making shots, that's a boost; and when you're missing shots, it's a Debbie Downer,” Warriors veteran Draymond Green added. “And that's kind of what it was. They made them; we missed them. Sometimes you can allow missed shots to drag your defense down. I think a little bit of that happened in the fourth quarter as well.
“You've got to give them credit. They made the shots when they needed to make them.”
For the game, the Celtics outshot the Warriors from the field, from thee, and the free throw line. They also turned the ball fewer times, rounding up a solid all-around game for their group.
Jayson Tatum isn't allowing the team's one great comeback win in the NBA Finals to distract them from the ultimate task at hand.
“our last two series we lost Game 1,” Tatum said. “This time of the season, you feel great after you win. You feel terrible after you lose. You got to just be able to stay mellow, stay balanced, especially this early.
It's far from over, right? It's just one game. And we got to be ready for them to respond as if we would if we lost the first game. They're going to come out, they're going to make adjustments and things like that. So we have to be prepared and just approach it one game at a time.”
Game 2 of the NBA Finals will be on Sunday night back at San Francisco's Chase Center. The scene will then shift to Boston, where the Celtics will host Games 3 and 4.
