24 thoughts on Game 4 of 2022 NBA Finals
Stephen Curry finishes with 43 points, 10 rebounds and seven 3-pointers to send the Finals back to the Bay Area tied at 2-2.
Behind a combined 77 points from Jaylen Brown (27), Jayson Tatum (26) and Marcus Smart (24), the Celtics were able to withstand a game-high 31 points from Stephen Curry and another third-quarter blitz by Golden State to take a 2-1 series lead in front of their home fans at TD Garden.
As Game 4 gets set to tip off, can Boston take a commanding 3-1 lead or will Golden State send the Finals back to San Francisco even at 2-2? Here are 24 thoughts on Game 4 as it unfolded in Boston.
24. We have a change to the Warriors’ starting lineup as Otto Porter Jr. will replace Kevon Looney. Through three games in this series, Looney is a team-best plus-15 in his 63 minutes on the court, while Porter is second at plus-10 in 59 minutes. Porter is shooting 7-for-9 in the Finals, with all nine of his attempts coming from 3-point range. Will he get the same open looks as a starter in Game 4 as he did in the first three games?
And how much will Looney’s absence affect the Warriors on the boards? He leads all players in the Finals with 23 rebounds through the first three games. In Game 3, Boston outrebounded Golden State 47-31 overall and 15-6 on the offensive glass.
Revamped GSW starting 5 (Curry/Klay/Wiggins/Porter Jr./Green) did not play in regular-season (remember, the Big 3 barely played together at all), is +45 in 31 minutes in the playoffs.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) June 11, 2022
23. In Game 3, Boston improved to 7-0 following a loss in this year’s playoffs. Now it’s Golden State’s turn to try staying undefeated following a defeat this postseason. The Warriors are 3-5 on the road in the playoffs, while Boston is 6-4 at home following Wednesday’s Game 3 win.
The Warriors are 5-0 in these playoffs after a loss … but all five of those wins were at home. https://t.co/OiYInZ00LP
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 11, 2022
22. How hurt is Curry? We know he’s going to play, but will the foot injury he suffered late in the fourth quarter of Game 3 limit him at all in terms of his mobility, quickness and explosiveness? Curry is averaging a series-best 31.3 points per game – Brown is second at 22.7 – and the Warriors have needed every bit of their superstar’s offense. The foot hasn’t affected Curry’s pregame routine, but will it be the same story when things are full speed?
Chef Curry, The 3-point , Splash Bro
Game 4: Warriors vs. Celtics, 9pm/et on ABC pic.twitter.com/yTmFPLiH1r
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
The Splash Bros are Game 4 READY #PhantomCam #DubNation
Tip-Off NEXT on ABC pic.twitter.com/hFHQRrfEJB
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
21. Another quick start for the Celtics, who jump out to an 11-4 lead after just three minutes. So far the lineup change is not paying off for the Warriors. Golden State is 0-for-4 from 3-point range, and Robert Williams III is dominating the glass and protecting the rim with blocks like this.
Robert Williams III sends this shot packing
Game 4 Live Now on ABC pic.twitter.com/X25FagaYWb
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
Curry battled foul trouble throughout Game 3. He picks up his first foul just 1:04 into Game 4 with a swipe down on a Tatum jumper. A good sign for Curry: his foot looks fine so far.
20. After an ice-cold start from beyond the arc, missing their first five attempts, the Warriors have made five straight triples, including back-to-back step-backs from Curry to put Golden State up by five with two minutes to play in the quarter.
Steph caps off a 17-6 @warriors run from deep
*He's FIRED up*#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/NzRp8ySPF7
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
Curry leads all players with 10 points, followed by Tatum with nine and Andrew Wiggins with eight. Wiggins has a pair of 3-pointers and a nice step-back shot from the post; he’s looked great so far as a scoring complement to Curry.
19. The Celtics score four straight points out of the timeout, including another putback from Williams III; he’s got five points, five boards and one block already. The teams are trading baskets down the stretch of the opening quarter. A Curry runner is followed by a Tatum 3-pointer (he’s 3-for-3 from deep so far), then Jordan Poole got this to go against the Time Lord’s defensive wall:
What a finish by Jordan Poole!#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/Uj8gmoHFsm
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
18. Boston leads 28-27 at the end of the first quarter following Grant Williams’ corner 3 in the final second off a great pass from Williams III. Curry and Tatum scored 12 points apiece to lead their respective teams.
Time-Lord drops a dime to Grant to beat the Q1 buzzer!#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/H48xDSplbp
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
Amazing first-quarter analysis from Steve Kerr here:
“What’s been the key to Steph Curry’s hot start?”
“He’s really good at basketball.” — Steve Kerr pic.twitter.com/4tBr2QfhA7
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 11, 2022
17. Curry sits to start the second quarter after playing the entire first. Who will provide the scoring for Golden State as he rests? Both teams are cold to start the second with zero points in the first two minutes of action.
