Golden State Warriors beat Boston Celtics 103-90 to win 4th NBA title in 8 years

Golden State Warriors beat Boston Celtics 103-90 to win 4th NBA title in 8 years


Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors smiles during Game Six of the 2022 NBA Finals on June 16, 2022. Stephen Curry scored 34 points for the Warriors, who claimed the franchise’s seventh championship overall.

Jesse D. Garrabrant | National Basketball Association | Getty Images

The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions once again, topping the Boston Celtics 103-90 on Thursday night for their fourth title in the last eight seasons.

Stephen Curry scored 34 points and was named the NBA Finals MVP as the Warriors claimed the franchise’s seventh championship overall. And this one completed a journey like none other, after a run of five consecutive finals, then a plummet to the bottom of the NBA, and now a return to greatness just two seasons after having the league’s worst record.

“We found a way to just get it done,” Curry said after the Warriors accepted the championship trophy and celebrated on the court. “It’s part of a championship pedigree, our experience. … We built this for 10-11 years. That means a lot when you get to this stage.”

For Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, it’s a fourth championship. The first three rings came in 2015, 2017 and 2018, when Golden State was dynastic and made five consecutive trips to the finals.

Injuries, including ones that sidelined Thompson for 2 1/2 years, and roster changes changed everything. But this season, with Thompson returning around the midway point, the Warriors were finally back.

Back on top, too. Champions, again, denying the storied Celtics what would have been their record 18th championship, one that would have allowed Boston to break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.

This tale for the Warriors ended much differently than what was their most recent finals appearance against Toronto in 2019, one that saw Kevin Durant tear his Achilles tendon in Game 5 and then Thompson tear his ACL in what became the Raptors’ title-clincher in Game 6.

Stephen Curryof the Golden State Warriors raises the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award on June 16, 2022. Stephen Curry scored 34 points for the Warriors, who claimed the franchise’s seventh championship overall.

Elsa | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images

The aftermath of that loss was exacerbated by Durant’s decision to leave that summer in free agency to join the Brooklyn Nets and Thompson’s own Achilles injury while rehabilitating his knee injury.

“It all paid off,” Thompson said. “It was dog days, a lot of tears shed. … You knew it was a possibility, but to see it in real time. … It’s crazy.”

It thrust a Golden State team into a rebuild that became a reload. The Warriors used their two-year hiatus from the NBA’s biggest stages to retool their roster – adding a past No. 1 draft pick in Andrew Wiggins, who excelled in his first finals, along with another rising star in Jordan Poole.

It all clicked. For Golden State coach Steve Kerr, it’s a ninth championship overall after winning five as a player. He’s the sixth coach to capture four titles, joining Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, John Kundla, Gregg Popovich and Pat Riley.

Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 34 points. Al Horford added 19. Jayson Tatum finished with 13 points, but shot just 6 of 18 from the field. Boston also committed 22 turnovers, dropping to 1-8 this postseason when committing 16 or more.

It was just the fifth defeat in 22 title-series appearances for Boston, which turned its season around to have a chance at this crown. Boston was 25-25 after 50 games, then went on an absolute tear to get to the finals and nearly claim what would have been just the franchise’s second championship since 1986.

It was the third consecutive season where things were affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic, and while things were closer to normal, pictures and video of the championship celebration will serve as a forever reminder that the virus was still an issue.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver could not be at the game because he remained in the league’s health and safety protocols related to the virus. The redesigned Larry O’Brien Trophy – the golden souvenir given to the NBA champions – was presented to the Warriors by deputy commissioner Mark Tatum instead.

Boston trailed by as many as 22 points but went on a 16-4 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 76-66 entering the fourth.

A Jaylen Brown 3-pointer made it 86-78 with 5:33 to play, but the Warriors never relinquished the lead.

Tip-ins

Warriors: Went 19 of 45 from the 3-point line. … Improved to 20-1 when Green makes a 3-pointer.

Celtics: Former Celtic Ray Allen, a member of Boston’s last championship team in 2008, sat courtside. Hall of Famer Robert Parish was also in attendance.

A run, and a response

The Celtics came out firing, riding the energy from a deafening TD Garden crowd to take an early 14-2 lead.

Golden State wasn’t rattled and responded with a 35-8 run that stretched into the second quarter on the way to building as much as a 22-point lead. The Warriors outscored the Celtics 27-17 for the period and carried a 54-39 lead into the second half as some Celtics fans booed the home team as they left the court.

Boston fought back in the third, but the Warriors found their range from beyond the arc, connecting on six 3s in the quarter.



Source

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba mulls Trump trade meeting before G7, says Yomiuri newspaper
World

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba mulls Trump trade meeting before G7, says Yomiuri newspaper

Japan’s prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is considering visiting Washington to meet President Donald Trump before a mid-month summit of the Group of Seven nations as he seeks a trade deal, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday. Japanese officials see signs of progress on easing […]

Read More
South Korea exports fall as tariffs hit U.S., China shipments
World

South Korea exports fall as tariffs hit U.S., China shipments

Vehicles produced by South Korean automaker Kia Motors are lined up ready to be shipped at the company’s shipping yard at the Port of Pyeongtaek on April 03, 2025 in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images South Korea’s exports fell in May for the first time in four months, as shipments to the United States […]

Read More
Can art save the earth? Artists share how their work strives to do just that
World

Can art save the earth? Artists share how their work strives to do just that

Artist Lauren Bon, shown at the Los Angeles River. Bon and her non-profit art and research hub, Metabolic Studio, spent more than a decade on a project called “Bending the River.” The initiative draws water from the L.A. River in downtown L.A., cleans it and uses it to irrigate Los Angeles State Historic Park. Allen […]

Read More