Wikipedia

2022 NBA Finals

The 2022 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s 2021–22 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeated the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics in six games, winning their fourth championship in eight years. Golden State's Stephen Curry was named the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the first time in his career.

2022 NBA Finals
TeamCoachWins
Golden State Warriors Steve Kerr 4
Boston Celtics Ime Udoka 2
DatesJune 2–16
MVPStephen Curry
(Golden State Warriors)
Eastern finalsCeltics defeated Heat, 4–3
Western finalsWarriors defeated Mavericks, 4–1
← 2021 NBA finals 2023 →

The 3-seeded Warriors (53–29) had home-court advantage in the series because they had a better regular-season record than the 2-seeded Celtics (51–31). This was the 11th time that a lower-seeded team had home-court advantage, the last time being 2019.[1] It was also the second straight finals without a no. 1 seed from either conference, and the 15th time overall.[2][3] The Celtics won the opening game on the road and returned to Boston with the series tied 1–1. They won their first home game to take a 2–1 lead, but the Warriors won the next three games to take the series 4–2. Golden State won its first title since 2018 and its seventh championship overall, while Boston, with 17 championships, remained tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most titles in league history until 2024.[4]

The NBA Finals returned to its normal June schedule for the first time since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic began.[5] The series started on June 2 and concluded on June 16. This edition of the Finals was a rematch of the 1964 NBA Finals, in which the Celtics defeated the then-San Francisco Warriors in five games.[6]

Background

edit

Boston Celtics

edit
Main article: 2021–22 Boston Celtics season
 
In his first year as head coach, Ime Udoka took the Celtics to their first NBA Finals in 12 years.

During the 2021 offseason, the Celtics named head coach Brad Stevens president of basketball operations, replacing Danny Ainge after he announced his retirement.[7] Stevens made his first transaction in his new position trading away Kemba Walker, a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for Al Horford, Moses Brown, and a 2023 second-round pick.[8] Needing a replacement for Stevens, Brooklyn Nets assistant coach Ime Udoka was hired as the new head coach. After starting the season 16–19 and in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings, the Celtics finished the regular season with a record of 51–31, winning 35 of their final 47 games to finish with the second-best record in the conference.[9]

In the first round of the playoffs, the Celtics won in a four-game sweep over the seventh-seeded Brooklyn Nets, with numerous experts expecting a more competitive series as the Nets, with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and initially James Harden before he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, were seen as the preseason favorites.[10] The Celtics then faced the 2021 Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and defending champion Milwaukee Bucks, going down 3–2 in the series before eventually winning the series in seven games. After going down 2–1 in the conference finals against the first-seeded Miami Heat led by Jimmy Butler, the Celtics won in seven games, reaching the Finals for the first time since 2010 and for the 22nd time in their history.[11]

Golden State Warriors

edit
Main article: 2021–22 Golden State Warriors season
 
Klay Thompson returned after missing the previous two seasons because of injury.

After reaching the Finals for five consecutive seasons (2015–2019), the Warriors were struck with injuries for the next two seasons, with Klay Thompson sitting out for the entire 2019–20 and 2020–21 campaigns, and Stephen Curry playing a combined 68 games during that time span.[12] In 2021–22, Golden State began the season winning 18 of their first 20 games.[13] Curry became the NBA career leader in 3-pointers,[14] and Thompson returned on January 9, 2022, his first NBA game in 941 days.[15] Andrew Wiggins, acquired by the Warriors in 2020 after six seasons with Minnesota,[16] was named a starter for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.[17] The Warriors finished as the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 53–29.[14][18][19]

In the first round of the playoffs, the Warriors got past the sixth-seeded Denver Nuggets and 2022 league MVP Nikola Jokić in five games, with Curry coming off the bench in four of the five games after he returned from a foot injury.[20] The Warriors then eliminated the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and the 2022 NBA Most Improved Player, Ja Morant, beating them in six games. After defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the conference finals, the Warriors advanced to the Finals for the first time in three seasons, the sixth time in eight seasons, and the twelfth time in franchise history.[21]

Road to the Finals

edit
Further information: 2021–22 NBA season and 2022 NBA playoffs

Notes

  • z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs
  • c – Clinched home court advantage for the conference playoffs
  • y – Clinched division title
  • x – Clinched playoff spot
  • pi – Clinched play-in tournament spot
  • * – Division leader
Playoff results
Boston Celtics (Eastern Conference champion) Golden State Warriors (Western Conference champion)
Defeated the 7th seeded Brooklyn Nets, 4–0 First round Defeated the 6th seeded Denver Nuggets, 4–1
Defeated the 3rd seeded Milwaukee Bucks, 4–3 Conference Semifinals Defeated the 2nd seeded Memphis Grizzlies, 4–2
Defeated the 1st seeded Miami Heat, 4–3 Conference Finals Defeated the 4th seeded Dallas Mavericks, 4–1

Regular season series

edit

The Warriors and Celtics tied the regular season series 1–1, with the away team winning each game.

