The 2022 NBA Finals will feature
participants two of the original participants that were a part of the NBA's beginning in 1946-47 who had
similar but different paths to get to within four wins of adding another Larry
O’Brien trophy to their respective trophy case. The West representative is back
in The Finals after a two-year absence from the postseason picture all together
and are hungry for their fourth title in this eight-year span under their
current head coach. The East representative is back in The Finals for the first
time in 12 seasons and is looking to bypass their longtime rivals from Los
Angeles in terms of the most NBA titles won in the history of “The
Association.” We have a dynamic trio of stars on both sides. Two head coaches who
once played in the NBA and have ties to a five-time championship organization
in the “Alamo City.” Two teams who are by the numbers the top tier defensive
squads this season. Here is the 2022 J-Speaks NBA Finals Preview.
(3)
Golden State Warriors versus (2) Boston Celtics
(53-29) (51-31)
Season-Series: tied 1-1
Playoff History: BOS def. San Francisco Warriors 1964 Finals 4-1.
BOS def. Philadelphia Warriors 1962 East Divisional Finals 4-3.
BOS def. Philadelphia Warriors 1960 East Divisional Finals 4-2.
For the Golden State Warriors, they are
the veteran squad heading into this NBA Finals tilt against their opponent the
Boston Celtics.
The Warriors, who enter with 123 total
Finals games played are led by the future Hall of Fame trio of inaugural Earvin "Magic" Johnson award winner as Western Conference Finals MVP in Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, and head coach Steve Kerr
their sixth Finals appearance in the last eight seasons, all under head coach
Steve Kerry, joining the 1990s Chicago Bulls led by the Hall of Fame duo of
Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen and Hall of Fame head coach Phil Jackson,
with Kerr playing for that squad on the back end of their six titles. The 1980s
“Showtime” Los Angeles Lakers led by the Hall of Fame trio of Earvin “Magic”
Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and head coach now executive with the Miami Heat
Pat Riley. The 1950 and 1960s Celtics squads that were anchored by Hall of
Famer Bill Russell and coached by the late Red Auerbach.
The Warriors, whose last title won was in 2018 are seeking their fourth title in the last eight seasons and seventh overall in franchise history in their 12 Finals appearance in the NBA's. A series victory over the Celtics would put the Warriors in front of the six-time champion Bulls for sole possession of the third most titles won by a team in NBA history, trailing only their opponent in the upcoming Finals in the Celtics and their longtime rivals the Lakers.
For the Celtics, they are making their 22nd appearance in The Finals seeking their 18th title in their storied franchise history, which would break tie the aforementioned Lakers for the most championship in the history of "The Association." Only the Lakers have reached The Finals more than the C's with 32 appearances in the NBA's championship round.
NBA Teams With The Most Titles
Boston Celtics: 17 titles
Los Angeles Lakers: 17 titles
Chicago Bulls: 6 titles
Golden State Warriors: 6 titles
San Antonio Spurs: 5 titles
The Celtics are 17-4 all-time in The Finals, while the Warriors have gone 6-5 in their apperances in The Finals.
NBA Teams With The Most Finals Appearances
Los Angeles Lakers: 32 appearances
Boston Celtics: 22 appearances (includes 2022 Finals)
Golden State Warriors: 12 appearances (includes 2022 Finals)
Philadelphia 76ers: 9 appearances
New York Knicks: 8 appearances
This will be the first meeting between the Celtics and Warriors in The Finals in 58 years and their second overall meeting in the championship round. The two squads met three other times in the postseason when the Warriors called Philadelphia, PA home to start their history before moving out West to California in 1962.
While the headliners for the Warriors are
still the same in Curry, Thompson, Green, and Coach Kerr, along with key role
players in 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala and now starting center Kevon Looney,
the infusion of youth in the likes of first time All-Star this past regular
season in Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, rookies Jonathan Kuminga and Moses
Moody, Gary Payton II, Otto Porter, Jr., and Nemanja Bjelica has continued the
vibe of those past Warriors title squads in 2015, 2017, and 2018 where their
playoff mantra was “Strength In Numbers.”
That collective effort is how the Warriors have defeated the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies, and Dallas Mavericks in the first three rounds of the 2022 Playoffs in five, six, and five games respectably.
The Warriors in the eight seasons under Coach Kerr, they have gone 21-2 in the postseason, winning as mentioned three titles along the way. Their only two series losses in this eight-year span under Kerr coming in the 2016 Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers and in 2019 Finals against the Toronto Raptors in seven and six games respectably.
A win in this championship round would give Coach Kerr, the newly named USA Men's Basketball Coach in December 2021 and named one of the 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History as part of the league's 75-Year Anniversary back in February could join Hall of Famers in his former head coach with the Bulls Phil Jackson (11), the late Red Auerbach (nine), the late John Kundla (five), Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich (five), and Heat executive Pat Riley (five) as the six head coaches in league history to win four or more titles.
Most Finals Series Coached NBA History
Phil Jackson: 13
Red Auerbach: 11
Pat Riley: 9
John Kundla: 6
Gregg Popovich: 6
Steve Kerr: 6 (includes 2022 Finals)
For the Celtics, who have zero games of Finals experience on their roster are making their first Finals appearance since 2010 when the Hall of Fame trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen, and now Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers lost in a seven-game thriller to the arch-rival Lakers led by the late Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant and Coach Jackson.
The Celtics is looking to join the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks as a team with no previous championship game experience on their roster to win it all, just like the Warriors did in 2015 winning their first of three titles in the middle of the 2010s.
The headliners for the Celtics are All-Stars in the inaugural Larry Bird recipient as Eastern Conference Finals MVP in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown,
and 2022 Kia Defensive Player of the Year winner Marcus Smart, who are led by
first-year head coach Ime Udoka.
Three years back, the Warriors lost in six
games to the eventual NBA champion Toronto Raptors in the 2019 Finals, where in
that Game 6 defeat on June 13, 2019 lost Thompson to a torn ACL in his left
knee after landing awkwardly following a fast break. The one-half of the
“Splash Brothers” duo stayed on the floor to shoot the two free throws, which
he made to put the Warriors up with 2:22 left in the third quarter, he left the
game and it would be the prelude of a tough road back over the next 2 ½
seasons.
