Celtics

Our betting experts offer their best plays and tips ahead of Friday's NBA Finals Game 4 in Boston.

Green is one of the most prideful players in the NBA, and thus likely to come out hard in Game 4. When Curry is on the court in the Finals, Golden State has a 116.8 offensive efficiency, which drops to 91.5 when he is off. In the series he's averaging 5.0 PPG, 5.0 APG and 6.7 RPG. As the Warriors try to even the series, Green will bring an even higher level of focus and physicality to their game. In the five games leading up to Game 3, Green averaged a 23 PAR and was never under 20. In a game where Boston was laying 3.5 points, Klay Thompson dropped his highest scoring total of the series (25 points), Steph Curry had his best shooting performance of the series (54.5 percent) and the Celtics produced their worst 3-point shooting effort of the series (37.1%), and Boston still won by 16 points. In the history of the NBA, eight times has a player done that for the NBA champion and seven of those instances resulted in a Finals MVP award. As bad as Boston has been in the third quarter, it has been great in the second quarter with a plus-70 point differential. In Game 4, Looney will have a chance to step up while Stephen Curry is dealing with an ankle injury. Kings of the quarter: If you've paid any attention to this series (or the NBA for the better part of a decade), you're well aware that Golden State dominates third quarters (plus-43 points in this series). What you might not be aware of is just how effective Boston's fourth quarter defense has been. The sportsbooks appear convinced that the Celtics hold the upper hand in this series (-230), but the Tatum MVP odds are right around even money and that's where the value lies. Warming up: Jayson Tatum's production as a scorer has been tough to predict through three games in the NBA Finals, but if the past is any indication, he's just getting started. In the Dallas series, Golden State used Steph Curry as a do-it-all option and he averaged one assist for every 2.4 shots taken.

Golden State desperately needed a win after losing two of the first three games in the N.B.A. finals. Curry's 43 points on Friday got it done.

Curry participated in Golden State’s shootaround on Friday morning and was cleared to play. It was Celtics guard Jaylen Brown’s turn to shine in the second quarter. “The heart on that man is incredible,” Thompson said. Thompson picked up his fourth foul with 5:33 left in the game. We just controlled the game, the game that we wanted to play.” The playoffs this season have been characterized by blowouts, and the Celtics have played in several of them, including all three that came during the finals. As Golden State stretched its lead in the final minutes of Game 4, Celtics fans began to leave. I wanted to try to leverage that in a positive direction for us to start the game.” “Down 2-1, we had to come out with some desperation and more physicality than we showed in Game 3. When Klay Thompson appeared on the court an hour before the game, a group of fans in the lower bowl booed him. Curry, Michael Jordan and LeBron James are the only players 34 and older to score 40 or more points in an N.B.A. finals game. After one of his two first-quarter 3-pointers, Curry screamed into the crowd full of Boston Celtics fans who had showed up early to hound him and his teammates.

Stephen Curry scored 43 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 107-97 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the NBA finals on Friday night.

Williams was listed as questionable coming into the game with the knee injury that kept him out at the end of the regular season and the start of the playoffs. Curry’s ankle was an issue coming into the night after Boston’s Al Horford landed on it late in Game 3. The amped-up crowd spent much of the game booing Green, chanting an obscenity at him that is usually reserved for Bucky Dent, and jeering his many misses. “The things he does, we kind of take for granted at times, to go out there and put us on his back. Marcus Smart, who scored 18 points, hit a three-pointer to give the Celtics a 94-90 lead with just over five minutes remaining. Andrew Wiggins had 17 points and 16 boards for the Warriors, who have won at least one road game for 27 consecutive playoff series.

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum took accountability for an off night, saying that he simply needs to play better after the Golden State Warriors took Game ...

"It's kind of on me to do that more often than not just to help my team in the best way that I can. "That's the ongoing theme, so to speak. "I just got to be better. "We obviously felt like we put ourselves in the position to win the game," said Tatum, who was 1-for-5 in the fourth quarter. Would we have liked to have won today and be up 3-1? "I think that's just as simple as it is," he said. That was certainly the case in Game 4, when Curry had 43 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and dominated every second he was on the court. Tatum has not played to the standard he has set for himself in this series. All of that, however, starts with Tatum, who earned MVP honors in the Eastern Conference finals and is the face of the Celtics franchise. I know I'm impacting the game in other ways, but I got to be more efficient, shoot the ball better, finish at the rim better. I got to be better. Tatum, along with the rest of the Celtics, short-circuited in the fourth quarter Friday night, making just two shots over the final seven minutes.

