MY ACCOUNT
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr acknowledged his team were second-best on Thursday, losing Game 1 of the NBA Finals at home to the Boston Celtics 120-108.
The Celtics were automatic in the fourth quarter and comfortably overturned a 92-80 deficit at the final interval, shooting nine-of 12 from beyond the arc to outscore the Warriors 40-16.
Al Horford hit a career-high six-of-eight from the perimeter on the way to 26 points, while Derrick White hit five-from eight as he put up a critical 21 points off the bench.
After the loss, Kerr conceded there was not much the Warriors could do to defeat the Celtics amid that kind of shooting performance, despite going 42 per cent from the perimeter themselves.
“To beat Boston if they’re making 21 threes, getting a combined 11 from Horford and White, give them credit,” Kerr said post-game. “They knocked down every big shot in the fourth quarter. Boston just played a brilliant quarter, they came in and earned the win.
“I thought we had a couple of turnovers, a couple of bad possessions offensively and they just pounced. They took advantage of every opportunity, and moved the ball well. You make five-six threes in a row in the fourth quarter, that’s tough to overcome.
“We’ll watch the tape and learn from it and see what we can do better. My gut reaction to what I just witnessed, they just came in and played a hell of a fourth quarter, and you’ve got to give them credit.”
After a finely poised first-half, the Warriors were led by Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, who combined for 28 points off 10-of-15 shooting from the floor.
Kerr insists that despite the fourth-quarter turnaround, his side will be able to adjust to cause and effect of that late Celtics barrage.
“We feel confident with our ability to score against them but, like I said, you give up 40 in the fourth and the other team makes 21 threes, it’s going to be tough to win.
“It felt to me like we didn’t close out very well in the first half and that allowed them to get going a little bit. Again, have to watch the tape and see where the breakdowns occurred.”