Series summary

edit
Game Date Road team Result Home team
Game 1 June 2 Boston Celtics 120–108 (1–0) Golden State Warriors
Game 2 June 5 Boston Celtics 88–107 (1–1) Golden State Warriors
Game 3 June 8 Golden State Warriors 100–116 (1–2) Boston Celtics
Game 4 June 10 Golden State Warriors 107–97 (2–2) Boston Celtics
Game 5 June 13 Boston Celtics 94–104 (2–3) Golden State Warriors
Game 6 June 16 Golden State Warriors 103–90 (4–2) Boston Celtics

Game summaries

edit
Note: Times are EDT (UTC−4) as listed by the NBA. For games in San Francisco, the local time is also given (PDT, UTC−7).

Game 1

edit
June 2
9:00 pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Boston Celtics 120, Golden State Warriors 108
Scoring by quarter: 28–32, 28–22, 24–38, 40–16
Pts: Al Horford 26
Rebs: Jaylen Brown 7
Asts: Jayson Tatum 13		 Pts: Stephen Curry 34
Rebs: Draymond Green 11
Asts: Curry, Green, Looney 5 each
Boston leads series, 1–0
Chase Center, San Francisco, California
Attendance: 18,064
Referees:
  • No. 8 Marc Davis
  • No. 10 John Goble
  • No. 60 James Williams
 
Al Horford led the Celtics with 26 points in his Finals debut, going 4-for-4 in the fourth quarter.

After playing 141 playoff games without an NBA Finals appearance,[22] Al Horford helped lead the way for Boston with 26 points, including going on an 8–0 run by himself to give his team the lead in the fourth quarter as the Celtics outscored the Warriors 40–16. Jaylen Brown also helped spark a 17–0 run in the fourth, scoring 10 of his 24 points in the final quarter. Jayson Tatum had a poor shooting performance, going 3-for-17 from the field and scoring 12 points,[23] but he finished with a career-high 13 assists, the most ever for a player in his Finals debut.[24] Boston's other four starters shot 30-for-50 (60%) in the game, along with shooting 12-for-23 (52%) from beyond the arc, as the Celtics hit their first seven three-point attempts in the fourth.[25] Marcus Smart added 18 points, and Derrick White came off the bench to score 21 points.[26]

For the Warriors, Stephen Curry got off to a hot start, scoring 21 points and shooting 6-for-8 from beyond the arc in the first quarter, the most three-pointers made in a single quarter in Finals history.[27] In addition, the 21 points were the most in a single quarter since Michael Jordan's 22 in the fourth quarter of Game 4 in 1993.[28] But Curry struggled for the rest of the game, shooting 5-of-16 in the final three quarters as the Warriors blew a 92–80 lead heading into the fourth quarter.[29] Despite collecting 11 rebounds, Draymond Green shot just 2-for-12 from the field and 0-for-3 on free throws, fouling out with a minute to go in the fourth.[30]

The Celtics' comeback was the biggest in the Finals after three quarters since the Chicago Bulls overcame a 15-point deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 6 in 1992.[31] The win also brought the Celtics' record to 8–2 on the road this postseason, while the Warriors dropped to 9–1 at home. Both teams made a combined 40 three-pointers, the most ever in an NBA Finals game, surpassing the previous record of 35 set in 2017.[32]

Game 2

edit
June 5
8:00 pm (5:00 pm PDT)
Boston Celtics 88, Golden State Warriors 107
Scoring by quarter: 30–31, 20–21, 14–35, 24–20
Pts: Jayson Tatum 28
Rebs: Al Horford 8
Asts: Marcus Smart 5		 Pts: Stephen Curry 29
Rebs: Kevon Looney 7
Asts: Draymond Green 7
Series tied, 1–1
Chase Center, San Francisco, California
Attendance: 18,064
Referees:
 
Stephen Curry scored a game-high 29 points for the Warriors in Game 2.

Curry scored 29 points and Golden State outscored Boston 35–14 in the third quarter to tie the series with a 107–88 win. The Warriors outscored the Celtics 43–14 from late in the second quarter to early in the fourth, transforming a tied game into a blowout.[33] Jordan Poole added 17 points for Golden State, including a 3-point shot from 39 feet (12 m), just past midcourt, with only seconds left in the third quarter, giving them a 23-point lead.[33][34] Boston committed 19 turnovers, which the Warriors converted into 33 points.[33]

Green had nine points, five rebounds, and seven assists for Golden State, but impacted the game with his aggressiveness on defense and physical play. He forced a jump ball on Horford 13 seconds into the game, and was the primary defender on Brown, holding him to 5-of-17 shooting.[35][36] Tatum recovered from his poor shooting in Game 1, scoring 21 points in the first half of Game 2 on 7-of-16 shooting. Brown added 15 points in the first half, but Boston still trailed by two at halftime. In the third quarter, Tatum shot just twice in the third period, even though he played all 12 minutes. Horford scored just two points on four shots in the game after scoring 26 in the opener.[34] The Celtics made just 37.5% of their shots in the game, scoring their fewest points since December 29, when they were 16–19.[35]

The Warriors' Andre Iguodala missed the game due to inflammation in his right knee.[33] Teammate Gary Payton II, who played for the first time since fracturing his elbow one month earlier in the series against Memphis, scored seven points in 25 minutes.[37]

