Photo: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty; Mercedes Oliver/NBAE/Getty
Once again, theGolden State Warriorsare NBA champions.
The Warriors handily defeated theBoston Celticson Thursday night to win Game 6 of the2022 NBA Finals, 103-90. Point guardStephen Curry, now a four-time NBA champion, was named MVP of the series.
“Nobody thought we’d be here,” the 34-year-old said after the game while fighting back tears. “It means the world.”
With the help of Curry and longtime starsKlay ThompsonandDraymond Green, Golden State has appeared in six out of the last 10 NBA Finals. To date, the franchise has won seven NBA titles in its history.
The team won three titles during a storied rivalry withLeBron Jamesand the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2015 to 2018. Over the four meetings between the Warriors and Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, Cleveland’s only win came in 2016.
Boston entered the 2022 Finals hoping to break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most NBA championships at 17. The franchise won its last NBA title in 2008 after defeatingKobe Bryantand the Lakers in six games.
The Celtics and Warriors weren’t expected to make the 2022 Finals at the start of the season.
PHOTO: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/GettyPHOTO: Ezra Shaw/Getty
Much of Golden State’s success boils down to the return of Thompson, whowas out for two yearswhile recuperating from several injuries,including a torn ACL. The star helped the San Francisco-based team finish third in the Western Conference with 53 regular-season wins.
During their playoff run, the Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets and Memphis Grizzlies, then ousted the red-hot Dallas Mavericks to win the Western Conference championship.
After defeating the Milwaukee Bucks in the semi-finals, Boston outlasted the Miami Heat in a thrilling Game 7 to win the Eastern Conference championship.
Celtics starJayson Tatumwas named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals after scoring 26 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists in the series-clinching game.
Despite losing to the Warriors, Boston head coachIme Udokareached the NBA Finals in only his first year at the team’s helm — a positive sign for the future of the Celtics.
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Ahead of the Finals, members of both teams felt confident in their chances of winning.
“We’ve been who we’ve been all year and our defense travels well and carried us through the playoffs,” Udoka toldYahoo Sports.
“We’ve played Golden State well this year. We blasted them at their place, had a tough loss at our place early in the season,” he continued. “And so it’s a new series. We know who we are and the things we do well, so we’re confident in that.”
After Boston clinched their spot in the Finals, Curry told reporters he respected the Celtics, though he felt the Warriors had an advantage.
“[They] got some guys playing at a really high level, very well-rounded team, they got the size,” Curry said, according toNBC Sports. “We like the matchup in terms of confidence going in, knowing we can win, but there’s obvious respect in terms of what they present as a team.”
source: people.com