The Boston Celtics admitted Friday night what everyone who watched Game 4 already knew: they were far too stagnant throughout Game 4.

Those two players and the Celtics as a whole now set their sights on getting igniting the offense when Game 5 arrives Monday night. They are oftentimes unguardable when the ball is popping from player to player, and when players are consistently cutting off the ball. They did not do either of those things on a consistent basis Friday night, and every player or coach who took to the postgame podium admitted as much. Jayson Tatum felt the brunt of that loading up Friday night, as he shot a woeful 4-for-15 from inside the 3-point arc. Boston’s recipe for success at the offensive end is ball and player movement. The Celtics lacked energy and movement throughout the game at the offensive end, which resulted in only 22 assists compared to 15 turnovers.

Here is a full list of celebrities, athletes, and VIPs at Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and Warriors in Boston.

Here is the full list of celebrities, athletes, and VIPs attending Game 4 between the Celtics and Warriors in Boston. Other celebrities, athletes, and VIPS Along with another strong contingent of former Celtics players, A-Listers set to take in the game include an Olympic gold medalist, a pair of Patriots players, and a former reality TV star.

The Celtics led the Warriors 94-90 with five minutes remaining in Game 4 but then got outscored 17-3 in crunch time.

We've got to do a better job executing down the stretch, and that's the difference in the game right there." And a lot of times, it felt like we were standing around, unsure of who we were trying to go after, and it led to those stalled out possessions." Just a little more locked in down the stretch." Discussing the reasons for Boston's offense stagnating, Ime Udoka expressed: "Every time we got a five, six-point lead, it felt like we made some poor decisions, whether it was rushed shots in traffic or standing around, looking at each other. Between inactivity and missing quality shots when they created them, they couldn't fend off or keep up with the Warriors as Curry scored ten of his game-high 43 points, leading his team to a series-tying win. It's the highest point differential in an NBA Finals game in the last 25 seasons, according to ESPN Stats&Info.

The Celtics are now 1-6 this postseason when committing 16 or more turnovers. When they commit 15 or fewer, they are 13-2.

I think that’s kind of the beauty of it, that it’s not going to be easy. “But it’s the Finals. The art of competition, they came here feeling like they had to win. “I know I’m impacting the game in other ways, but I got to be more efficient, shoot the ball better, finish at the rim better.” “Whether it was rushed shots in traffic or … standing around and looking at each other a little bit there.” “They went on a run early on in the third. I got to be better,” Tatum said.

BOSTON — With eight minutes remaining in a tied Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Golden State Warriors forward Nemanja Bjelica threw an inbounds pass directly to ...

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Steph Curry produced a 43-point masterpiece Friday to will the Golden State Warriors to a 107-97 Game 4 victory over the Boston Celtics and level the series ...

"It's just special to watch what he does," Thompson added. "I mean, this was nearly a must-win game," Thompson told reporters. But it wasn't just his remarkable efficiency in front of a raucous Boston crowd that made this performance special.

With a few irrelevant seconds remaining on the clock and all matters in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden Friday night settled convincingly in the ...

The Celtics could have had the Warriors on the ropes. They did beat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in Milwaukee in Game 6 and dethroned the champs in Game 7 in Boston. They did take Game 7 from the Heat in Miami. They win Game 1 of the Finals in San Francisco, but crumble in Game 2 when there’s a golden opportunity to take two straight on the road. Instead, they struggled individually and as a unit, and they were in command of nothing when the game was right there for the taking. Messing with the Warriors is a dangerous game. They lose Game 5 at home to the Bucks in the second round to fall behind, 3-2. They lose Game 6 at home to the Heat, assuring that the Eastern Conference finals would be decided on Miami’s court. They could have gone up 3-1 in the series, leaving them with three shots to close out the proud, recent three-time champion Warriors and claim their first NBA championship since 2008. By my accounting, one Celtics played what one would call “well” Friday night, and it was the Celtic who had the most legitimate reasons not to play well. It also happened to be one of the Celtics’ least aggravating decisions with the basketball late in their 107-97 loss to the Warriors, which evened this series at two games apiece and proved once again that the Celtics treat prosperity like an ill-fitting Christmas gift, something to be returned almost as soon as it is received. The Celtics could have had this. A power-dribble of frustration for the final scene?

