The new-look Golden State Warriors entered Game 1 of this year's NBA Finals with an edge over the Boston Celtics, possessing homecourt advantage and invaluable championship experience. But the sold-out crowd at Chase Center wasn't treated to an ordinary series-opening performance on Thursday night. They witnessed the hometown team fall on the wrong side of league history, and all in a span of a dozen minutes.
Golden State's lead of 12 points after three quarters of play wasn't at all safe, as Boston orchestrated a stunning fourth-quarter comeback to take Game 1, 120-108. The Warriors were limited to a scant 16 points in the last period, and according to ESPN Stats, the Celtics became the first team in NBA history to win a Finals game by double-digits after trailing by double-digits entering the fourth quarter. Golden State's win probability reached as high as 96-percent.
"These things happen. Great teams have bad moments and bad quarters and things fall apart sometimes," SI.com NBA writer Howard Beck told the Maggie and Perloff show on Friday. "I'm not reading a ton into anything that happened last night... The Celtics are, by far, the best team the Warriors have faced. And that's not always the case. The Finals don't always pit the two best teams. But in this case, it's an absolute fact.
"The Celtics -- offensive, defensively, versatility, any box you want to check -- are the best, toughest opponent they've had to face this season. Warriors are a team we've expected a lot from because they're a dynasty. But, there's only three guys who're really part of all of that, seriously in the rotation. Everybody else is new to this. They do have to learn on the fly... They had some careless turnovers, defensive lapses. Nothing that I think is unsolvable."
The opening quarter was strong for Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, as he connected on six three-pointers, setting the NBA record for the most in any quarter of a Finals game. But when the Celtics' onslaught arrived late, Curry was limited to only four points, shrouding his overall 34-point performance. Boston's shots simply fell at a higher clip. They hit their first seven threes in the final quarter, finishing the game with 21, and the 24-point swing actually occurred without any help from Jayson Tatum. He didn't score in the fourth.
Golden State, which clinched the West's third seed with a 53-29 record, will play Game 2 against Boston on Sunday night, with tip-off slated for 8:OO ET. According to FiveThirtyEight projections, the Warriors currently have just an 8-percent chance to win their fourth championship since 2015. If the Celtics hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy, it'd be their league-record 18th in team history. Golden State also entered Game 1 with a perfect 9-0 home playoff record.
The entire NBA Finals conversation between Beck and Maggie and Perloff can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow the Maggie and Perloff Show on Twitter @MaggieandPerl and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.
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