The Celtics upset the Warriors Thursday night in San Francisco, finishing the game on a 20-5 run to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals, 120-108.
Why is this important: The Celtics are the first team to win a Finals game by double digits after trailing in double digits in the fourth quarter.
- Their probability of winning dropped to 4% as they were down 15 towards the end of the third. Then came the most unbalanced fourth quarter in the history of the final (40-16).
- The Celtics made their first seven threes to open the fourth. Overall, Boston (21) and Golden State (19) set a Finals record 40 threes.
Noteworthy: Al Horford, playing his first NBA Finals game, had a career-high 26 points and six threes. He hit all four shots he took in the fourth quarter, starting Boston’s run.
- Derrick White, who arrived mid-season from Spurs, continued his brilliant game since the birth of his child at the start of the Eastern Final, scoring 21 points off the bench.
- Steph Curry led the way for the Warriors, scoring 34 runs and hitting seven threes. He drained six in the first quarter, setting a record in the final. Andrew Wiggins added 20 points and Klay Thompson added 15.
The big picture: It’s only the third time the Warriors have lost Game 1 of a playoff series under Steve Kerr (21-3 overall). The winner of Game 1 of the NBA Finals won the championship 71% of the time.
