The Golden State Warriors are back, and are your 2022 NBA finals champions! The Warriors beat the Celtics in Game 6, clinching the franchise’s seventh NBA championship, and the fourth since 2015. The victory in Boston was headlined by Stephen Curry, who put up a team-high 34 points. Draymond Green played an important role, with 12 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. He also had a large defensive impact with a pair of steals and blocks each.
2022 NBA Finals Game 6 Recap
First Half
The Celtics started strong in the first quarter, jumping out to a 14-2 lead in mere minutes. However, as the quarter paced on, the Warriors fought back. Klay Thompson and Curry each had a few key buckets, along with a wild three-pointer from Jordan Poole. The Warriors ended the quarter on an 11-0 run and led 27-22.
Golden State continued this run into the second quarter, scoring 10 straight at the beginning of the second quarter to establish a 15-point lead. Despite various changes, the Warriors ended the half with the same 15-point lead. At the half, Jaylen Brown led all scorers with 14 points.
Second Half
In the third quarter, the Warriors extended their lead to 22, behind key shots from Curry and Otto Porter. By the end of the quarter, the Celtics cut the lead down to just ten.
The fourth quarter was a series of shot after shot, with defensive prowess in between. The Celtics would fight for life every possession but were unable to complete the comeback.
The main fault of the Celtics through this game was their turnovers. Boston turned the ball over 22 times, which ultimately cost them the game. During the 4th quarter, Jeff Van Gundy noted, “It is hard to win against a great team like the Warriors when you turn the ball over that much.”
Brown led the Celtics in most statistical categories. He scored 34 points, while also adding seven rebounds and three assists.
Jayson Tatum was absent in this game, shooting 6-for-18 from the field, and only scoring 13 points. He was another one of the main contributors to the Celtics’ turnover problems, losing the ball a total of five times this game.
On the winning side of things, the Warriors had all their contributors step up, especially Andrew Wiggins. His 18 points brought help on offense, but his four steals and three blocks helped hold the Celtics to their second-lowest point total in the finals. Wiggins’ three-pointer with just about left extended the lead to 15, ultimately clinching the Warriors’ victory.
An emotional Curry remarked after the game: “We did it.” He earned his first NBA Finals MVP after his incredible performance.