Game 3

edit
June 8
9:00 pm
Golden State Warriors 100, Boston Celtics 116
Scoring by quarter: 22–33, 34–35, 33–25, 11–23
Pts: Stephen Curry 31
Rebs: Looney, Wiggins 7 each
Asts: Otto Porter Jr. 4		 Pts: Jaylen Brown 27
Rebs: Robert Williams III 10
Asts: Jayson Tatum 9
Boston leads series, 2–1
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 19,156
Referees:
  • No. 48 Scott Foster
  • No. 16 David Guthrie
  • No. 61 Courtney Kirkland
 
 
Jaylen Brown (left) and Jayson Tatum (right) combined for 53 points, with Tatum scoring 15 of his 26 in the second half.[38]

Brown scored 27 points and Tatum had 26 in a 116–100 Boston win for a 2–1 series lead. The Celtics led by as many as 18 points in the first half, but Golden State again surged in the third quarter, outscoring Boston 33–25 behind 15 points from Curry. The Warriors briefly took the lead at 83–82, but the Celtics were back up at 93–89 at the end of the period. Boston outscored Golden State 23–11 in the fourth quarter.[39] The Celtics were the more physical team,[40] outscoring the Warriors 52–26 in the paint and outrebounding them 47–31.[39] Boston's Robert Williams III had 10 rebounds and four of the team's seven blocks.[40]

Curry finished with 31 points and six 3-pointers, and Thompson added 25 points and five 3s.[39] Green was held to two points, four rebounds, and three assists before fouling out for the second time in the series.[41] He became the first player in Finals history to foul out after playing at least 34 minutes with less than five points, five rebounds and five assists.[42] Curry was injured late in the fourth when Horford fell on his leg while chasing a loose ball.[39] Green received his sixth foul, which ejected him from the game when he pushed a Celtic from the pile; Green said Curry was howling in pain at the bottom of the pileup. The following day, Curry was confident that he would play in Game 4, saying it was "just a pain tolerance thing that you've got to deal with". He said it was not as bad as the injury that kept him out for the final 12 games of the regular season when Boston's Smart rolled over his foot when they went for a loose ball.[43]

Game 4

edit
June 10
9:00 pm
Golden State Warriors 107, Boston Celtics 97
Scoring by quarter: 27–28, 22–26, 30–24, 28–19
Pts: Stephen Curry 43
Rebs: Andrew Wiggins 16
Asts: Draymond Green 8		 Pts: Jayson Tatum 23
Rebs: Robert Williams III 12
Asts: Jayson Tatum 6
Series tied 2–2
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 19,156
Referees:
  • No. 19 James Capers
  • No. 5 Kane Fitzgerald
  • No. 42 Eric Lewis
 
Golden State went on a 11–3 run in the fourth quarter after head coach Steve Kerr (pictured) decided to bench Warriors' staple Draymond Green in favor of Kevon Looney.

Curry scored 43 points and had 10 rebounds in a 107–97 win to even the series 2–2. He made two baskets during a 10–0 run for the Warriors in the fourth quarter, turning a four-point Boston advantage into a 100–94 lead for Golden State. He played 41 minutes and made 14 of 26 shots in the game, including 7 of 14 on 3-pointers.[44] Andrew Wiggins added 17 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for the Warriors, who outrebounded Boston in the game, 47–31, including 15–6 on the offensive end.[45]

Golden State changed its starting lineup, replacing Kevon Looney with Otto Porter Jr. Curry and the Tatum each scored 12 points in the first quarter, which ended with a 28–27 lead for Boston. Brown scored 10 points in the second quarter, giving the Celtics a 54–49 lead at halftime. There had been six lead changes in the game at that point, along with five ties. Curry scored 14 in the third for 33 going into the fourth. The teams were tied at 86 with eight minutes remaining.[46] Boston led 94–90 with about five minutes left, but scored just once more, with 1:18 left.[44][46] Golden State outscored them 17–3 to end the game, with Curry alone outscoring them 10–3.[45]

Curry became the third Warriors player with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in a Finals game, joining Rick Barry (1967) and Kevin Durant (2018). He also joined Jordan and LeBron James as the only players age 34 or older to score 40 or more points in an NBA Finals contest.[46] Green scored two points on 1-of-7 shooting, but added nine rebounds, eight assists and four steals.[44][47] Golden State head coach Steve Kerr benched him for parts of the fourth quarter, while Looney remained on the floor for his rebounding—11 in 28 minutes, along with a plus–minus of +21.[45] The Warriors were down four points with around seven minutes remaining when Green was pulled, and went on an 11–3 run over the next four minutes before he returned.[45][48] With his offensive struggles, he alternated offensive and defensive possessions with Poole.[45][47] Tatum finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds, but made only one basket while playing the entire fourth quarter. Brown scored 21 points, and Williams had 12 rebounds.[44]

Game 5

edit
June 13
9:00 pm (6:00 pm PDT)
Boston Celtics 94, Golden State Warriors 104
Scoring by quarter: 16–27, 23–24, 35–24, 20–29
Pts: Jayson Tatum 27
Rebs: Jayson Tatum 10
Asts: Brown, Tatum 4 each		 Pts: Andrew Wiggins 26
Rebs: Andrew Wiggins 13
Asts: Stephen Curry 8
Golden State leads series, 3–2
Chase Center, San Francisco, California
Attendance: 18,064
Referees:
  • No. 8 Marc Davis
  • No. 25 Tony Brothers
  • No. 58 Josh Tiven
 
The Warriors' Andrew Wiggins had team highs of 26 points and 13 rebounds.