The game before in Game 5, which the
Warriors won to close the series deficit to 3-2, they lost two-time Finals MVP
Kevin Durant to a ruptured right Achilles in the early minutes of the second
quarter, after he registered 11 points on 3/5 shooting in just 12 minutes of
action and the Raptors closed out the series two nights later at the Warriors
in not only winning their first title in franchise history but closing out the
Warriors era at Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA.
There were many that said the Warriors run
a top the NBA mountain was over and that they would never get back after what
transpired following the conclusion of that Finals series.
Green in his postgame comments following
the Game 6 setback versus the Raptors said those that doubt the Warriors would
be back to where they stand now in The Finals did so at their own risk.
“Everybody thinks it's kind of the end of
us. That’s just not smart,” Green said back on June 13, 2019. “We’re not done
yet. It’s how the cookie crumbles sometimes. Yeah, I hear a lot of that noise.
It’s the end of the run and all that jazz. I don’t see it happening though.
We’ll be back.”
The Warriors return to 2022 Finals began in the 2019 NBA Draft on June 20, 2019 selecting Poole No. 28 pick of the Warriors out of the University of Michigan.
Like most rookies, Poole had his share of
ups but also a lot of downs. While he leaned on his inner confidence and
aggressive approach as an offensive player, Poole accepted his G League
assignment in 2021 to get very valuable playing time on the hardwood, while
also embracing the Warriors tough-love approach to getting better as a player.
During the Warriors quick end to their 2019-20 season because of the
Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic and not being invited to the restart in
Orlando, FL, Poole spent a great deal of time with Warriors assistant coaches,
most notably Chris DeMarco to improve his games as a playmaker and defender.
That extra time worked as Poole emerged
late in the 2020-21 season and through the 2021-22 regular season and in the
first three rounds of the 2022 Playoffs.
“I think what makes us special is we
always knew we had championship DNA,” Poole said after the Game 5 West Finals
clinching win versus the Mavericks on Thursday night. “Maybe the pieces didn’t
fit at first. The first two years. But everything we did from practice to
preparation was all championship based. And these guys [Curry, Thompson, Green,
Iguodala] have so much championship experience and so much knowledge that they
want to share. It really helps.”
Game 5 would also be Durant’s last game in
a Warriors uniform as he departed on July 7, 2019 for the Brooklyn Nets via
sign-and-trade to team up with fellow perennial All-Star Kyrie Irving. The
Warriors in the deal acquired All-Star D’Angelo Russell, the hopeful potential
fill-in for the injured Thompson.
That sign-and-trade deal also was the end
for Iguodala as a Warrior in a deal that was sent him to the Grizzlies because
of salary-cap rules that involved luxury-tax paying NBA squads that conduct a
sign-and-trade. Meaning, that Iguodala was dealt in an effort to save money.
In the days that followed, the Warriors
waived Curry’s understudy during their four-year run (2015-19) representing the
West in The Finals Shaun Livingston, who soon retired afterwards.
The Warriors front office though, led by
General Manager Bob Myers that summer of 2019 made major financial commitments
to two of their star trio and a key role player in their front court. They
first re-signed Thompson, signing him to a five-year, $190 million max deal on
July 10, 2019. The next day, they re-signed Looney to a three-year, $15
deal.
On Aug. 3, 2019, the Warriors inked Green to a four-year, $100 million max extension, keeping him under contract through the 2023-24 season as both sides prioritized long-term security.
The Warriors hopes of making it back to
the postseason for another title run in 2019-20 essentially concluded in the
team’s fourth game of that season versus the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 30, 2019, where Curry broke his left hand after Suns big man Aron Baynes landed on it. That
shifted Coach Kerr’s focus the remainder of that season to player development.
Curry did return for one game that season in early March before the
aforementioned COVID-19 global pandemic wiped out the remainder of the Warriors
season as they were not invited to the restart in Orlando, FL that summer.
Before the stoppage, the Warriors at the
Feb. 6, 2020 trade deadline concluded their seven-month experiment with
Russell, flipping him along with Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman to the
Minnesota Timberwolves for Wiggins and two 2021 draft picks, with one of them
being used to draft Kuminga No. 7 overall in 2021 draft.
While the Warriors got Curry and Green
back healthy for the 2020-21 season, their hopes of another run to The Finals
were upended again with Thompson on the day of 2021 draft ruptured his right
Achilles while playing a game of pick-up hoops.
Later that same day, the Warriors drafted
center James Wiseman No. 2 overall out of the University of Memphis, who was
injured late into his rookie season and has missed all of the 2021-22 season.
The Warriors positioned themselves to make
it back to the 2021 Playoffs but their inability to take care of the basketball
in their two Play-In games at the Lakers and versus the Grizzlies doomed them
as they lost both games and missed the playoffs for a second straight season.
The two positives for the Warriors that
2021-22 season is that Curry remained healthy and returned to his lethal,
game-changing sharp-shooting form and the supporting cast led by Poole and
Wiggins developed into a consistent high-level playing group.
Curry validated that confidence in the
Warriors organization by signing a four-year, $215.4 million extension in the
summer of 2021, which will keep him in the “Bay Area” through the 2025-26
season.
A victory by the Warriors would give Curry, a two-time Kia MVP and NBA 75th Anniversary member and all-time leader in three-pointers made in NBA history his fourth title, joining Hall of Famers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Tim Duncan, "Magic" Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Bill Russell, and Lakers' LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to win at least four NBA titles and two league MVPs.
“You have to have that competitive spirit
and fire in the way that we find ways to win games, especially in the playoffs
when it matters the most,” Curry, who has averaged 25.9 points and 6.2 assists
so far this postseason said after the Game 5 win. “We’ve talked about it at the
beginning of that Denver series like we had no clue really how it was going to
shape out. But you can build off the experience we’ve had over the last 10-plus
years.”
The Warriors also brought back Iguodala on
a veteran minimum salary, and while injuries limited his time on the hardwood
in the regular season and the last 12 games of the postseason because of a neck
issue, the veteran swingman has been a jewel behind-the-scenes in being a solid
presence and teammate to the likes of Poole, Payton II, and Wiggins.
The Warriors showed signs this past
regular season that they would be a force in the Western Conference with a 29-7
start behind Curry, Poole, and Wiggins.