Here are 10 stats to know following Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and Warriors. Read more on Boston.com.

The Warriors shot 7-of-24 in the first half and 8-of-19 (42 percent) in the second half. Boston has been up, down, even, and dealt with just about every situation in the playoffs, and the Celtics still haven’t lost back-to-back games. Wiggins finished with 17 points and a game-high 16 rebounds — setting his career high on the boards at a perfect moment. The Celtics totaled just three points the rest of the way, as the Warriors outscored them 17-3 to close the game. Curry’s brilliance was the main reason for the turnaround after Boston built a 54-49 halftime lead, but the Celtics didn’t do themselves any favors either. Boston shot 8-of-14 (57 percent) from distance in the first half and 7-of-24 (29 percent) in the second half.

After a 43-point masterpiece by Steph Curry that evened the NBA Finals at two games apiece, we're getting exactly the barnburner of a finals we hoped for.

Watch as Curry drives down the lane and kicks to a wide-open Gary Payton II in the corner, whom the Celtics correctly disregard. And then Curry just keeps running to the corner and gets a handoff back from Payton, who screens Curry’s man so Steph can knock down a triple. And, to close it out, the other thing we can say at this point, is Steph Curry should be the NBA Finals MVP win or lose. Even his paltry total of four assists didn’t tell the story, not when his passes to the likes of Green, Porter and Kevon Looney mostly ended up in resets. Green finished with just two points and also suffered the rare humiliation of a Mom burn because of his play. On a team where nobody else can create off the dribble, he managed to be an offense unto himself, going far more heliocentric in these first four games than we’re used to seeing. And of course, the bad passes. Yes, it felt like Boston had control, and that only the Celtics’ tendency to beat themselves with live-ball turnovers and heavy doses of Steph Curry’s shooting ridiculousness could keep the Warriors afloat. It’s not like it’s a big advantage the other way: Through four games, the Warriors have one more offensive rebound and one fewer turnover. Even in a comfortable first-round “gentleman’s sweep” over Denver, the Warriors had a five-possession deficit. Boston’s lead was always tenuous, but the feeling in the TD Garden was that the Celtics had the upper hand. To the extent it was close, it seemed to be close more because of the Celtics’ mistakes.

Boston should have won Game 4, but an exasperating performance ceded home-court advantage back to Golden State.

The Celtics could have had the Warriors on the ropes. They did beat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in Milwaukee in Game 6 and dethroned the champs in Game 7 in Boston. They did take Game 7 from the Heat in Miami. They win Game 1 of the Finals in San Francisco, but crumble in Game 2 when there’s a golden opportunity to take two straight on the road. Instead, they struggled individually and as a unit, and they were in command of nothing when the game was right there for the taking. Messing with the Warriors is a dangerous game. They lose Game 5 at home to the Bucks in the second round to fall behind, 3-2. They lose Game 6 at home to the Heat, assuring that the Eastern Conference finals would be decided on Miami’s court. They could have gone up, 3-1, in the series, leaving them with three shots to close out the proud, recent three-time champion Warriors and claim their first NBA championship since 2008. By my accounting, one Celtic played what one would call “well” Friday night, and it was the Celtic who had the most legitimate reasons not to play well. It also happened to be one of the Celtics’ least aggravating decisions with the basketball late in their 107-97 loss to the Warriors, which evened this series at two games apiece and proved once again that the Celtics treat prosperity like an ill-fitting Christmas gift, something to be returned almost as soon as it is received. The Celtics could have had this. A power-dribble of frustration for the final scene?

The Boston Celtics lamented the lack of ball movement down the stretch of Game 4 of the NBA Finals after losing 107-97 to the Golden State Warriors.

“If the ball gets stuck and you see it, go screen somebody. “Everybody just kind of standing around looking at whoever had the ball, no player movement, no ball movement.” “I think we just kind of got a little stagnant,” Celtics’ guard Derrick White – who had 16 points on 4-12 shooting – said after the game.