Wiggins had 26 points and 13 rebounds to lead Golden State to a 104–94 victory, placing them within a game of a championship. Thompson added 21 points to help the Warriors overcome an off night for Curry, who had 16 points and eight assists but went 0 for 9 from 3-point range.[49] Boston was more aggressive in double-teaming Curry beyond the 3-point line. Before Game 5, he had NBA-record streaks of 38 consecutive games with multiple 3-pointers, 132 straight playoff games with a least one 3-point basket, and 233 consecutive games with a 3-pointer in the regular season and postseason combined.[50] Tatum had a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds. Boston lost consecutive games for the first time in these playoffs.[49][51]

The Warriors led by as many as 16 points in the first quarter. Boston whittled away at the lead with Curry on the bench, but he made a layup to give Golden State a 51–39 advantage at halftime. Wiggins had 16 points and seven rebounds at the break, and Green was forceful with 8 points after totaling just 17 in the first four games. The Warriors were moving the ball well but shot just 3 for 17 on 3-pointers in the first half. Tatum had 13 points and eight rebounds to keep Boston in the game. After the break, the Celtics scored the first 10 points of the second half and took the lead after a 19–4 run.[51] They made eight consecutive 3s after missing their first 12 of the game,[49] while Golden State missed their first eight in the second half.[51] Poole banked in a 33-foot (10 m) three-pointer to beat the third-quarter buzzer, giving the Warriors a 75–74 lead to enter the fourth.[49][51]

Thompson shot 7 for 14 and made five 3-pointers. The Warriors were 9 of 40 on their 3s, including 0 of 6 from Wiggins. Green, who fouled out with 3:01 left, exited with eight points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Golden State got 15 points off the bench from Payton and 14 from Poole. Boston shot 11 of 32 from behind the arc, with Brown going 0 for 5 and shooting 5 of 18 overall; he finished with 18 points. Williams had 10 points and eight rebounds.[49]

Game 6

edit
June 16
9:00 pm
Golden State Warriors 103, Boston Celtics 90
Scoring by quarter: 27–22, 27–17, 22–27, 27–24
Pts: Stephen Curry 34
Rebs: Draymond Green 12
Asts: Draymond Green 8		 Pts: Jaylen Brown 34
Rebs: Al Horford 14
Asts: Marcus Smart 9
Golden State wins NBA Finals, 4–2
TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 19,156
Referees:
  • No. 15 Zach Zarba
  • No. 16 David Guthrie
  • No. 10 John Goble
 
Stephen Curry was awarded his first Finals MVP, averaging 31.2 points per game in the series.

Coming into the game, Golden State was 0–3 in closeout games on the road, and the Celtics were 3–0 when facing elimination.[52] Boston took a 14–2 lead to start the game, but made just one basket in the final 3:30 of the first quarter, and Golden State led 27–22 at the end of the period.[53] The Warriors forced 12 turnovers in the first half and used a 21–0 run to take a 54–39 halftime lead.[54] The 21–0 run was the longest such run in modern Finals history.[55] They expanded their lead to 22 before the Celtics rallied to trail 76–66 after three quarters.[56] Golden State maintained its lead through the fourth quarter to win the game 103–90 for its fourth NBA title in eight seasons.[57] This was the second time that a road team won an NBA championship in Boston, the other being the Los Angeles Lakers in 1985.[58]

Curry scored 34 points in the game, shooting 12-of-21 overall and 6-of-11 on 3-pointers, and added seven rebounds, seven assists, and two steals.[59] He was voted the Finals MVP for the first time in his career, unanimously selected after averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in the series.[60] He scored 30 or more points in three consecutive games in Boston, the first player to do so in the playoffs since LeBron James in 2017.[61] Green scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, grabbing 12 rebounds, recording eight assists with two steals and two blocks. He also hit two 3-pointers after missing his first 12 attempts of the series.[59] Head coach Steve Kerr won his ninth championship overall, after winning five as a player.[62] He became the sixth coach to capture four titles, joining Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla, Gregg Popovich, and Pat Riley.[63] The Warriors also became the first team to go from the NBA's worst record (2019–20) to a championship within three seasons.[57] With the win, the Warriors earned their seventh double-digit comeback win this postseason, tying the 2011 and 2012 Miami Heat for the most double-digit comeback wins by any team in the past 25 postseasons.[52]

Brown led the Celtics with 34 points but Tatum finished with 13, shooting just 6-of-18 from the field. The Celtics' bench also performed poorly, getting just five points on 2-for-10 shooting from the field from their primary reserves—White, Grant Williams, and Payton Pritchard.[64] Boston also committed 22 turnovers, dropping to 1–8 this postseason when committing 16 or more. Tatum set the NBA record for most turnovers in a single postseason with 100.[65] The Celtics' Finals series record dropped to 17–5, remaining tied with the Lakers for the most championships in league history until 2024, where they won their 18th title.[66][67]