Those expectations rose even higher when
after 941-day absence, Klay Thompson returned to the court on Jan. 9 versus the
Cavaliers since his back-to-back injuries to his previously mentioned left knee
and right Achilles.
Thompson made steady progress in his
regular season appearances and played close to rare form the first three rounds
of this postseason, especially in the series clinching games in the West Semis
and in the West Finals.
Thompson, who has been dubbed “Game 6
Klay” for his remarkable playoff performances in past Game 6s where he saved
the Warriors season like he did in the 2016 West Finals at the Oklahoma City
Thunder or in the 2018 West Finals versus the Houston Rockets did it again the
Game 6 clinching 110-96 victory versus the Grizzlies scoring 30 points on 11/22
shooting, including 8/14 on his triple tries. He was even better in the Game 5
clincher versus the Mavericks when he scored 32 points on 12/25 from the field,
including 8/16 from deep.
With two made three-pointers, Thompson will pass LeBron James (432) into No. 2 for the most made three-pointers in NBA Playoff history, trailing only Curry (530 and counting).
“It’s just hard to put into words, man. Like,
I’ve dreamed of this day during some dog days. And to be here, I’m just so
thankful for our squad,” an emotional Thompson, who has averaged 19.8 points on
39.9 percent on his triple tries said to ESPN’s Jorge Sedano after the Game 5
clincher on what kept him going during those tough days rehabbing his knee and
Achilles.
“They started the season so incredibly
well. Allowed us to finish out strong, and we’re four wins away from a
championship.”
As great as Thompson was to close out the
last two series, the play of Wiggins, especially to close out the West Finals
was a continuance of his rebirth in the NBA since coming to the “Bay Area”
nearly 2 ½ seasons back.
He was dealt to the Warriors after 6 ½
seasons where he showed flashes of brilliance after being chosen No. 1 overall
in 2014 NBA Draft out of University of Kansas. The heat definitely was turned
up after the 2014 Kia Rookie of the Year signed his $148 million rookie max
extension, which made him the highest paid player in Timberwolves history since
Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett in the early 2000s.
Wiggins fair or unfair never played to the
level of that contract extension and when fellow No. 1 overall pick a couple of
years later in All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns was brought into the fold, who also
captured Kia Rookie of the Year, things did not get any better.
One example of this was an infamous
training camp practice in 2018 when All-Star Jimmy Butler and four other
Timberwolves reserves took the other Timberwolves starters, which included
Wiggins and Towns to the cleaners that practice, which led Butler in a rage
full claim that the Timberwolves then franchise lynchpins were “soft” and their
chances of winning with them as the headliners was slim to none. That was the
case as the Timberwolves went 174-285 with Wiggins.
When Wiggins, now 27, was dealt to the
Warriors, it was tough at first because the team was losing without Curry that
season recovering as mentioned from the broken left hand and Thompson was on
the mend for two seasons.
This gave Wiggins time to improve his
game, which he did where he averaged 18.6 points on a career-best 47.7 percent
shooting.
That goodwill Wiggins had built with his
teammates and Warriors organization was tested at the start of this season when
he was hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine shot. He changed his mind when he
realized that under California law, he would only be permitted to play in only
road games and not at home.
That decision has paid off for Wiggins,
who earned as previously mentioned his first All-Star selection and was part of
a playoff team for only the second time in his career.
After not having any double-doubles in his
first postseason appearance with the Timberwolves, their only appearance in his
6-plus seasons with them, Wiggins has registered four point/rebound
double-doubles in the last eight playoff games, including 27 points and 11
rebounds in the Game 3 win (109-100) at the Mavericks on May 22 on TNT that put
the Warriors up 3-0 in series.
In the Game 5 clincher that got the
Warriors back to The Finals last Thursday night, Wiggins had 18 points and 10
boards.
“Being here, being around these guys, I
just learned a lot,” Wiggins said. “These are winning players. This is a
winning system. And I’m winning. Finally.”
He added about becoming a two-way player
with the Warriors, “If they need me to score, I’m going to score. If they need
me to defend, I’m going to defend, rebound, whatever.”
The Celtics, who prior to breaking through in the 2022 East Finals fell to the then LeBron James led
Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 and 2018 East title round in five and seven games
respectably; and to the eventual 2020 Finals runner-up in the Heat in the 2020 in six games took an even harder road to return to a familiar place
they have been in their storied history, The Finals.
In the first three rounds of the 2022
Playoffs, the Celtics took down Kevin Durant and former Celtic Kyrie Irving in
a four-game sweep in the opening-round. They outlasted in seven games the then
defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks and reigning Finals MVP Giannis
Antetokounmpo in seven games as well as perennial All-Star Jimmy Butler and the
Heat.
The Celtics are at the pinnacle of their 18th title because of their stellar improvement from the early start of this season, to where they have gotten to.
After beginning the year 25-25, tied for No. 8 in the East, which
included a 18-21 mark back in early January. Since then (counting the
playoffs), the Celtics have gone since late January 38-12, including a 26-6 mark to close the season to finish No. 2 in the East standings. They became the first team since the 1980-81 Rockets and fifth team overall in NBA history to have a .500 mark or worse after the first 50 games of the regular season and make The Finals. A victory in the championship round versus the Warriors would make the Celtics the first team in NBA history to win the title after beginning a season .500 or worse through the first 50 games.
Two big reasons for the Celtics emergence to a top tier squad that is now representing the East in The Finals is because Tatum has risen game to an elite level in 2022 Playoffs which has seen him be dominant at time as well as bounce back from a tough shooting performance. Brown has proven to a more than capable “Robin” to Tatum’s “Batman.” Both Tatum and Brown also bringing it at the defensive end of the floor, and Smart continued emergence as a defender as well as his stellar improvement as a scorer, perimeter shooting and facilitator has made the Celtics elite on both ends, especially defensively.
To put into context what keeping Tatum and Brown has meant to the Celtics, they have reached at least the Eastern Conference Finals four times in the Brown's first six NBA seasons and three times in Tatum's first five seasons.
The Celtics like the Warriors too have
solid role players in veteran Al Horford, Daniel Theis, Derrick White, Grant
Williams, Robert Williams, III, and Payton Pritchard, who have played well,
especially in key points this postseason.
The Celtics return to The Finals though
did not start this season. It was a process that began in 2010 that saw them go
through three head coaches, two different leaders of their front office, and
the turnover of player personnel two to three times.
