The Golden State Warriors dropped Game 1 of the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics and will look to avoid an 0-2 series deficit on Sunday at Chase Center.
Despite Stephen Curry scoring six 3-pointers in the first quarter of Game 1 and the Warriors taking a double-digit lead into the final frame, Boston managed to steal one on the road. Al Horford led the Celtics in scoring with 26 points and Jaylen Brown added 24 as Jayson Tatum struggled shooting from the field.
Tatum went 3-for-17 from the floor for 12 points but made up for his lack of offensive output with 13 assists. With the Warriors likely coming out for Game 2 with a desperate demeanor, Tatum could again struggle from the field and will again need to rely on his playmaking skills to steal a second road victory.
For Golden State, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole will need to have a better scoring night to tie the series before heading to Boston for Game 3. Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins must continue being aggressive on the boards but Draymond Green will be the X factor.
In Game 1, Green went 2-for-12 from the field and 0-for-4 from beyond the arc, tallying just four points in 38 minutes of play. Green is not a prolific scorer but he must be more efficient when shooting the rock.
He will also need to get his teammates more involved, recording just five assists in Game 1 to go with 11 rebounds. Green must step out of his typical role and step into an offensive specialist position that will force Boston to leave a defender on him at all times.
When it comes to defense, Game 2 will see much more intensity on that end. The winner of the second contest in this series will be the team that can continuously defend perimeter players while protecting the paint.
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