Rosters

edit
2021–22 Boston Celtics roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
G/F 7 Brown, Jaylen 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 223 lb (101 kg) 1996-10-24 California
F 8 Fitts, Malik 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1997-07-04 Saint Mary's
F 30 Hauser, Sam 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 1997-12-08 Virginia
F/C 42 Horford, Al 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 1986-06-03 Florida
F/C 40 Kornet, Luke 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 250 lb (113 kg) 1995-07-15 Vanderbilt
F 4 Morgan, Juwan 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 232 lb (105 kg) 1997-04-17 Indiana
G/F 26 Nesmith, Aaron 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1999-10-16 Vanderbilt
G 11 Pritchard, Payton 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1998-01-28 Oregon
F 37 Ryan, Matt (TW) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1997-04-17 Chattanooga
G 36 Smart, Marcus 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1994-03-06 Oklahoma State
G 13 Stauskas, Nik 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 207 lb (94 kg) 1993-10-07 Michigan
G/F 0 Tatum, Jayson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1998-03-03 Duke
F/C 27 Theis, Daniel 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1992-04-04 Germany
G 97 Thomas, Brodric (TW) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1997-01-28 Truman State
G 9 White, Derrick 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1994-07-02 Colorado
F 12 Williams, Grant 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 236 lb (107 kg) 1998-11-30 Tennessee
F/C 44 Williams, Robert III 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 237 lb (108 kg) 1997-10-17 Texas A&M
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  •   Injured

Roster
Last transaction: April 9, 2022

2021–22 Golden State Warriors roster
Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
F 8 Bjelica, Nemanja 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 234 lb (106 kg) 1988-05-09 Serbia
G 2 Chiozza, Chris (TW) 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1995-11-21 Florida
G 30 Curry, Stephen 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1988-03-14 Davidson
F 23 Green, Draymond 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1990-03-04 Michigan State
G/F 9 Iguodala, Andre 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1984-01-28 Arizona
F 00 Kuminga, Jonathan 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 2002-10-06 The Patrick School (NJ)
G/F 1 Lee, Damion 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1992-10-21 Louisville
F 5 Looney, Kevon 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 222 lb (101 kg) 1996-02-06 UCLA
G 4 Moody, Moses 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 211 lb (96 kg) 2002-05-31 Arkansas
G 0 Payton, Gary, II 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1992-12-01 Oregon State
G 3 Poole, Jordan 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 194 lb (88 kg) 1999-06-19 Michigan
F 32 Porter, Otto Jr. 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 198 lb (90 kg) 1993-06-03 Georgetown
G 11 Thompson, Klay 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1990-02-08 Washington State
F 95 Toscano-Anderson, Juan 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 209 lb (95 kg) 1993-04-10 Marquette
G 12 Weatherspoon, Quinndary (TW) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 1996-09-10 Mississippi State
F 22 Wiggins, Andrew 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 197 lb (89 kg) 1995-02-23 Kansas
C 33 Wiseman, James 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) 240 lb (109 kg) 2001-03-31 Memphis
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • (GL) On assignment to G League affiliate
  • (TW) Two-way affiliate player
  •   Injured

Roster
Last transaction: April 25, 2022

Player statistics

edit
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game
Boston Celtics statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Jaylen Brown 6 6 38.8 .431 .340 .806 7.3 3.7 0.8 0.3 23.5
Jayson Tatum 6 6 40.7 .367 .455 .656 6.8 7.0 1.2 0.7 21.5
Marcus Smart 6 6 35.5 .430 .412 .750 4.5 5.0 1.5 0.0 15.2
Al Horford 6 6 31.8 .605 .625 .667 8.5 2.8 0.7 0.7 12.5
Robert Williams III 6 6 26.3 .769 .000 .833 7.5 1.5 0.8 2.8 7.5
Derrick White 6 0 26.5 .327 .400 .929 1.5 2.2 0.7 0.5 9.8
Grant Williams 6 0 17.0 .529 .300 .667 2.3 1.0 0.2 0.7 4.2
Payton Pritchard 6 0 11.2 .300 .214 .500 2.2 1.0 0.2 0.0 2.7
Luke Kornet 3 0 2.0 1.000 1.000 .000 0.7 0.3 0.0 0.0 1.7
Daniel Theis 2 0 10.0 .500 .500 .000 2.5 0.5 0.0 1.0 1.5
Aaron Nesmith 5 0 3.2 .333 .000 .750 0.8 0.4 0.2 0.0 1.4
Malik Fitts 3 0 2.0 1.000 1.000 .000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.0
Sam Hauser 5 0 2.2 .333 .500 .000 0.0 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.6
Nik Stauskas 5 0 1.8 .250 .250 .000 0.6 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.6
Juwan Morgan 4 0 1.3 .000 .000 .000 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Golden State Warriors statistics
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Stephen Curry 6 6 37.5 .482 .437 .857 6.0 5.0 2.0 0.2 31.2
Andrew Wiggins 6 6 39.2 .446 .297 .692 8.8 2.2 1.5 1.5 18.3
Klay Thompson 6 6 38.3 .356 .351 1.000 3.0 2.0 1.3 0.5 17.0
Draymond Green 6 6 36.2 .333 .125 .583 8.0 6.2 1.7 0.7 6.2
Otto Porter Jr. 6 3 17.0 .588 .563 1.000 2.0 1.0 1.0 0.2 5.2
Kevon Looney 6 3 21.7 .636 .000 1.000 7.5 2.7 0.7 0.8 5.0
Jordan Poole 6 0 20.8 .435 .385 .909 1.8 1.8 0.5 0.2 13.2
Gary Payton II 5 0 18.6 .591 .286 .700 3.2 1.4 1.6 0.4 7.0
Andre Iguodala 4 0 4.8 .750 1.000 .000 0.0 1.3 0.0 0.0 1.8
Nemanja Bjelica 5 0 5.8 .500 .500 .000 1.6 0.2 0.4 0.0 1.8
Moses Moody 4 0 2.8 1.000 .000 .000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.5
Jonathan Kuminga 4 0 2.0 .000 .000 .000 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Damion Lee 4 0 2.0 .000 .000 .000 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Juan Toscano-Anderson 4 0 2.0 .000 .000 .000 0.5 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.0
  • Bold: team high
  • Source:[68]

