Boston Celtics vs Golden State Warriors
The Boston Celtics head to the Bay Area to face the Golden State Warriors for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
The Celtics survived a seven-game war with the Miami Heat to make it to their first Finals since 2010 and will now be eyeing their record 18th NBA title.
Meanwhile, Stephen Curry and the Warriors are back for the first time since their amazing run of five straight Finals trips – with three titles – ended in 2019-2020 amid Kevin Durant’s departure and Klay Thompson’s injuries.
The NBA 2022 odds have Golden State – who will enjoy home-court advantage – favoured in Game 1 of the Finals, but the Celtics have played the Warriors well in recent years and have been outstanding on the road in these playoffs.
Talking Points
A battle between historic franchises
This NBA Finals will pit one of the most successful teams in NBA history in the Celtics (17 NBA championships) against the most dominant team of the last decade in the Warriors, who went to the Finals for five straight years from 2015-19 and won three titles (2015, 2017, 2018).
Although, neither team has been able to break through in recent years. This will be Boston’s first trip to the Finals since 2010 after losing in the conference finals in three of the last five years.
As for the Warriors, this will be their triumphant return after Kevin Durant’s departure and Klay Thompson’s injuries seemingly marked the end of their dynasty in 2019, and they missed the playoffs in back-to-back years.
There will be no love lost between these two teams, especially after the incident in their most recent matchup in March, when Marcus Smart injured Stephen Curry’s foot after diving for a loose ball.
Young guns vs Old guard
While the Celtics were the NBA dynasty of old and the Warriors are the league’s modern juggernaut, Boston will be the young guns in this matchup as they take on the old guard in the Warriors.
The Celtics’ core of Jayson Tatum (24), Jaylen Brown (25), and Marcus Smart (28) are all still in the prime, while the Warriors’ legendary trio of Stephen Curry (34), Klay Thompson and Draymond Green (32) are now on the back end of their Hall of Fame careers.
Although, it should be noted that the Warriors’ threesome has shown this season that while they are no longer at the peak of their powers, they can still create their share of NBA 2022 highlights.
The two benches also represent young and old, with Boston’s first-year coach Ime Udoka taking on the highly experienced Steve Kerr, who has now made the Finals in six of his eight seasons as an NBA head coach.
The spotlight will be shining on the showdown between Boston’s Jayson Tatum, who looks poised to become the NBA’s next young superstar, and Warriors veteran Stephen Curry, who can further elevate his status as an all-time great with another title. But neither star is one to do it all by himself, so their supporting casts will still be crucial in this series.
Duel of top defences
As the saying goes, defence wins championships, and this Celtics-Warriors matchup is proof. These were the top two defensive teams this season, with the Celtics finishing first and the Warriors second.
Boston have been far and away the best defensive unit since their remarkable turnaround in January – they went 33-12 since January 1 after going 18-19 in their first 37 games – and will have Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart leading the way.
But the Warriors boast their own elite defender in Draymond Green, and as they showed against Dallas and superstar Luka Doncic, they are still quite capable of slowing down even the best scorers despite their advancing age.
History
This will be just the second showdown ever between the Boston Celtics and the Warriors franchise in the NBA Finals. Their first and only previous meeting came in 1964, when the then-San Francisco Warriors – led by the legendary Wilt Chamberlain – faced the dynastic Celtics of the ‘60s; Boston won the series 4-1 for the sixth of their record eight straight titles.
But in more recent years, while the Warriors have dominated just about every other team, the Celtics have caused them problems. In fact, the Celtics are the only team in the NBA with a winning record against Golden State since head coach Steve Kerr took over in 2014-15.
What are the odds?
SBOTOP odds have the Warriors installed as 1.58 favourites to win the series and 1.60 favourites to win Game 1 at home. Meanwhile, the Celtics’ odds to win Game 1 and the series are identical at 2.42.
The Asian Handicap market has the Warriors favoured by 3 to 4.50 points in Game 1, while the over under line is set at 211.00 to 212.00.
The Celtics are certainly capable of causing the upset Game 1 in Golden State. They have already won seven road games in these playoffs, including do-or-die games in Milwaukee and Miami, and they have a habit of playing the Warriors well, in part due to Smart’s defence on Curry. The Warriors could potentially be a bit rusty after a long break in between games, which would open the door a bit further for the Celtics to steal Game 1.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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