In that period of time though, they only
missed the playoffs only one time, which was the 2013-14 season (more on that
in a moment).
The Celtics last Finals appearance came in
2010, where they lost as mentioned to the arch-rival Lakers in seven games,
which still haunts Celtics nation to this day. Their core three of Garnett,
Pierce, and Allen, and Coach Rivers from the outside looking in had a team that
could represent the East in The Finals again. But after losses in the East
Semis and East Finals to the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh led Heat
in five and seven games respectably and then falling to the New York Knicks in
the First-Round the next three postseasons signaled that this was the end for
this Celtic era with Pierce, Garnett, and Allen at the ages of 34, 36, and 37
respectably.
It did not help matters that Allen just a
few weeks later bolted in free agency to join the rival Heat, even after the
Celtics offered Allen a two-year, $12 million deal, which he turned down.
On June, 25, 2013, Coach Rivers after nine
seasons in “Beantown,” compiling a 416-305 record and leading the team to title
No. 17 in 2008 felt it was time for a change of scenery.
That partly was due to the fact that
Rivers had been the overseer of rebuilding situation first with the Orlando
Magic and to start his coaching tenure with the Celtics and did not want that
situation again.
Then Celtics leader in the front office
Danny Ainge arranged for Rivers to join the Los Angeles Clippers on a
three-year, $21 million deal to be their new head coach as well as their
General Manager in exchange for a 2015 First-Round pick.
Ainge then went to the college ranks to
find the Celtics new leader on the sidelines and hired then 36-year-old Brad
Stevens, who led the Butler University Bulldogs to consecutive NCAA title
games.
Having seen the decline of the Celtics
during his time as a player when Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Kevin McHale,
Robert Parish, the late Dennis Johnson, and few others remained with the team
despite the diminishment of their skills as well as their ability to remain
healthy during the regular season, Ainge was not keen on letting sentimentality
drive his decision making.
So, on July 2, 2013, Ainge made another
bold move dealing Pierce and Garnett along with Jason Terry to the Nets,
acquiring a plethora of players as well as the Nets draft picks in 2015, 2016,
2017, and 2018.
The most notably of those acquired picks
were used in 2016, where they drafted Brown No. 3 overall out of the University
of California, Berkley. One year later, the Celtics won the No. 1 overall pick
in that year’s Draft Lottery, but they dealt that pick to 76ers in exchange for
the No. 3 pick, which was used to draft Tatum out of Duke University.
Both Tatum and Brown have developed into All-Star
pillars of the current Celtics squad, with Tatum being the lead dog earning
three All-Star selections, two All-NBA selections and earning the inaugural
Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP, emerging as one of the young faces of
“The Association” to start this decade.
Tatum, who registered his fourth
double-double of this postseason with 26 points and 10 rebounds with six
assists on 4/7 from three-point range has averaged in the Celtics seven wins
following a loss this postseason so far has averaged 30.8 points.
“In the moment when you lose those series,
obviously it hurts and it’s tough. But you never forget it,” Tatum said after
the Game 7 East Finals clinching win about the losses in Celtics past defeats
in the East Finals. “I think, you know, that’s what we all have in common. That
we’ve all been through those tough times, and we remember how that felt, and we
didn’t want to have that feeling again, you know leaving here tonight. So, you
know, we left it all out on the floor and obviously, you know we got it done.”
That move of trading down to select Tatum
in 2016 Draft seems even more applaudable by the C’s now considering that the
No. 1 overall pick by the 76ers Markelle Fultz, who faced both physical and
mental challenges in his short time with the boys from the city of “Brotherly
Love.” Fultz after just 1 ½ seasons (equivalent of just 33 games) was traded to
the Magic, where Fultz did show encouraging signs that he was getting his game
back before an ACL injury set him back as he has played just 26 games in his
two seasons in Walt Disney World.
In hoping to speed the process up of
becoming a title team again, the Celtics in the summer of 2017 added some
All-Star punch to their squad with the signing of Gordon Hayward July 14, 2017
to a four-year, $128 million deal, reuniting Hayward with Stevens, his former
college coach at Butler.
Injuries however robbed any chance of
Hayward being the possible centerpiece of the Celtics. He badly hurt his ankle
in the opening quarter of his Celtics debut in 2017-18 at the Cavaliers and did
not regain the form he had in his first NBA seasons with the Utah Jazz until
2019-20 season. By then, Tatum and Brown established themselves as the team’s
future linchpins, which now in hindsight served as a Stevens like move that
might have impacted his eventual career move.
Before that however, the Celtics went
25-57 in 2013-14, their third worst mark in a season in their storied 75-year
history. That poor record earned them their highest draft spot pre-Garnett,
Pierce, Allen era.
With that pick, No. 6 overall, the Celtics
selected Smart out of Oklahoma State University, who in his seven-year career,
all in “Beantown” weathered away not just a succession of Celtics lead guards,
with the latest being Dennis Schroder at the start of this season, who was
dealt at the Feb. 10 trade deadline along with Enes Freedom and Bruno Fernando
to the Rockets in exchange for Theis, and Irving, Isaiah Thomas, who was
acquired in a three-team deal in Feb. 2015 with the Suns and Detroit Pistons,
and Kemba Walker before him.
Thomas averaged 24.7 points in his two
seasons with the Celtics, earning his two career All-Star selections in 2016
and 2017, and finished No. 5 in the MVP voting that season. But Thomas’ ceiling
never came close to having the Celtics in striking distance of a chance to
being champions and he was dealt in the summer of 2017 to the Cavaliers for a
disgruntled Irving.
The NBA champ made a good impression at
first and even at an event for TD Garden season ticket holders prior to the
start of the 2017-18 season said that he all but assured he would re-sign with
the team in free agency that summer.
Those plans went out the window when
Irving got hurt in March of 2018. Did not play again that season and did not
show up in moral support of his team in its seven-game setback by his former
employer the Cavaliers in 2018 East Finals.
Irving two seasons with the Celtics were good enough for him and regrettable for the C’s and him leaving in free agency was almost a goodbye and good riddance left as he signed as mentioned with the Nets and the Celtics in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets acquired fellow All-Star guard Kemba Walker on July 6, 2019, via a sign-and-trade on a four-year max deal worth $141 million in exchange for guard Terry Rozier and a 2020 protected Second-Round pick.