Redesigned logo and trophy

edit

On April 13, the NBA released a reimagined version of the classic NBA Finals wordmark that was used between 1986 and 1995 and from 2004 to 2017. The new logo also features a depiction of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy in the background.[69]

The NBA then announced on May 12 that the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy and the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Trophy have also been redesigned. Among the new changes to the Larry O'Brien Trophy, its base now consists of two disks that list the names of all the previous winning teams. The Bill Russell Trophy has been changed from a gold ball and silver net to primarily gold with silver accents.[70]

With NBA commissioner Adam Silver missing games 5 and 6 due to the league's health and safety protocols, the Larry O'Brien Trophy was presented to the Warriors by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum instead.[71]

Media coverage

edit

The Finals was televised in the United States by ABC (which included local affiliates WCVB-TV in Boston and KGO-TV in San Francisco) for the 20th consecutive year.[72]

Lead play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and lead analyst Jeff Van Gundy both missed Game 1 due to COVID-19 protocols.[73] ESPN's No. 2 play-by-play announcer, Mark Jones, filled in for Breen during games 1 and 2. Jones, Mark Jackson and Lisa Salters made history in Game 1 as the first all-African American broadcast team to cover an NBA Finals game.[74] Van Gundy returned to the broadcast booth for Game 2, followed by Breen in Game 3.[75]

ESPN put together a Megacast option for Game 1 called NBA Finals: Celebrating 75, hosted by Michael Eaves alongside New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum and Tim Legler. It was broadcast on ESPN2 due to ESPN's commitments to have the Women's College World Series on the main network.[76]

Viewership

edit
See also: NBA Finals television ratings
Game Ratings
(American households) 		American audience
(in millions) 		Ref
1 6.4 11.90 [77]
2 6.2 11.91 [78]
3 6.2 11.52 [79]
4 6.2 12.06 [80]
5 7.0 13.03 [81]
6 7.5 13.99 [82]
Avg 6.6 12.40

