With the prospect of going down 3-1 staring right in front of them, the Warriors never panicked and leaned on to their battle-tested veterans to show up.
And show up they did as they’ve knotted their NBA Finals series against the Celtics to two games apiece, 107-97, and now it has come down to a best-of-three – with two out of the three possible games to be played in San Francisco.
Steph Curry is still amazing since he had one of the best games of his career, and he may have singlehandedly swung the momentum towards Golden State’s favour.
Now the pressure is on Boston to respond since they need to win at least one more road game if they are to get their banner No. 18.
Without further ado, read on below as SBOTOP highlights certain takeaways from Game 4.
The Warriors outhustled the Celtics
The Warriors were heavily criticised after Game 3 when they were bullied by the Celtics inside, so they promptly responded in Game 4.
In Game 3, Boston had a 52-26 advantage for points in the paint and 47-31 in the rebounding category. But in Game 4, Golden State turned it around with a 38-32 edge for points in the paint and 55-42 in rebounds (16-11 for offencive rebounds).
Andrew Wiggins had the best rebounding game of his career with 16 boards and he also tallied 17 points in 43 minutes of action. Draymond Green – who has been a disappearing act from the previous games – had a decent outing by his standards with nine rebounds, eight assists, and four steals.
Kevon Looney was given more minutes and it paid off for Golden State as he had six points and 11 rebounds, while Steph Curry helped too in that area with 10 of his own.
The Celtics, meanwhile, only had two double-digit rebounders in this game as Robert Williams III grabbed 12 and Jayson Tatum had 11, although they had five blocks combined.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were inefficient
The Jays had 44 points combined on 17-for-42 shooting which isn’t going to cut it against the Warriors, especially since Steph Curry almost outscored them both all by himself.
Jayson Tatum entered Game 4 averaging around 22 points per game with a putrid 48-per cent true shooting. Along with his 11 boards and three blocks in Game 4, he notched 23 points and six assists but he also had six turnovers.
Celtics fans are still waiting for a signature Finals performance from Tatum – like his 46-point outburst in Game 6 against the Bucks – and it remains to be seen on whether he’ll have one in these next few games especially when the Warriors defence is hell-bent on slowing him down.
Jaylen Brown – who set the tone in Game 3 with 17 of his 27 points in the first period – was held to 21 points and six rebounds in Game 4. The 25-year-old swingman made some big baskets early in the fourth quarter, but he was tired down the stretch.
Boston were leading for most of the game but faltered when it mattered most as Golden State had a 17-3 run in the fourth quarter and their defence caused the hosts to miss seven of their final eight shots.
Inconsistent second halves remain a recurring theme for the Celtics all throughout this postseason as the Warriors outscored them 58-43 in the second half.
“We had to do it the difficult way. We have to do it again. It could’ve been an easier road, obviously, if you get the win tonight. But we’re 2-2 now. We know we can do it. We’ve done it before,” said Celtics head coach Ime Udoka.
Steph Curry puts the Warriors on his back
If it weren’t for Steph Curry, this series would’ve been over by now. The Warriors point guard has been fantastic through the first three games and he was transcendent here in Game 4.
He produced numerous NBA 2022 highlights and finished with 43 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists on 14-for-26 from the field. It was also his seventh-career Finals game with seven made three-pointers.
In a showcase of efficiency and having the clutch gene, Curry scored 10 points in the final period to shut the door on the Celtics and he’s now backed by the NBA 2022 odds to win Finals MVP.
“He wasn’t letting us lose. I could tell his demeanor, last couple of days, even after Game 3 that he was going to come out with that kind of fire,” said Draymond Green.
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