Walker brought a feeling of togetherness
to the Celtics and his play individually earned him his fourth All-Star
selection of his career. Those good vibes quickly dissipated because left knee
issues had him on the shelf for 45 of his 144 possible games for the Celtics
and he was eventually dealt to the Thunder along with a 2021 First-Round pick
and a 2025 Second-Round pick in exchange for Horford and a 2023 Second-Round
pick.
In the end, it would be Smart that would
be the lead guard the Celtics, becoming the heart and soul of the team,
especially this season where be became the first pure lead guard to win Kia
Defensive Player of the Year since Hall of Famer Gary Payton did it 1995-96 for
the then Seattle Supersonics, leading them to the NBA Finals representing the
Western Conference, where they fell to the Bulls in six games. Smart is also
just the sixth guard to win Defensive Player of the Year since the honor was
introduced in the NBA in the 1982-83 season.
On July 8, 2016, the Celtics signed
four-time All-Star Al Horford in free agency to a four-year, $113 million deal,
which resulted in a 157-89 mark in the regular season over his three seasons
with them with two trips to the East Finals in 2017 and 2018 and one appearance
in the East Semis in 2019.
Horford though opted out the final year of
his deal to test the free agency waters and caught a big fish in signing with
the 76ers on a four-year, $109 million deal.
The fit of Horford next to start big man
Joel Embiid did not fit and Horford made way too much money to be Embiid’s
full-time understudy. After just one season, Horford was dealt to the Oklahoma
City Thunder, but one offseason later was reunited via trade to the Celtics in
exchange for Walker.
After the Celtics lost as mentioned in the
opening-round to the Nets two seasons back, Ainge, who is now a member of the
front office of the Jazz, resigned suddenly from the team where he was their GM
for 18 seasons.
Under Ainge’s watch, the Celtics made the
postseasons 15 times, which includes seven trips to the Conference Finals and
reached the NBA Finals twice (2008 and 2010). He was the one who pulled the
trigger on the deals in the summer of 2007 that brought in Garnett and Allen
from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Seattle Supersonics respectably to team up
with Pierce, who helped earn the Celtics first NBA title since 1985 and their
17th in franchise history, tied with the Lakers for the most in the
history of the NBA.
“[Ainge] came and suddenly resigned, whatever it was [in February or March 2021],” Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck said earlier this week in a radio interview about that moment. “He came to me and said, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ So that was unexpected, unwanted.”
That led to then Coach Stevens, who went
354-282 in his eight seasons as Celtics head coach, with seven straight seasons
in the playoffs getting promoted to GM replacing Ainge, which came amid reports
of Stevens loss of his effectiveness of how he coached the team. That also led
to suggestions he was not demanding enough on certain players like Tatum and
Brown. It is also not secret in pro sports that the job security in the front
office is a lot higher than that for coaches, especially a head coach.
Ainge in his support of Stevens taking
over as Celtics GM said, “I know we couldn’t be in better hands than with Brad
guiding the team going forward.”
Grousbeck more than seconded those
feelings saying at that time, “Brad and I spoke this morning and committed to
one another that we’re going to win banner 18 or die trying.”
Just two weeks into his new position,
Stevens made a move that eventually would come up aces in dealing as mentioned
bringing back Horford, who was shut down towards the end of last season as the
Thunder in rebuild mode wanted to get a look at the younger portion of their
roster.
Horford, 35 gained new life in his second
stint with the Celtics and his steadiness on both ends of the floor, his leadership
and play on the hardwood is why the Celtics are back in The Finals.
When the Celtics took down the Heat on
Sunday evening 100-96 in Game 7, the five-time All-Star selection after 15
seasons and an NBA-record 141 playoff games reached The Finals at long last.
Most Playoff Games, No Finals Appearances
Al Horford (BOS): 141 Games
Paul Millsap (PHI): 130 Games
Joe Johnson: 120 Games
Steve Nash: 120
After the final buzzer, Horford, who has
two titles to his credit in his collegiate career playing for now Bulls head
coach Billy Donovan at the University of Florida collapsed to the floor and
screamed repeatedly, pounding the FTX Arena floor before he rose and embraced
some of his Celtics teammates and support staff.
“It’s been a great journey,” Horford,
whose missed the playoff just twice since being drafted No. 3 overall by the
Hawks in 2007 said during the East Finals championship trophy ceremony to
ESPN’s Lisa Salters. “Lots of battles. Obviously, I’ve never been able to get
it [until now], but a lot of great teammates along the way.”
Some of those teammates are just as happy
that Horford was able to be brought back to the Celtics.
Smart said that the return of Horford gave
the Celtics “a sense of security,” adding that Horford is “selfless.”
“Al couldn’t care less about the numbers.
He cares about the wins and his team.”
Brown added by saying of Horford in his
postgame presser, “Nobody deserves it more than this guy on my right.”
“I’m proud to be able to share this moment
with a veteran, a mentor, a brother, a guy like Al Horford, man.”
Stevens next big move came 26 days later
when he hired former Spurs, 76ers, and Nets assistant coach Ime Udoka as the
Celtics new leader on the sidelines, their 18th in their history.
Before becoming an assistant coach,
spending most that time of seven seasons with the Spurs, the 6-foot-6 Udoka,
44, played seven seasons in the NBA with the Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers,
Spurs, and Sacramento Kings, while also logging time in the then D League (now
G League) as well as overseas in France and Spain.
Things did not start of well for Udoka and
Celtics as they began the season 2-5 and were 17-19 on Dec. 31, 2021 with the
chatter amongst the media in “Beantown” that Udoka was the wrong hire and that
it came time to trade either Tatum or Brown.
Udoka continued to his approach of
emphasizing defense as well as holding everyone on the roster, especially Tatum
and Brown accountable on both ends, particularly emphasizing ball movement and
togetherness at the offensive end began to take shape late January on as they
went as mentioned earlier 26-6 to close the regular season, losing consecutive games just once
(Mar 28: 115-112 in overtime at the Raptors; 106-98 Mar. 30 versus the Heat on
ESPN) in compiling a 26-6 mark to close the regular season after being 25-25 on
Jan. 28 after a 108-92 loss at the Atlanta Hawks.