References

edit
  1. ^ Skiver, Kevin (June 2, 2022). "Who has home court advantage in the NBA Finals? Why 3-seed Warriors are hosting 2-seed Celtics". Sporting News. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  2. ^ Molski, Max (May 31, 2022). "How important is home-court advantage in the NBA Finals?". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  3. ^ Mullin, Eric (May 30, 2022). "Warriors vs. Celtics the latest NBA Finals without a No. 1 seed". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  4. ^ Mullin, Eric (June 17, 2022). "NBA teams with the most championships after Warriors beat Celtics". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  5. ^ McGregor, Gilbert (May 27, 2022). "NBA Finals schedule 2022: Full dates, times, TV channels & live streams". Sporting News. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  6. ^ Jenkins, Bruce (June 4, 2022). "Chamberlain vs. Russell, Warriors-Celtics NBA Finals of '64 remains all-time epic meeting". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  7. ^ "Danny Ainge Announces Retirement; Brad Stevens Promoted to President of Basketball Operations". NBA.com. June 2, 2021. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  8. ^ "Celtics Acquire Five-Time All-Star Al Horford in Deal with Thunder". NBA.com. June 17, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  9. ^ Bontemps, Tim (December 30, 2021). "Boston Celtics post historically bad shooting performance in loss to LA Clippers". ESPN. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  10. ^ Mullin, Eric. "Here are the NBA title favorites for 2021–22 season". NBC Sports. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  11. ^ "Celtics advance to NBA Finals with Game 7 win over Heat". CBS Boston. May 30, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  12. ^ Ward-Henninger, Colin (May 29, 2022). "Warriors' unlikely, rapid dynasty rebuild results in NBA Finals berth they won't take for granted". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 30, 2022.
  13. ^ Ganguli, Tania (June 17, 2022). "Golden State Beats Boston Celtics to Win N.B.A. Championship". The New York Times. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Ganguli, Tania; Cacciola, Scott (May 26, 2022). "Golden State Takes Long, Rocky Road Back to N.B.A. Finals". The New York Times. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  15. ^ Greer, Jordan (May 25, 2022). "Klay Thompson injury timeline: Warriors star's path to returning from ACL, Achilles injuries". Sporting News. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  16. ^ Mannix, Chris (June 14, 2022). "Andrew Wiggins Solidifies His Redemption Arc in Warriors' Game 5 Win". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  17. ^ Bontemps, Tim (January 28, 2022). "LeBron James, Kevin Durant named captains again for All-Star Game as starter pool announced". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  18. ^ Rodriguez, Tristi (May 29, 2022). "Another Dubs title would make oddly incredible sports history". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  19. ^ Dierberger, Tom (May 24, 2022). "How Dubs' play-in tourney failure helped Wiggins, Poole". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  20. ^ Kasabian, Paul. "Warriors' Stephen Curry Expected to Return from Foot Injury for Game 1 vs. Nuggets". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  21. ^ "Klay Thompson, Warriors close out Mavs, seal Finals bid". Reuters. Field Level Media. May 27, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
  22. ^ Young, Ryan (May 30, 2022). "Al Horford finally reaches NBA Finals after record 141 playoff games". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  23. ^ He, Eric. "Jayson Tatum's message to Celtics before Game 1 fourth-quarter vs. Warriors". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  24. ^ "Tatum's message to Celtics before fourth-quarter comeback". NBC Sports. June 2, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  25. ^ Bontemps, Tim (June 3, 2022). "'Resilient' Boston Celtics make first seven 3-pointers in 4th quarter to rally and stun Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of NBA Finals". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  26. ^ Siegel, Brett (June 3, 2022). "2022 NBA Finals: What Celtics Game 1 Victory Against Golden State Means For Rest Of Series". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  27. ^ Botkin, Brad (June 3, 2022). "Stephen Curry sets NBA Finals record with six 3-pointers in historic first quarter of Warriors-Celtics Game 1". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  28. ^ "Celtics have huge 4th, beat Warriors in Game 1 of NBA Finals". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  29. ^ Bailey, Andy. "Buying or Selling Hottest Takes From Celtics vs. Warriors 2022 NBA Finals Game 1". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  30. ^ Klopfer, Brady (June 2, 2022). "Player grades: Warriors vs. Celtics Game 1". SB Nation. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  31. ^ "Celtics have huge 4th, beat Warriors in Game 1 of NBA Finals". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  32. ^ Botkin, Brad (June 3, 2022). "NBA Finals 2022: Celtics, Warriors combine for record 40 3-pointers as Boston steals wild Game 1 shootout". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  33. ^ a b c d Reynolds, Tim (June 5, 2022). "Warriors answer in Game 2, top Celtics 107–88 to even Finals". Associated Press. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  34. ^ a b Ganguli, Tania (June 5, 2022). "Golden State Rebounds With Game 2 Win Over Celtics in N.B.A. Finals". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  35. ^ a b Keown, Tim (June 6, 2022). "NBA Finals 2022: Draymond Green roars back, sets tone for Golden State Warriors Game 2 win". ESPN. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  36. ^ Cacciola, Scott (June 6, 2022). "Green Drags the Warriors Back Into the Fight". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  37. ^ Ganguli, Tania (January 8, 2022). "He's Not That Gary Payton. But He's Not Not Him Either". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  38. ^ "How the Celtics defeated the Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals". The Athletic. June 14, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  39. ^ a b c d "Celtics beat Warriors 116–100, take 2–1 lead in NBA Finals". ESPN. AP. June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 8, 2022.