Poole doesn’t stay cold for long as he drops back-to-back 3-pointers in the span of 20 seconds to force a Boston timeout with 9:27 to play in the half and the Warriors leading by five. Drop coverage continues to haunt the Celtics against the Warriors’ 3-point shooters.
Jordan Poole in transition. Money#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/fXk4AZP2l7
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
Celtics call timeout to discuss the "score a point this quarter" adjustment.
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) June 11, 2022
16. In the span of 80 seconds, Brown hits a pair of 3-pointers, including a potential four-point play after being hit by Klay Thompson on the challenge.
Jaylen Brown would like a 4-piece!
JB knocks down the 3 through contact on ABC pic.twitter.com/pVC9dCZuTs
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
Brown misses the free throw, which has been an issue for the Celtics as they are just 7-for-12 at the foul line so far. He’s up to 10 points after this incredible scoop shot around Draymond Green’s contest:
Jaylen Brown to the Baja
: ABC pic.twitter.com/QUxpWUc1vt
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
15. Sometimes it’s not a ferocious dunk or a 30-foot bomb that gets the crowd hyped up. The TD Garden crowd is on fire after watching Tatum dive for a loose ball along the sideline and go sliding into his teammates on the Celtics bench. He couldn’t save it, but the effort play has raised the energy in the building another notch.
Tatum went ALL OUT for this loose ball and the Boston crowd was loving it ⚡ pic.twitter.com/OFN3lQceh9
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 11, 2022
Anybody splice the Tatum dive w/ the Cowens dive yet?
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) June 11, 2022
14. Boston is making a push late in the first half, ripping off a 10-0 run to turn a three-point deficit into a seven-point lead with just under three minutes remaining. The teams trade 5-0 spurts in the final three minutes before Looney closes the half with a tip dunk for his first points of the game.
13. We’re at the half and the Celtics are up 54-49. Curry leads all scorers with 19 points, while Tatum tops the Celtics with 16. Brown has 12 points and Derrick White leads the Boston bench with 10. Wiggins has 11 points for Golden State, while Poole provided 10 points off the bench in just nine minutes.
5 point game at the half in Game 4!@warriors 49 | @celtics 54
Halftime on ABC#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/AM1KymFxoj— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
12. The Warriors open the half with a quick 5-0 spurt in just 45 seconds — a pull-up jumper from Curry, an open 3 from Thompson — and Boston’s halftime advantage is gone. Is this the beginning of another dominant third quarter from the Warriors?
Marcus Smart responds with a personal 5-0 spurt comprising a 3-pointer followed by an uncontested dunk after stripping Draymond clean. Green is struggling tonight.
11. This exclusive club is sharing the court tonight:
Players to make 70+ 3s in a playoff run:
Stephen Curry (5x)
Klay Thompson (2x)
Jayson Tatum (1x)That’s it. pic.twitter.com/gzWB9Oxp4y
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 11, 2022
10. The Celtics are trying to hold the lead in the third as they make some impressive shots against tough Warriors defense. Check out this finish by Brown against Green. Sometimes great offense beats great defense.
CROSS. HESI. AND 1 #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/y2zuDgmnBv
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
9. If Curry is already the best shooter of all time, then where do we rank third-quarter Steph? He’s putting on another ridiculous shooting display, drilling his third 3-pointer of the frame and fifth of the game to give him 30 points on the night and tie the game at 73.
30 for 3️⃣0️⃣
Steph (30 PTS) knocks down his 5th 3-pointer on ABC pic.twitter.com/g36yJQ5bqs
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
Stephen Curry: 10th career Finals game with 30 points and 5 3-pointers. No other player has more than 2 such games in the NBA Finals. @ESPNStatsInfo
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) June 11, 2022
Chef is INSANE!!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 11, 2022
ELITE COMPANY pic.twitter.com/xdvHzvCWYp
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 11, 2022
8. Curry scores 14 of his 33 points in the third to give Golden State a 79-78 lead heading into the final quarter. The trend of Golden State owning the third quarter continues as they outscore Boston 30-24.
Steph's 14-point 3rd quarter has given the @warriors a 1-point lead entering Q4!
GSW 79 | BOS 78
Start of Q4 on ABC pic.twitter.com/kl80Ii1UpQ— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
Curry’s final 3-pointer of the quarter was great recognition by Gary Payton II, who turned a good shot (open corner 3 for him) into a great shot (open corner 3 for the greatest shooter in NBA history).
Stephen Curry is up to 33 PTS
6 3PM through 3 quarters on ABC pic.twitter.com/drUaSZ0sPv
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
pic.twitter.com/0g0LDM0o5J
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 11, 2022
What will the Celtics have for their response? So far in the series, they have outscored the Warriors by 40 points in the fourth.
7. Curry begins the fourth on the bench. How long can he afford to sit?
He might have earned an extra minute or two after Klay’s triple ties the game back up with 9:55 to play. But Kerr isn’t about to gamble following a Wiggins turnover on Golden State’s ensuing possession, sending Curry right back out for the stretch run.
