The Golden State Warriors have defeated the Boston Celtics in game six of the NBA Finals to claim the 2022 NBA title. The debate over the legitimacy of their dynasty may continue, but their reign as champion of the 2021-22 season is undisputed.
Warriors Claim 2022 Title Over Celtics – NBA Finals Recap
Celtics Steal Home Court
Boston stole home-court advantage immediately with a 120-108 win in San Fransisco. Al Horford surprisingly led the team in scoring with 26 points. Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, and Derrick White were key contributors, while Jayson Tatum struggled from the floor. Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins were the go-to guys for Golden State in game one, scoring 34 and 20 points, respectively.
Game two went back to the Warriors as a 35-14 third quarter turned into a dominant 107-88 victory. The critical role players that had been so hot for Boston in game one fell ice cold. Horford, Smart, and White shot a combined 6-23. Tatum was back to form, scoring 28 in the effort, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Warriors’ ferocious second-half attack. Jordan Poole had 17 off the bench for Golden State. Curry led all scorers with 29.
Back and Forth in Boston
A strong outing from Boston’s key trio led to a 16-point victory in game three. Tatum, Brown, and Smart combined for 77 points in front of the home crowd. Klay Thompson played well for the Warriors in the loss. His 25 points in the game were second to only Curry’s 31 for the Dubs. Golden State once again dismantled Boston in the third period, but this time, Boston bounced back with a 23-11 drubbing in the fourth.
Curry carried Golden State to a win in game four with a 43-point outing. Tatum and Brown combined for 44 points on a 17-42 shooting night. The Warriors outscored Boston 58-43 in the second half to seal the 107-97 victory.
Golden State Takes the Lead
The Warriors were the first team in the series to win consecutive games, as their back-to-back wins put them in the driver’s seat with only two games remaining. Sticking with the theme, this game was again decided by double digits. Wiggins was the Warriors’ best scorer on this night with 24 points while shooting over 50% from the field. This win was crucial since Golden State managed to win despite a poor shooting night from Curry and a 22.5% three-point percentage as a team.
Warriors Win it All
Golden State clinched their seventh NBA championship in franchise history with an impressive win in game six. Boston exploded out of the gate, taking a quick 14-2 lead. The Warriors would erase the early deficit and took a 27-22 lead into the first break. They would add another 10 points to that lead by halftime, making it 54-39 at halftime. Although the Celtics would win the third period with a 16-4 run at the end, they couldn’t complete the comeback in the fourth. Curry led all scorers with 34 points.
Final NBA Finals Thoughts
For Boston, this is a sad end to an amazing season. At one point, this team was 11th in the conference and not expected to do much. This team can hold their head high and has a bright future to build on.
This title, the fourth in the Splash Brothers era, is undoubtedly one of the most impressive of this 2015-2022 Warriors run. Curry can finally celebrate his first NBA Finals MVP, and it is well deserved. This team was not expected to make this run, but with the emergence of Poole and the resurgence of Thompson and Wiggins, this team has once again etched its name in NBA history.