That emphasis of being consistent
defensively while also sharing the sugar offensively is how the Celtics swept
the Nets in the First-Round as mentioned 4-0. And outlasted the defending
champion Bucks and the team that took them down as previously mentioned in the
East Finals the Heat in seven games respectably.
To put the Celtics 12-6 mark in the first
three rounds of the 2022 NBA Playoffs into context, they have yet to lose
back-to-back games so far this postseason, going 7-0.
Dating back to Jan. 23, the Celtics have gone 12-1 following a loss, winning the next game following a loss by an average of 16.0 points and allowing on average of 99.1 points in those wins.
If the Celtics defeat the Warriors in this Finals series, he would become the fourth head coach in the last eight seasons to win a title in their first season as their squads sideline leader.
Rookie Head Coaches To Win NBA Title
Coach Team Season
Nick Nurse Raptors 2018-19
Tyronn Lue Cavaliers 2015-16
Steve
Kerr Warriors 2014-15
Pat Riley Lakers 1981-82
Paul Westhead Lakers 1979-80
George Senesky (PHI) Warriors 1955-56
John Kundla (MIN) Lakers 1948-49
Eddie Gottlieb (PHI) Warriors 1946-47
Brown said following the Game 7 clinching
victory at the Heat to NBATV’s Chris Haynes that the Celtics mentality that got
them within four wins of their 18th title in franchise history began
with Coach Udoka when he said at the start of this postseason that they are not
afraid of playing anyone. That they will prepare and take on the opponent in
front of them and “leave it all” on the hardwood and the result be the result.
“We respect our opponents. Respected to
Brooklyn. Respect to Milwaukee. Respect to Miami and respect to Golden State.
But we’re going to come out and play Celtic basketball,” Brown said to Haynes.
In what was a quiet move, but a difference
making move also at the trade deadline for the Celtics was acquiring Derrick
White from the Spurs, who Udoka coached in his seven-year stint with Spurs for
Romeo Langford, Josh Richardson, a 2022 and a 2028 First-Round pick.
White provided another versatile two-way
guard, who filled in quite nicely in the absence of Smart for a couple of games
in the East Finals when he had ankle problems.
It is a far cry from the slow start he had
with the Celtics. But with each passing day got more and more comfortable in
their system and led to better production to where White went from averaging
5.3 and 8.0 points in the first two rounds respectably against the Nets and
Bucks to averaging 10.0 points in the East Finals against the Heat.
White in the Game 4 win (102-82) versus
the Heat May 23 had his best all-around game of this postseason with 13 points,
six assists, eight rebounds, and three steals. He then registered. Two nights
later in the Game 5 victory (93-80) at the Heat, White had 14 points, five
assists and two steals.
The Celtics and Warriors split their two
regular season tilts with both teams winning on the opposition’s home court.
In a series that will have four of players
in Tatum and Brown for the Celtics and the “Splash Brothers” combo of Curry and
Thompson for the Warriors, this series will come down to one thing that is
necessary to be the team that wins it all, defense.
This will be the first Finals tilt since
2010 between the Celtics and Lakers where the two of the top five defenses in
the regular season matchup.
During the regular season, the Celtics No.
1 in opponent’s scoring average (104.5); field goal percentage (43.4 percent);
and three-point percentage (33.9). The Celtics thanks to Williams III were
ranked No. 2 in block shots per game at 5.8; and No. 7 in rebounding
differential at +2.3.
So far in the 2022 Playoffs, the Celtics
rank No. 2 in opponent’s three-point percentage at 31.7 percent.
The Celtics have gone 43-7 this season
(35-5 in the regular season) when they have held their opponent to 105 points
or less, including 29-5 mark on the season (24-5 in regular season) when
holding their opponents under 100 points.
In their last six victories entering The
Finals, the Celtics have allowed just 89.3 points dating back to the end of the
East Semis against the Bucks
That stellar defense is how the Celtics
have gone 10-1 so far this postseason when leading after three quarters
compared to 2-5 when trailing after three quarters.
The Warriors in their two regular season tilts against the Celtics were held to an average to 99.5 points. They Celtics have gone 9-7 in the regular season against the Warriors under Coach Kerr, the only team to have a winning record against the Warriors dating back to 2014-15 season.
On Apr. 1, 2016, the Celtics snapped the Warriors NBA-record 54-game home winning streak.
When the Warriors defeated the Celtics
111-107 in Boston on Dec. 17, 2021, the C’s were without Horford and Grant
Williams and it was before the arrival of Derrick White. The Celtics top nine
guys that play available in the second tilt in their 110-88 victory on Mar. 16
on ESPN.
In the 4.3 minutes that Curry, Thompson,
and Green were on the floor together, they shot a combined 0/7 from the floor,
including 0.6 from three-point range and were outscored by the Celtics 7-1 in
those 4.3 minutes.
The Celtics starting lineup that night was
a +19 in their little over 18 minutes of action, while holding the Warriors to
just 31 points on 39 possessions.
Williams in just 24 minutes of action had
four block shots at the Warriors.
Tatum to show how far he has come as a
defender in the East Finals against the Heat held the player her was guarding
to 39.5 percent shooting when he was the primary defender.
Tatum is also one of seven players
(Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL); Luka Doncic (DAL); Nikola Jokic (DEN); Ja Morant
(MEM); Brandon Ingram (NOP); and Kevin Durant (BKN)) and the only one left in
the 2022 Playoffs averaging at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five
assists.
The other thing that is in the Celtics
favors entering the 2022 Finals is the fact that they have gone 7-2 on the road
so far this postseason, but just 5-4 at home including 3-4 the last two rounds
of the 2022 Playoffs. They along with the 2016-17 Cavaliers are just the only
two teams in the 18 other times (not including 2020 restart in Orlando, FL)
since the First-Round changed to a best-of-seven in 2003 to reach The Finals
with a better road record than home record in the playoffs. That Cavaliers
squad went 7-0 on road and 5-1 at home before reaching The Finals but went 0-3
at the Warriors and lost the series 4-1. The 1995 Rockets have the record for
most road wins in one postseason with nine, going 9-3 on the road on their way
to winning their second straight title, which included winning both Games 1 and
2 at the Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, Dennis Scott, Nick
Anderson led Magic squad, who they swept 4-0.