6. Brown converts back-to-back driving layups off Warriors turnovers to give the Celtics a four-point lead with 7:32 left. The Celtics get a bonus free throw from Smart to extend the lead to five as he was fouled by Poole while Brown scored.
Jaylen Brown goes off the glass to increase Boston's lead pic.twitter.com/DeziHGj1Vx
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 11, 2022
That's five Warrior turnovers in the first 4.5 minutes of the fourth quarter. I know it's baked into the style, but it's just unsurvivable against a team this good at making it hard for you to score under ideal circumstances.
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) June 11, 2022
5. We officially have clutch time as we’re under five minutes with Boston up by two.
Make that Warriors up one following a Thompson 3 off a great touch pass from Curry. Brown can’t answer with a 3 of his own. Curry’s runner over Williams III gives Golden State a three-point lead. Timeout, Celtics. An impressive 7-0 run by the Warriors as they look to avoid the dreaded 3-1 deficit.
KLAY FOR THE LEAD pic.twitter.com/VKxRapNR8P
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 11, 2022
GSW on an 11-4 run since Draymond came out of the game
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) June 11, 2022
4. After each of the first three games of the Finals were decided by double digits, it’s great to have one coming down to the wire. We need pressure-filled moments in the Finals and it doesn’t get much bigger than this.
Smart misses two 3-pointers on one possession — both were good looks — and Wiggins secures the rebound for his career-best 15th board, giving Golden State possession with a three-point lead and just over two minutes to play.
The Warriors turn it over, but Boston bricks another open 3-pointer — this one from Al Horford following great defense by Thompson to close Brown’s driving lane and force him to pass. Curry answers with his seventh 3-pointer of the night, giving Golden State a six-point advantage with 1:42 to play.
Terrific iso defense from Thompson on Brown. Curry 3.
Celtics need to get a good look out of this timeout.
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) June 11, 2022
STEPH. CLUTCH
(via @warriors)pic.twitter.com/MvMDjY0yiO
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 11, 2022
3. Despite misfiring on the previous possession, Horford shows no hesitation and drains the corner 3 to cut the Warriors’ lead in half with 90 seconds to play. Boston isn’t done yet.
Boston traps Curry beyond the 3-point line, forcing someone else to score. He finds Draymond on the roll, and Green draws and dishes to Looney for the easy layup. Warriors back up five.
Another great defensive possession by Klay as he forces a turnover by Brown. Golden State up five with the ball and less than a minute to play.
Curry drives the lane and is fouled on the layup attempt. He heads to the line to make it a three-possession game with 46 seconds to play. The Celtics will challenge the foul. This is a huge review here.
Good challenge. Not sure Celtics get this overturned, but this is a super high-leverage situation.
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) June 11, 2022
Boston loses the challenge and its final timeout. Curry’s free throws give him 40 points and make it a seven-point game. The Celtics are going to need some magic here as Golden State has its largest lead of the game.
But White airballs a corner 3 and the Warriors take a timeout with 25.5 seconds left as the Boston faithful start filing out of TD Garden.
40 PTS FOR STEPH CURRY @warriors 104 | @celtics 97
25.5 seconds remaining in Q4 on ABC#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/FVjxgtra3t— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
This is Stephen Curry's 2nd career 40-point Finals game.
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) June 11, 2022
The only players age 34 and older with a 40-10 game in the Finals:
1. LeBron James.
2. Stephen Curry.End of list.
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 11, 2022
2. Down four with five minutes to play, the Warriors have engineered a 15-3 run to storm ahead by seven with 20 seconds left. Curry sinks two more free throws, finishing with 43 points on the night.
43 points x Steph Curry pic.twitter.com/4W8BousFOA
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
Final 5 Minutes of Game 4
GSW … 17
BOS …. 3— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) June 11, 2022
Tatum, who scored just three points on 1-for-5 shooting in the fourth, slams the ball off the court as the clock hits 0:00. The Finals are now tied 2-2 heading back to the Bay for a pivotal Game 5 on Monday (9 ET, ABC).
The @warriors win Game 4 and tie the series at 2-2! #DubNation
Game 5: Mon. 9:00pm/et on ABC#NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/I2GM7ONl7G
— NBA (@NBA) June 11, 2022
The Warriors extend their record for winning at least one road game in 27 straight playoff series.
Road Warriors ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/oBcOcFCAaN
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 11, 2022
1. Praise rolls in from current and former players for Curry and the Warriors on their big Game 4 win.
AMAZING
— Joel “Troel” Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 11, 2022
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 11, 2022
30 is a bad boy.
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) June 11, 2022
And we’ll end it with Nic Batum borrowing Kerr’s thoughts from his in-game interview earlier:
He’s really good at the game of basketball
— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) June 11, 2022
The Warriors can enjoy this win for now, but it’s back to San Francisco to prepare for the biggest game of the series. It’s best of three now. Monday can’t come soon enough.