Celtics' Jayson Tatum has averaged only 22 points and shot 34% in two losses to the Warriors. 'I just got to be better,' he said after a Game 4 loss.

“It’s kind of on me to do that more often than not just to help my team in the best way that I can,” he said. I think just quick decisions, don’t turn down any open looks, any daylight that I have, just continue to try to make the right pass.” In their two losses those numbers drop to 22 points per game and 34% from the field. “I just got to be better,” Tatum said after Golden State’s 107-97 win in Game 4 Friday night to tie the best-of-seven series. We’ve just got to move,” he said. It hurt most after the Celtics took a 94-90 lead, only to miss six consecutive shots during a 10-0 Warriors run.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson sent out a tweet about the Boston Celtics after Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors won Friday's ...

- SHOULD THE BUCKS MAKE A TRADE? The Milwaukee Bucks lost Game 7 to the Boston Celtics, which officially ended their 2021-22 NBA season in the second-round. They kept launching and missing three pointers" On Friday night, the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics by a score of 107-97 to win Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics 1107-97 in Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Finals on Wednesday to even this series up at 2-2 heading back to ...

Perhaps no player had a greater impact on this game for Golden State than Andrew Wiggins, who finished with 17 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Having the ball late in the shot-clock and being assertive is what will win Boston this series. Stephen Curry put on an absolute show in this game and no matter if he was wide-open, heavily contested or being fouled, everything Curry seemed to put up went in, especially in the second-half. Through four games in the 2022 NBA Finals now, Curry is averaging 34.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and is shooting 49.8% from the floor, 49.1% from three-point range. Andrew Wiggins is a perfect example of this. - Draymond Green's Amazing Quote About Steph Curry After Game 4: On Friday, Draymond Green met with the media after the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics by a score of 107-97 to take Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The series is now tied up at 2-2.CLICK HERE. - Steph Curry's Viral Quote After Brilliant Game 4: Steph Curry met with the media after he had 43 points in the Golden State Warriors win over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.CLICK HERE. The Celtics’ inconsistency on the offensive-end of the floor has hurt them at times in this series and it especially hurt them in Game 4, a game in which Boston could have taken. The third quarter of Game 4 was much like the third quarters of the previous three games in this series and the Warriors outscored the Celtics 30-24 with Curry scoring 14 points in the quarter and helping Golden State take a one-point lead into the fourth. Golden State ended up outrebounding Boston 55-42 in Game 4, helping them hold on and even up this series at 2-2 after a 107-97 victory on the road. Over the final twelve minutes of Game 4 on Friday night, Curry continued to give the Celtics’ defense fits and the Warriors as a whole were putting in work on the offensive and defensive glass. With their backs up against the wall and facing a scenario where they could have gone down 3-1 in the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors responded in Game 4 against the Boston Celtics on Friday night.

BOSTON — With eight minutes remaining in a tied Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Golden State Warriors forward Nemanja Bjelica threw an inbounds pass directly to ...

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The Boston Celtics had a chance to seize control of the NBA Finals in Game 4 at home but couldn't close out the Golden State Warriors.

You can select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy Controls. Find out more about how we use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy. Click here to find out more about our partners. - Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum took accountability for an off night, saying that he simply needs to play better after the Golden State Warriors took Game ...

"It's kind of on me to do that more often than not just to help my team in the best way that I can. "That's the ongoing theme, so to speak. "I just got to be better. "We obviously felt like we put ourselves in the position to win the game," said Tatum, who was 1-for-5 in the fourth quarter. Would we have liked to have won today and be up 3-1? "I think that's just as simple as it is," he said. That was certainly the case in Game 4, when Curry had 43 points, 10 rebounds and four assists and dominated every second he was on the court. Tatum has not played to the standard he has set for himself in this series. All of that, however, starts with Tatum, who earned MVP honors in the Eastern Conference finals and is the face of the Celtics franchise. I know I'm impacting the game in other ways, but I got to be more efficient, shoot the ball better, finish at the rim better. I got to be better. Tatum, along with the rest of the Celtics, short-circuited in the fourth quarter Friday night, making just two shots over the final seven minutes.