When the Celtics have been up by
double-digits so far this postseason, they have gone 12-2. But are just 4-5
when they have trailed by 10 points or more and have gone just 6-4 in clutch
games so far in the 2022 Playoffs (games within five points in the last five
minutes of fourth quarter/overtime), including just 2-4 since the opening-round.
The effectiveness of the Celtics on both
ends this series will primarily depend on how Tatum and Brown handle things.
Entering Game 7 of the East Finals at the
Heat, Tatum and Brown totaled 31 and 19 turnovers respectably for the series.
Tatum had just two miscues in Game 7, but Brown had four turnovers.
Brown in the first three quarters of this
postseason shot just 6/29 (20.7 percent) from three-point range the first three
quarters but has gone 18/27 from three-point range in the fourth period.
Tatum is one of seven players this
postseason and the only left averaging at least 25 points, five rebounds, and
five assists. Tatum is also averaging 41.0 minutes per game so far this
postseason, the most for any player that has played at least 10 playoff games
in the last four years since James averaged 41.9 minutes in 22 games in the
2018 Playoffs with the Cavaliers.
On top of that, the Celtics are just the
fourth team with their top two scorers, in this case Tatum and Brown under the
age of 26 over the last 40 seasons.
For the Warriors, they have gone a perfect
9-0 at home so far in the 2022 Playoffs and with a win
to start their Finals tilt with the Celtics would bring them to 10-0 mark this
postseason at Chase Center, joining the 1977 Trail Blazers, the 1986 Celtics,
1987 Lakers, and 1996 Bulls, all of whom won the title that season.
While the Warriors have gone just 3-4 on the road this postseason, they have won a road game in an NBA-record 26 consecutive playoff series dating back to their First-Round tilt against the Nuggets in 2013 postseason, their return to the playoffs after a five-year absence. It was the first playoff series for Curry, Thompson, and Green, led by now NBA on ESPN/ABC color analyst Mark Jackson, whose squad won that series against the Nuggets in six games. They lost in the West Semis to the Spurs in six games.
To put into context how good the Warriors
have been at home this postseason compared to their five previous playoff runs
that had them in The Finals from 2015-19, they went 9-6 at home and 8-5 on the
road in those five straight Finals runs.
“Being able to just start at home is huge,
especially in the playoffs and even in The Finals” Poole said in his presser on
Monday. “Being able to start with our home crowd. Get our routine. Our home
routine. The same thing we do practice wise. Continue to just try to take care
of business at home like we have all playoffs, and just try to get the ball
rolling with the momentum that we have.”
Like the Celtics, the Warriors have been
good when leading buy double-digits so far this postseason going a perfect
10-0, while also compiling a 6-4 mark when trailing by 10 points or more and
posting a 5-2 mark in clutch games. They are also 8-0 this postseason when
leading after three quarters and are 4-3 when trailing after three quarters
compared to a 7-19 mark in that same scenario in the regular season.
In the just said fourth quarter in the
2022 Playoffs, the Warriors have won the final period by double-digits twice as
many times (six) as it has lost (three-once in first three rounds).
Curry has been a big reason for the
Warriors dominance in the final period so far this postseason, where in playing
just half of the team’s 192 minutes in the final period has put up his best
shooting numbers in the final period with 53 percent from the field (35/66); 44
percent on his triples (15/34) and 90.3 percent at the foul line (28/31).
While the Celtics’ defense has gotten all the headlines all season long, the Warriors ranked just behind the Celtics in opponent’s field goal percentage (43.8 percent) and were No. 3 in points allowed (104.7) and opponent’s three-point percentage (33.9 percent). Ranked No. 4 in steals (8.8).
The Warriors offense has been at the
forefront of their charge to The Finals averaging an NBA-best of 114.5 points
the first three rounds of the 2020 Playoffs, with Curry, Thompson, and Poole
accounting for a combined average of 64.1 points of the 114.5 points,
connecting on 9.6 total threes.
During this postseason, Green has had to
tangle with back-to-back Kia MVP in Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets and the front
court of the Grizzlies in Jaren Jackson, Jr., Steven Adams, and Brandon Clarke.
So far this postseason though, opponent have shot just 38.3 percent from the
floor against Green as the primary defender.
Green’s next challenge will be dealing
with Tatum and possibly Brown. In the West Finals against the Mavericks, Green
spent very little time guarding their top scorer Luka Doncic, with Wiggins
checking Doncic the majority of the last series He will likely have double duty
this series checking Tatum at one point and then Brown at another.
Then there is the wild card(s) of
Iguodala, Porter, Jr., and Payton II possibly taking the challenge of guarding
Tatum and Brown if they are healthy enough to get on the court in this series.
Iguodala as mentioned earlier has missed
the last 12 playoff games because of a neck issue. Porter, Jr. missed the last
two games of the Mavericks series because of foot soreness Payton II has been
on the shelf due to an elbow injury sustained in the early moments of Game 2
due to a flagrant foul by the Grizzlies Dillon Brooks.
“It’s what we’re aiming for. But we’ll
have a better feel after the next couple of days of practice,” Coach Kerr said
at the start of this week about the status of Iguodala, Porter, Jr., and Payton
II’s possible appearances in The Finals.
For Payton II, who earned the final spot on the Warriors roster at the start of this season if he can play in this series and if the Warriors are victorious would join his father Hall of Famer Gary Payton, Sr., who was on the 2006 Heat title squad as the fifth father-son tandem to call themselves NBA champs.
Fathers & Sons To Win Titles NBA
History
Mychal Thompson (2) & Klay Thompson (3)
Bill Walton (2) & Luke Walton (2)
Rick Barry (1) & Brent Barry (2)
Matt Guokas, St. (1) & Matt Guokas, Jr. (1)
If Igoudala, 38 does take the hardwood against the Celtics, it would be his seventh Finals appearance, making him the 17th player all-time to have played in seven or more NBA Finals.
