The Boston Celtics may have had all the advantages, leading the series 2-1 heading into Friday night’s Game 4 against the Golden State Warriors in their own arena at TD Garden. But once Stephen Curry found his zone, it didn’t matter.
Both teams battled for all four quarters and there wasn’t a point throughout the whole game where it felt out of reach, but the Warriors managed to squeak out a 10-point victory, the closest margin of the 2022 NBA Finals to this point. Down below we drop our top five takeaways from Game 4.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were not at their best
Alright, so even when Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the best two Celtics on the floor, it’s not good enough. But more so, it was the way they were ineffective and just plain out inefficient that held the Celtics back.
Tatum came into the game shooting just 32.9%. Well, he wasn’t much better in Game 4. Tatum shot 34.7% from the field, shooting 23 shots, but coming up with just 23 points.
Brown didn’t exactly shine either, taking 19 shots, and putting up 21 points. If the Celtics didn’t sink 39.5% of their threes, this one wouldn’t have been close. If the C’s plan on bouncing back as the series heads back to the Chase Center in San Francisco, they’ll need their stars to play like superstars.
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Draymond Green continues to play like s***
I really thought Draymond Green would turn things around in Game 4. But nope. He’ll be the first to admit it based on his performances through Game 3, and it’s safe to say, Green played like s*** once again on Friday night.
The Warriors continue to put their trust in Green, as he played the fourth-most minutes (33) on their team, but he didn’t give them much to show for their faith.
- Draymond Green stats: 1-7, 2 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, 2 turnovers, 3 personal fouls
If he was a liability in Game 3, playing like trash, how will Green describe his performance in Game 4? As Jeff Van Gundy said on ABC, “I can’t wait for the podcast tonight”, speaking of ‘The Draymond Green Show‘.
At least the Warriors came away with a win, and Green can fall back on his rebounds, assists and steals, not to mention staying out of foul trouble after getting two early calls, but it still wasn’t pretty. Green’s gonna need a strong finish to his series for the Warriors to truly remain confident in their four-time All-Star.
Related: NBA Finals: Draymond Green has been a liability for Warriors versus Celtics
Boston Celtics closeout struggles continue
There was no reason for the Celtics to have a weak fourth quarter. They were on their home court, they had the fans at their back, and they entered the final frame down by one with the score at 79-78.
For whatever reason, the Celtics couldn’t match the Warriors’ intensity, and that was with Draymond Green having another disappearing act.
Golden State ended up outscoring Boston 28 to 19 in the fourth, and that ended up being the difference. Sure, the Celtics don’t have anywhere near the coaching or playing experience in the Finals as the Warriors do, but the game is all the same. Still, it’s only going to get more difficult as they head on the road for Game 5. We’ll see what Ime Udoka has in store.
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Andrew Wiggins comes through with a career-best performance
We shouldn’t even be surprised by Andrew Wiggins playing well in a Warriors uniform, but still, somehow it gets me. He outdid himself once again, pulling down a new career-high 16 rebounds.
It’s incredible as he was never known for his peripheral stats during his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but it’s the latest sign of the Canadian native’s evolution since leaving the young pups for the Bay Area.
Wiggins also chipped in 17 points for a monster double-double, playing 43 minutes, which led the team. He also finished with a +20 plus/minus on the night.
Related: Why the Golden State Warriors dynasty hinges on Game 4 of the NBA Finals
Pencil Stephen Curry in for Finals MVP
Stephen Curry is a phenomenal basketball player, we all know that. What we saw in Game 4 in the NBA Finals showed he can still take over the game, at any moment, against any defense, on the biggest stage. It’s what makes him an all-time great.
Despite coming into the game with an ailing foot injury, Curry dropped 43 points, shooting 14-of-26 from the floor, sinking 7-of-14 threes for the second-most points he’s scored in an NBA Finals game thus far.
The most points Curry scored in an NBA Finals game was 47, which came against the Toronto Raptors in 2019. He didn’t quite need to reach those levels tonight, but he showed what he’s capable of, even against the Celtics top-ranked defense. We can’t wait for Game 5 on Monday night.
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