The trick, of course, is to keep doing it differently. On one night, maybe your best player scores 46 in a must-win Game 6 on the road. In another, maybe your most respected veteran, rediscovers the Fountain of Youth and scores 30. Or maybe, on a night when your star couldn’t toss a coffee cup into an open dumpster, most everyone else rallies with a fourth-quarter performance that hit these NBA Finals like an avalanche.
As the saying goes, whatever it takes.
“It wasn’t our best game,” Celtics forward Al Horford said after Boston’s 120-108 win over the Golden State Warriors last night in Game 1 of The Finals. “But we continue to fight and find ways to win.”
Do they ever.
So … how, exactly, did the Celtics win this game? By outscoring the Warriors by a whopping 40-16 margin in the fourth quarter – and even more incredible 48-21 over the final 14 minutes after falling behind by 15 points late in the third quarter – and by hitting the Warriors from all sides with most everyone on the roster.
You want team basketball? You got it, top to bottom:
Jaylen Brown
Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) goes to the basket while defended by Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) during the second half of game one of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Ezra Shaw/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Brown had a relatively modest 10 points in the fourth quarter, but they all felt huge. With the Celtics trailing by 12 entering the fourth, Brown led the Celtics on a 12-2 run to start the quarter by hitting a pair of threes and an 18-foot step-back, all sandwiched around a steal and feed to Payton Pritchard for a layup. He also finished the quarter with five assists and was – get this – a plus-27 during slightly more than 11 minutes in the fourth quarter alone.
Al Horford
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 02: Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics attempts a three point basket against Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter in Game One of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center on June 02, 2022 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
In his first career NBA Finals game, Horford made it count, shooting 9-of-12 in the game overall and a scorching 6-of-8 from 3-point distance to lead the Celtics in scoring with 26 points. Horford scored 18 of his points in the second half and was a perfect 4-of-4 in the fourth quarter (including 2-of-2 from distance) while also converting his only free throw attempt. He finished the fourth with a team-high 11 points – and in just 5:46.
Derrick White
Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) dribbles the ball while defended by Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole (3) during the second half in game one of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Boston’s surging sixth man joined Brown and Jayson Tatum (all a team-high 11:12 played in the fourth quarter) at the nucleus of the comeback, continuing his stellar play. White finished a team-high plus-25 for the game and scored 21 points while shooting 6-of-11 overall and 5-of-8 from 3-point distance. In his last three games, White has averaged 17 points while shooting 11-of-18 from distance – an eye-popping 61.1 percent.
Jayson Tatum
Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) shoots the ball while defended by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (left) during the first half of game one of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Was he a train wreck shooting the ball? Yes. But he also dished out a game-high 13 assists, including four in the final quarter. Tatum took only one shot in the final 10:30 of the game and none in the final 5:50, when the Celtics scored 20 of the game’s final 22 points to take the lead and pull away. A younger Tatum needed to score to impact the game – and might have turtled if he did not. This Tatum helped in a different way and committed just two turnovers – none in the fourth quarter.
Payton Pritchard
Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) controls the ball while defended by Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (11) during the second half of game one of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, you’re reading that correctly. Other than Tatum, Brown and White, the pesky Pritchard was on the court more than any other Celtic (including Marcus Smart) in the fourth quarter. Pritchard went 2-of-3 (including 1-of-2 from distance) and scored five points in the quarter while collecting a team-high four rebounds. Smart replaced him with 3:47 to go after the Celtics had taken a six-point lead and then buried a pair of 3-pointers himself.
PHOTOS: Celtics battle Warriors in Game 1 of 2022 NBA Finals
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Al Horford becomes unlikely hero of Celtics' dominant fourth quarter in Game 1
What About Jayson?
Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles the ball while defended by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and center Kevon Looney (left) during the first half of game one of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
The Celtics’ come-from-behind win was thrilling and worth celebrating in Boston. But it’s going to be an uphill battle throughout the series if Jayson Tatum can’t take over offensively.
It was an NBA Finals opening act to forget for Tatum, who scored just 12 points on 3-of-17 from the field. Exemplifying his improved all-around play this season, Tatum managed to rack up 13 assists, which was actually a new record for an NBA Finals debut. But that was mainly because the Warriors committed so much defensive attention to him, used so many resources, that they ensured it wouldn’t be Tatum who beat them.
“I had a bad shooting night. I just tried to impact the game in other ways,” Tatum said after the game. “We’re in the championship, we’re in the finals. All I was worried about was trying to get a win, and we did, and that’s all that matters at this point.
“I don’t expect to shoot that bad every night, but if it means we keep winning, I’ll take it.”
Horford, Brown, and others joined forces to make up for a down night for Tatum, who slogged through a mix of physical defense and deteriorating shot selection. If the C’s do end up winning the series, their superior offensive depth could ultimately be the reason why. But it’s hard to imagine them winning the Finals without a Tatum awakening.
Still plenty of time for that.
Big-Stage Jaylen
Jun 2, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dunks the ball during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors in game one of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
If Brown keeps this up, he may be worthy of a “Big-Game” type of nickname. “Big-Stage Jaylen” may not quite cut it. But that’s not important right now. What’s important is that Brown is a stone-cold killer in the fourth quarter.
Brown ignited the Celtics’ late comeback in the first place, and exuded a fearlessness throughout Game 1 that should serve him well in this series, and whenever he gets to this big a stage. He wasn’t afraid to attack, and produced when they truly needed it the most. His explosion was exemplary of the Celtics really coming together as a team in the fourth.
“Offensively, I just tried to get our team going by being aggressive and finding the right plays, and some shots went down for us and it kind of just snowballed,” Brown told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt after the game.
According to StatMuse on Twitter, Brown is now shooting 66.7 percent from the field in the fourth quarter during the 2022 playoffs, and leads all players in fourth-quarter points. So, it’s important for the Warriors to remember that the Celtics have two offensive studs. Even if they can keep Tatum in check, there’s still Brown to worry about.
He gave them plenty to worry about in Game 1.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.