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SAN FRANCISCO — The Celtics got here to city touting one of many league’s greatest offenses. With out Andrew Wiggins obtainable to protect Jayson Tatum and the Warriors’ lax protection this season, it was truthful to query Golden State’s possibilities heading into Saturday’s recreation.
The Warriors had little doubt they might topple their Finals foe once more, holding Boston to 107 factors — properly under their league-leading 120.8 level per recreation common and 121.7 factors per 100 possessions in an announcement Warriors’ win.
Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga, specifically, restricted manufacturing from the Celtics’ stars. Thompson’s 34 factors led the group, however extra notably he reverted again to his pre-injured self taking part in staunch one-on-one protection towards Tatum, serving to to include him to 18 factors on 6-of-21 taking pictures.
“I do know he was motivated coming off the way in which the sport went in Utah,” Steph Curry mentioned.
It’s taken time for Thompson to seek out his footing defensively after tearing each his Achilles and ACL, however his measurement and energy got here into play towards Tatum. he set the tone early within the first quarter by blocking Tatum’s layup try off the backboard.
“It felt actually good to pin any person off the backboard,” Thompson mentioned. “I haven’t performed that in, I feel, 4 years. That was most likely my favourite second for myself tonight. It wasn’t simply me, I had loads of assist and Jayson (Tatum) missed loads of pictures that he often makes. Collective effort, however I assumed my power was nice to start out the sport.”
The collective effort began with Thompson and prolonged by means of Kuminga, who noticed time guarding Tatum but in addition Warrior-killer Jaylen Brown. The 20-year-old restricted his errors, made good switches and never solely stored the Celtics gamers in entrance of him, however discovered methods to funnel them to assist defenders.
This isn’t new; Kuminga has been a power and enhancing defensively. Draymond Inexperienced has taken discover. Upon returning residence from a powerful defensive efficiency within the Warriors’ weird los to Utah on Wednesday by which he had a late-game cease towards Jordan Clarkson, Inexperienced took Kuminga apart to go over movie and present the second-year participant small tweaks by which his good protection can change into nice.
“He’s been telling me that I’m taking part in good protection,” Kuminga mentioned. “I simply should be taught sure methods on protection. Typically I don’t should do loads of jobs on protection if I simply know find out how to play towards the folks taking part in towards me. It’s a psychological factor, a thoughts factor. You simply know find out how to assume and will probably be even simpler. I’ll find yourself getting steals and having the ability to cease my man from scoring.”
Although Brown wound up with a team-leading 31 factors, he could possibly be a solution to the Warriors’ defective point-of-attack protection.
“I assumed JK was nice,” coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “I imply, simply his athleticism and measurement and energy to have the ability to deliver him off the bench and put him on both Brown or Tatum after which the way in which he can change and keep in entrance of individuals, whether or not it’s these two I simply talked about or Marcus Good, Malcolm Brogdon or Derrick White, the fellows who’re attacking, JK has actually helped solidify our protection and provides us one other weapon.”
Down the road the Warriors have been productive defensively. Donte DiVincenzo performed robust protection on the perimeter and his eight rebounds present he clearly has a nostril for the boards. Kevon Looney picked up the place he left off in final yr’s NBA Finals, snatching up a team-leading 15 rebounds on the evening.
“We have been aware of the group,” Jordan Poole mentioned. “However guys have been simply locked in in the present day. Your complete 48 from leap ball. I feel that reveals how gifted we’re once we lock in and we focus and play collectively.”
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