Boston Celtics beat Miami Heat 100-96 in Game Seven of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals and can now face champions of the Western Conference, Golden State Warriors, within the NBA Finals sequence beginning June 1
Boston Celtics beat Miami Heat 100-96 in Game Seven of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals and can now face champions of the Western Conference, Golden State Warriors, within the NBA Finals sequence beginning June 1
Somewhere, Gregg Popovich should be happy. Ime Udoka and Steve Kerr performed for Popovich with the San Antonio Spurs, each served as assistant coaches underneath him, and neither makes any effort to cover the affinity they’ve for the NBA’s profession victory chief.
And now, Udoka and Kerr are about to go head-to-head — within the NBA Finals.
Warriors vs Celtics
The title matchup is ready: It’ll be Udoka and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics dealing with Kerr and the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors, a sequence that begins Thursday night time in San Francisco. The groups cut up their two regular-season conferences, every successful on the opposite’s residence flooring.
The Warriors have been ready for an opponent since this previous Thursday after needing solely 5 video games to beat Dallas for the West title. The Celtics acquired there the arduous method, successful Game 7 in Miami on Sunday night time to seize the East.
“We stayed with it. We believed in one another. We made a dedication on the defensive finish,” said Celtics forward Al Horford, who, after 141 playoff games, is headed to the NBA Finals for the first time. “That was the biggest thing, defending.”
Celtics probability for 18th title
For the Celtics, it’s an opportunity at an 18th NBA championship — which might break the tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for essentially the most in league historical past. For the Warriors, it’s an opportunity at a seventh crown — which might break a tie with the Chicago Bulls for third-most in league historical past.
It’s additionally a rematch of the 1964 finals, when Bill Russell and the Celtics topped the Warriors in 5 video games.
“I’ve said it many times: You go to the finals, it’s almost a two-month journey filled with stress and fatigue and everything else,” stated Kerr, who gave his workforce Friday and Saturday off earlier than bringing them again to work Sunday. “So, if you can get a little bit of a break, it’s very meaningful. Hopefully, we can get healthy and have a few days of really good prep and be ready to go on Thursday.”
Curry on a roll
Golden State gained at Boston 111-107 on December 17, behind 30 factors from Stephen Curry. The Celtics rolled on Golden State’s residence flooring within the rematch on March 16, successful 110-88 within the sport by which Curry injured his foot — and that’s the place his common season ended.
Curry was able to go for the playoffs. So have been the remainder of the Warriors. They’re 12-4 within the playoffs, getting by Denver, Memphis and Dallas to get to the title spherical. “It all starts with Steph,” Kerr stated.
Udoka has an opportunity to turn into the tenth coach to win a title in his first season. Eddie Gottlieb (1947 Philadelphia Warriors), Buddy Jeanette (1948 Baltimore Bullets), John Kundla (1949 Minneapolis Lakers), George Senesky (1956 Philadelphia Warriors), Paul Westhead (1980 Los Angeles Lakers), Pat Riley (1982 Los Angeles Lakers), Tyronn Lue (2016 Cleveland Cavaliers) and Nick Nurse (2019 Toronto Raptors) are eight of the coaches who’ve pulled off the feat.
Warriors again within the hunt
The different title on that record is Kerr — who did it with Golden State in 2015, the beginning of this run of greatness from the Warriors. That was the start of six finals appearances in eight years, the 2 exceptions being when accidents and a roster reset stored them from the playoffs in 2020 and 2021.
“You can’t take it for granted,” Curry stated after the West title sequence. “Nothing’s ever guaranteed. We understand how hard it is to win. We’ve said that until we’re blue in the face the last two years. This is definitely special. Proud of everybody that is in that locker room, that came with it all year. Now we have an opportunity to go finish a job.”
Popovich connection
Udoka performed for Popovich and later was a San Antonio assistant. Kerr performed for the Spurs, then assisted Popovich with USA Basketball by final summer season’s Tokyo Olympics — when the Americans gained a fourth consecutive gold medal.
The Warriors’ Draymond Green was on that Olympic workforce. So was Boston’s Jayson Tatum. They celebrated successful gold collectively, and now they’ll attempt to undergo each other to get their fingerprints on the gold trophy that goes to the NBA champions — the Larry O’Brien.
“This is an opportunity that players dream of,” Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins stated. “To be put in a position to win it all.”
Draymond needed Celtics
And if nothing else, a Warriors-Celtics matchup made Green appear prophetic.
After the Warriors gained the West, Green visited the TNT broadcast set after the sport and was prodded by Shaquille O’Neal to say which workforce from the then-undecided East title sequence that he want to play.
Green started giving a diplomatic reply, saying that each the Heat and Celtics have been robust. O’Neal pressed him to be sincere, and Green — by no means shy with phrases — gave in.
“You’re asking me who I want to play. I’m gonna tell who I think we’re going to play: We’re going to play Boston,” Green stated Thursday night time. “That’s who we’re going to play.”
He was proper.
Source: www.thehindu.com
