Warriors vs Celtics

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The 2022 NBA Finals tip off Thursday night in San Francisco; here's what to keep an eye on.

Golden State has to hope that Curry is up to the task defensively. As CBS Sports' Brad Botkin pointed out in his recent piece, the Celtics are likely going to hunt Curry on the defensive end throughout the series. Udoka, on the other hand, is coaching in his first Finals as a rookie head coach, and he has just 16 games of postseason coaching experience under his belt. Just like Smart will receive help with Curry, Wiggins will likely receive help on Tatum at times, but he'll likely have to do a lot of the heavy lifting. That's obviously easier said than done, but if anyone is up to the task, it's the tenacious Smart. How well he is able to defend Curry could go a long way toward determining who ultimately wins the series. Here's a look at five key matchups heading into the battle between Boston and Golden State.

The Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics will square in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Who will be the X-factors for each team?

He helps anchor the defense with his savvy near the rim and ability to defend on the perimeter. If he can hold his own defensively against the Celtics’ talented wings, that also helps the Warriors. He can take scoring pressure off Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown with his scoring, especially when he spreads the court with his 3-point shooting. But can Jordan Poole continue to score against Boston like he has so far in the playoffs. He will handle a variety of assignments, including guarding Steph Curry at times, and his ability to defend multiple positions will factor into Boston’s success. Although the Eastern and Western Conference Finals featured wide margins of victory and multiple blowouts, a closely contested Finals matchup is anticipated. The 2022 NBA Finals are set. ** Game 5: June 13, 9 p.m. Chase Center, San Francisco, California. ** Game 7: June 19, 8 p.m. Chase Center, San Francisco, California. It marks the Warriors' first Finals appearance since 2019 and their sixth in eight years. Game 1: June 2, 9 p.m. Chase Center, San Francisco, California. Game 2: June 5, 8 p.m. Chase Center, San Francisco, California.

The Golden State Warriors will play against the Boston Celtics tonight for Game 1 of the NBA Finals at 6pm PT in San Francisco.

Curry is the engine that powers the Golden State offense, leading them to the number one offensive rating in the playoffs. Styles truly make the fight in this one in what looks to be a very competitive NBA Finals series. During their 2 regular season games against Boston, Golden State was 1-1 with their most recent matchup ending in a 110-88 Warriors loss at home on March 16th, 2022.

The Sporting News has you covered with all injury updates for the 2022 NBA Finals.

ABC ABC ABC ABC As we see every year at this point in the season, there are players dealing with injuries and ailments. All-Star forward Jayson Tatum led the way, earning the first-ever Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP award with averages of 25.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.1 steals to defeat Miami.

Warriors 47, Celtics 47 (2Q)What are the odds for Celtics vs. Warriors?SpreadWarriors: -3.5Celtics: +3.5Money lineWarriors: -165Celtics: +140How to watch: ...

This is a best-case scenario for the Warriors' offense. the Rockets in 2019). The Warriors are getting instant contributions from two of their previously missing players. So is Marcus Smart. Even Daniel Theis has made a 3. Derrick White is 2-fo- 4. You have up this scorching hot first quarter to Steph Curry, and trail by single digits (47-41 as of this note). Golden State will probably live with Marcus Smart, Derrick White, and Daniel Theis taking those shots, but Tatum is making the right play. – Steph Curry has gotten a good 15-plus minutes of actual rest since he left the game at the end of the first quarter. They need to come out to shooters and THEN drop back into the paint. ESPN’s cameras caught Marcus Smart explaining the key issue that the Celtics need to solve. The Celtics have heeded his words ever since those comments. Celtics clearly willing to give them up.

Breaking down what to expect in the 2022 NBA Finals between Golden State and Boston.

But as a bet on Tatum’s offensive maturation and the NBA’s top defense, Boston in six is the choice here. But the Warriors are unique in how those players (Green, Looney, Payton, etc.) stay engaged on the ball and from the weakside, setting screens and sparking dribble handoffs. But he’s been plenty effective in this role for months, and will be critical for Boston’s offense when the Warriors either stick weaker defenders on him or let Green roam.) He’ll be asked to hound Tatum on one end and then strike against a physical defense that loves to reduce ball movement and coax isolations. (In these playoffs, when Green slides to the five with Poole on the floor, their offensive rating is a whopping 124.6.) That’s easier said than done against a defense that will pack the paint, clog gaps and race out to contest the shots they want to contest. When the ball gets thrown into Draymond Green in the post and those split actions flow into flare screens, even the most locked-in defenders are pushed to their limit trying to force a tough look. The Celtics and Warriors met only once after the trade deadline, in a game on March 16 that didn’t have Andrew Wiggins and saw Curry suffer a foot injury that sidelined him for the rest of the regular season. (In the 129 minutes Curry shared the floor with Thompson and Poole, it was a whopping 121.7.) In so many ways, the Warriors and Celtics are a Finals showdown that felt inevitable, the culmination of one organization striving to stay ahead of a strategic curve that was established by the other. The desire to be positionless and adaptable didn’t require a premonition after watching the 2015 NBA Finals, but acquiring athletic, skilled wings and ballhandlers who can function in lineups big and small is easier said than done. A similar thing can be said about a Warriors team that would be sitting at home right now if not for critical contributions made by Jordan Poole and Kevon Looney. The Warriors have a league-high eight players selected through the draft on their roster.

Golden State's Andre Iguodala, Otto Porter Jr. and Gary Payton II are available for Game 1. Warriors usually roll in the first game of each series.

Smart missed Games 1 and 4 against Miami in the Eastern Conference finals and was listed as questionable for Game 7 with a sprained right ankle. We've kept his minutes lower in the last few games against Miami, and his availability has been up and down based on that game. Game 1s are usually a feeling-out process, especially when you get to the Finals. You don't know your opponent as well as you know your conference rivals. Game 1 of the NBA Finals was no different. But unlike a majority of us, the biggest stars in movies, TV and music have the means to cheer on their beloved teams courtside. Curry was called for an offensive foul, his second of the game, with 1:41 left in the first half after a push-off against Boston's Marcus Smart. Curry slammed the ball in frustration and adamantly denied his foul. I'm thankful to be able to play, let alone still be walking," Smart said Wednesday. "It hurt, but my mom always told me, if you are going to be on the court, you can't make excuses. ABC’s lead play-by-play announcer Mike Breen and co-analyst Jeff Van Gundy are in COVID protocol and missed Game 1. He quickly picked up his third foul on Jayson Tatum with 53.8 second left in the first half. Brown is a consistent scorer with an ability to put up a big number. Can the Celtics go into San Francisco and steal Game 1? NBA Finals Game 1, Warriors vs.