Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics: The first NBA final was for the team that thought and knew how to change over time

This NBA final is truly special. A surprising fact in the previous one: if you add the appearances of these Golden State players in the final, they had played 123 games in decisive series for the title. It is only the third time in history that a franchise has reached the Finals with more than one hundred games of experience in this phase, distributed among its own. And the curious thing is that in front of him he had an opponent with whom players who had never participated in a final series.

However, the Celtics’ coolness in not despairing in the face of adversity of being 15 points down led to a change of game and an astonishing 15-0 streak and a fantastic 40-16 quarter-quarter. Like this Boston won on the road 120-108 and advanced into the final which will continue this Sunday, from 21:00 in Argentina.

The Celtics started with too much permissiveness, especially with great technical defects such as the defense of the direct block, plus the lack of aggression in the output of indirect screens, which Stephen Curry received above all.

In the first situation pick and roll, the blocker’s defense was increasingly backward, as if waiting for the best shooter in the world to penetrate, clearly taking advantage of it by stopping and shooting. Let us remember that the star of the Golden State has chase as its most gravitating quality dribbling. And on the indirect blocks, Curry always came out without denying the change. Here because his 21 points in the first quarter were justifiedalso the Warriors ran more during that time.

The problem occurred in the one before the little insinuation of Kevin Looney Y Draymond Green watching the basket the defenders floated and therefore everything always turned into two against one.

Across the board, Boston abused a game that was sometimes anarchist. The lack of offensive mobility and the abuse of long-range shots Jayson Tatum Y Jaylene Brown They favored the locals.

The second quarter started the same, except the Warriors stretched their squad. So much Andrea Iguodala What Otto Porter Jr. they produced and found long shots at the basket. And the movement which is already a registered trademark of roll short, previous choose of Green, with him on the fly of his companions. It looked like Golden State had it under control back and forth. But everything has changed.

How did the Celtics do it? I understand human change and formation as vital. Trainer Ime Udoka put four external and a false pivot as the master Al Horford, who plays vertically and internally 8 meters from the basket. The extra step and his confidence are supports of this splendid moment in his career.

This training first gave him defensive versatility to the team. Boston normally uses a 44 percent change in the rival’s possessions and being practically the entire perimeter, they took advantage of the change of assignment at the first live.

Smart Marco He always seemed to be behind, but while Tatum played an unforgettable match up front, he played great in defense. Klay Thompson has always been controlled and Derrick White, who is getting better and better, has been racing Curry all over the place. Everyone held and controlled the defense of the ball and any of those perimeter players could defend the local insiders, since they never weigh for their individual imbalance but do it for offensive rebounds (Looney) or because they run and pass, but without offensive decision (green).

In addition to the name change, Boston increased the defense in choices and was able to outrun the Warriors more and better. Change and imbalance have not only come back. He is also seen in the conception of the offensive game, where he went from the anarchy of the first half to getting the ball rolling, punish aids and then rotations. The field got wider with the white renderer and Payton Pritchard in a corner.

Golden State plays both defensive and offensive, moving and rotating, but this time the visiting lineup extended their assists and made farther rotations that could not be controlled. It is no coincidence that Boston won. I justify it for what I told you and because your background supports it. They are better as visitors than as locals. These Celtics are calm, they don’t despair on adverse sets. You always have them there. And in the first game of this final they overturned the disadvantage with a great tactical change.

By Oscar Sanchez.
From San Francisco, United States.
Special for Clarin.