  40. ^ a b Ganguli, Tania (June 9, 2022). "Tough, Physical Play Giving Boston a Finals Edge on Golden State". The New York Times. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  41. ^ Selbe, Nick (June 9, 2022). "Draymond Green Says He Played 'Like S---' in Warriors' Game 3 Loss". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  42. ^ McGregor, Gilbert (June 9, 2022). "I played 'like s—': Warriors' Draymond Green offers blunt assessment of historically poor NBA Finals performance in Game 3 vs. Celtics". Sporting News. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  43. ^ Kenney, Madeline (June 9, 2022). "NBA Finals: Warriors star Steph Curry 'confident' he'll play in Game 4". The Mercury News. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  44. ^ a b c d Golen, Jimmy (June 10, 2022). "Curry scores 43 to beat Boston, Warriors tie NBA Finals 2–2". Associated Press. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  45. ^ a b c d e Hass, Trevor (June 11, 2022). "10 stats to know following Celtics-Warriors Game 4". Boston.com. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  46. ^ a b c Ganguli, Tania (June 11, 2022). "Stephen Curry's Spectacular Night Fuels Key Win Over Celtics". The New York Times. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  47. ^ a b Rubin, Shayna (June 10, 2022). "Draymond Green not 'thrilled' about fourth quarter benching in Game 4 win". The Mercury News. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  48. ^ Robb, Brian (June 11, 2022). "Steve Kerr's willingness to bench Draymond Green in Game 4 is bad news for Celtics in NBA Finals". MassLive. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  49. ^ a b c d e "Wiggins delivers on both ends, Warriors lead NBA Finals 3–2". ESPN. AP. June 13, 2022. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  50. ^ Botkin, Brad (June 13, 2022). "Warriors-Celtics NBA Finals: Why Stephen Curry's snapped 3-point streak bodes well for Golden State in Game 6". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  51. ^ a b c d Cacciola, Scott (June 13, 2022). "Golden State Needs 1 Win for Title After Beating Celtics in Game 5". The New York Times. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  52. ^ a b Andrews, Kendra (June 17, 2022). "Golden State Warriors finish off Boston Celtics for fourth NBA title in eight years". ABC News. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  53. ^ Ganguli, Tania (June 16, 2022). "1st Quarter: Golden State closes with a run to take the lead, 27–22". The New York Times. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  54. ^ Cacciola, Scott (June 16, 2022). "Halftime: Celtics fight back, but Golden State leads, 54–39". The New York Times. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  55. ^ "NBA Finals 2022: Warriors' 21–0 run vs. Celtics in Game 6 the league's longest in past 50 years". cbssports.com. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  56. ^ Deb, Sopan (June 16, 2022). "3rd Quarter: Celtics slice into Golden State's lead, but trail, 76–66". The New York Times. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  57. ^ a b "Warriors beat Celtics 103–90 to win 4th NBA title in 8 years". ESPN. AP. June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  58. ^ Aldridge, David. "A Celtics opponent last won a title in Boston in 1985. Here's how Lakers did it". The Athletic. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  59. ^ a b Andrews, Kendra (June 17, 2022). "Golden State Warriors finish off Boston Celtics for fourth NBA title in eight years". ESPN. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  60. ^ "Stephen Curry wins NBA Finals MVP for 1st time in his career". NBA.com. June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  61. ^ Youngmisuk, Ohm (June 16, 2022). "Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry named NBA Finals MVP for 1st time in career". ESPN. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  62. ^ Martin, Angelina (June 15, 2022). "Kerr's funny reason for winning so many championship rings". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  63. ^ Hightower, Kyle (June 17, 2022). "Warriors are NBA champions after beating Celtics 103–90 in Game 6". ABC7 Los Angeles. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  64. ^ Hartwell, Darren (June 16, 2022). "Celtics-Warriors takeaways: Old habits doom C's in Finals-ending loss". NBC Sports Boston. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  65. ^ Baer, Jack (June 17, 2022). "Jayson Tatum finishes NBA Finals with unprecedented 100 playoff turnovers". Sports.Yahoo.com. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  66. ^ Hightower, Kyle. "Warriors hold off Celtics for 4th title in last 8 seasons". NBA.com. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  67. ^ Quinn, Sam (June 18, 2024). "Boston Celtics break tie with Los Angeles Lakers by winning 18th title". CBS Sports. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
  68. ^ "2022 NBA Finals Celtics vs. Warriors". Basketball Reference. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  69. ^ Wimbish, Jasmyn (April 13, 2022). "NBA Finals logo unveiled: NBA brings back reimagined version inspired by classic script for 2022 Finals". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  70. ^ Quinn, Sam (May 12, 2022). "NBA unveils redesigned Larry O'Brien, Bill Russell trophies, announces new conference finals MVP awards". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
  71. ^ "Warriors beat Celtics 103–90 to win 4th NBA title in 8 years". ESPN. June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  72. ^ Hughes, Katie (May 31, 2022). "2022 NBA Finals Presented By YouTubeTV Exclusively on ABC: Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics Starts June 2". ESPN. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  73. ^ Contes, Brandon (June 2, 2022). "Jeff Van Gundy and Adrian Wojnarowski to miss Game 1 of the NBA Finals between Celtics and Warriors after positive COVID tests". Awful Announcing. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  74. ^ Bradley, Jonathan (June 13, 2022). "Mark Jones Reflects on Historic NBA Finals Call". NBA.com. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  75. ^ Jack Baer (June 8, 2022). "NBA Finals: ESPN's Mike Breen back after bout with COVID-19". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved June 17, 2022.
  76. ^ Lucia, Joe (May 31, 2022). "ESPN announces details of NBA Finals Game 1 alternate broadcast". Awful Announcing. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  77. ^ Paulsen (June 3, 2022). "Surprisingly slow start for Celtics-Warriors NBA Finals". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
  78. ^ Paulsen (June 7, 2022). "Viewership for Warriors' Game 2 rout unchanged from Game 1". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  79. ^ Paulsen (June 9, 2022). "Finals remains in the 6.0 rating, 11 million viewer range". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  80. ^ Paulson (June 13, 2022). "TGIF: Finals cracks 12 million mark in Game 4". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 14, 2022.
  81. ^ Paulson (June 14, 2022). "NBA scores top audience since hiatus in Game 5 of Finals". Sports Media Watch. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  82. ^ "Thursday Ratings Scorecard: The Golden State Warriors' NBA Victory Rules on ABC". Programming Insider. June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2022_NBA_Finals&oldid=1258545578"