Most Career NBA Finals Series Played
Bill Russell (Celtics): 12
Sam Jones (Celtics): 11
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Bucks, Lakers): 10
LeBron James (Cavaliers, Heat, Lakers): 10
Tom Heinsohn (Celtics): 9
Earvin “Magic” Johnson (Lakers): 9
Jerry West (Lakers): 9
Michael Cooper (Lakers): 8
Derek Fisher (Lakers, Thunder): 8
John Havlicek (Celtics): 8
K.C. Jones (Celtics): 8
Frank Ramsey (Celtics): 8
Tom “Satch” Sanders (Celtics): 8
Elgin Baylor (Lakers): 7
Kobe Bryant (Lakers): 7
Bob Cousy (Celtics): 7
Robert Horry (Rockets, Lakers, Spurs): 7
Andre Iguodala (Warriors): 6 (if he plays in 2022 Finals)
The Warriors’ defense is a major reason
why they found a way to win consistently in the regular season considering the
fact that Curry, Thompson, and Green played a grand total of 11 minutes (across
three total games) on the hardwood together and as mentioned combined for just
one point in the lone game they played together versus the Celtics Mar. 16.
In their victory at the Celtics 111-107 on
Dec. 17, 2021, Curry, despite going 8/21 shooting led the way with 30 points
hitting 5/14 from three-point range and all nine of his free throws. Wiggins,
who did not play in second game on Mar. 16 had 27 points on 11/20 shooting,
including 5/7 on his threes.
The Warriors, who led 68-54 at the half in
the win at the Celtics were 16/46 on their triple tries, while the Celtics were
15/41 from deep. They also hit 17/21 at the foul line compared to 20/29 for the
Celtics at the charity stripe.
In the aforementioned loss on Mar. 16
versus the Celtics, the Warriors were down 48-32 at the half and their comeback
was held off as they were outscored 31-19 in the fourth quarter went just 11/48
from three-point range and just 13/16 at the foul line in the blowout loss.
Curry was lost to a sprained ligament in
his left foot after going for a loose ball against Smart of the Celtics, which
also shelved him for the final 12 games of the regular season. The Warriors
went just 6-6 without Curry and lost their grip on the No. 2 Seed in the West
to the Grizzlies. Green in that defeat played just 22 minutes in his second
game back from a nine-week absence due to disc issue in his lower back.
Poole led the way with 29 points in the
loss on 10/20 shooting, including 6/13 on his triples. Thompson had 18 points,
but was just 8/24 from the floor, including 1/11 on his threes.
The 2018 Finals brings two squads with
very unique stories in how they got to this point. The Golden State Warriors
are back in The Finals after a two-year absence from the postseason entirely.
The defection of two-time Finals MVP Kevin Durant; a pair of possible career-ending
injuries to Klay Thompson and an addition season-ending broken left hand to
Stephen Curry.
The Warriors are just as hungry to win
their fifth title in franchise history, including their fourth Larry O’Brien
trophy in the last eight seasons.
“The fact that me, Klay, Draymond from
2015 to now having a chance to compete for, you know, a championship. The
feeling leaving the 2019 Finals and getting but with a lot of adversity and
speed bumps. But never lost the faith that we could get back here. This is
definitely special,” Curry said after the Game 5 post game clinching victory
over the Mavericks last week in the West Finals.
Green echoed those same sentiments in his
postgame presser after Game 5 saying, After being counted out and dynasty is
over and all those things and to get back here is fantastic. It’s a testament
to the hard work and dedication, you know. We continue to stick with it. Show
what we’re capable of. This one feels great. But we got four more wins to get.”
The Celtics though might be a team of
destiny themselves. They have been surging since mid-January behind the
ascension of Jayson Tatum. The steady play of Jaylen Brown. The defensive
impact of Marcus Smart. The leadership and quiet voice of Al Horford. The tough
trek the Celtics took through the East playoffs and finally vanquishing their
playoff demons in the East Finals. The belief instilled by first-year head
coach Ime Udoka, that has refocused the team to where they have yet to lose
back-to-back games this postseason, the Celtics seemed poised win their 18th
title in franchise history.
It is a clash of two heavyweights who bring talented trios. A defensive mindset to where nothing will come easy at the offensive end as well as the defensive end. A team in the Warriors that has yet to lose at home this postseason and a Celtics squad that has won seven out of nine times on the road in the 2022 Playoffs, including three of those nine wins in the East Finals at the Heat. More than anything they bring an understanding that this moment of being four wins away from a championship is not promised every year.
“It feels good,” Brown said to Haynes
after the Game 7 clincher at the Heat on Sunday evening. “We’ve been here in
these moments, and we didn’t come out on top. So, now being here, being able to
finally get over the hump. Get to The Finals, feels good. But we want it all.
So, we’ve got an experience team in Golden State waiting for us on the other
side and we’re ready.”
Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 5/28/2022 4 a.m. NBATV’s “Playoff Central Live,” With Kristen Ledlow, Isiah Thomas, and Sam Mitchell; 5/29/2022 8:30 p.m. “Boston Celtics versus Miami Heat,” Game 7 Eastern Conference Finals, presented by AT&T 5G With Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, and Lisa Salters; 5/30/2022 4 a.m. NBATV’s “Gametime” With Chris Miles, Shaun Powell, and Sam Mitchell; 5/30/2022 www.nba.com story, “Celtics Center Al Horford Reaches Finals At Long Last;” 5/30/2022 www.nba.com story, “Finals Preview: Storied Celtics, Proven Warriors Clash For 2022 Championship,” By Shaun Powell; 5/30/2022 www.nba.com story, “Timeline: How Warriors Returned To The NBA Finals,” By Mark Medina; 5/30/2022 6 p.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter” with Kevin Negandhi and Elle Duncan, with report from NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins; 5/31/2022 www.nba.com story, “Renewed And Reborn, Andrew Wiggins Savoring Finals Journey With Warriors,” By Shaun Powell; 5/31/2022 www.nba.com story, “NBA Finals Numbers Preview: Key Stats That Could Define Series,” By John Schuhmann;5/30/2022 www.nba.com story, “Timeline: How The Celtics Returned To The NBA Finals,” By Steve Aschburner; 6/1/2022 www.nba.com story, “Storylines Abound As Warriors, Celtics Meet In NBA Finals; www.landofbasketball.com/head_to_head_gl/celtics_vs_warriors_game_log_pl.htm; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Golden_State_Warriors_seasons; https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameid/401360259; https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameid/401360861; https://www.nba.com/player/201939/traditional?SeasonType=Playoffs&PerModeTotals; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ime)_Udoka; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Horford; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Hayward; https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kemba_Walker; and https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/3059319/andrew-wiggins.
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