Celtics got a whole lot from everyone in their Game 1 win over Warriors

BOSTON -- The Warriors hadn't lost at home in the playoffs -- until Thursday night. The Warriors had been the best fourth-quarter team in the playoffs -- until Thursday night.

Thursday night was Golden State's first meeting with the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, and the Celtics absolutely throttled them in the fourth quarter to steal a Game 1 victory. The same Warriors that were a plus-94 in the fourth quarter heading into Thursday night were outscored 40-13 to close Game 1 on their home floor.

The Warriors held a 12-point lead heading into the fourth, which had spelled victory for them this postseason. Golden State was 8-0 when leading after three quarters -- until Thursday night.

Now they are 8-1, because the Celtics demolished the Warriors to close Game 1. Boston went on a 9-0 run to start the final quarter, and then a 17-0 run late in the game to stun Golden State. After a Steph Curry three put the Warriors on top 103-100 with 6:05 to play, Golden State went nearly five minutes without putting the ball in the basket.

That's because Boston locked down on defense. Golden State missed five shots (plus two free throws) and turned the ball over twice during that Celtics run. Boston, meanwhile, went 6-for-9, with five of those makes from long distance.

Trailing the Warriors by double digits in the fourth quarter usually spells doom for the opposition. But the Celtics have been a resilient bunch for six months now, and that resiliency was shining bright Thursday night.

It didn't matter that Steph Curry was hitting everything to start the game. It didn't matter that Jayson Tatum had a dreadful shooting night (just 3-for-17) and didn't score in the fourth quarter. It didn't matter that the Warriors were owning them on the offensive glass.

The Celtics have been at their best this postseason when their backs are against the wall. That's when everyone rises up, and that's what happened Thursday night. It took a full team effort to come back and beat the Warriors, and everyone had their fingerprints on Boston's Game 1 win.

Al Horford was the catalyst of the comeback, scoring 11 of his 26 in the fourth quarter. He hit a pair of clutch threes and also pulled down an offensive rebound that led to a Marcus Smart three, putting the Celtics up by 11 at the time.

Smart was Smart, finishing with 18 points off 7-for-11 shooting, including four triples. He also helped lock down Curry, who scored just 14 points in the second half and had only four points in the fourth quarter.

Derrick White also had a hand in shutting down Curry, and he also knocked down some clutch threes before Boston went on its epic fourth-quarter run. He scored 21 points off the bench, with 13 coming in the second half, as White went 5-for-8 from downtown.

Jaylen Brown assumed the alpha role with Tatum struggling, scoring 10 of his 24 points in the fourth. Brown got the offense rolling, and then continued to pour in points at the best possible time for Boston.

And while Tatum struggled with his shot, he dished out 13 assists. Tatum handed out four of those helpers in the fourth quarter.

The game was far from perfect for Boston. The Celtics were outscored 38-24 in the third quarter, and they surrendered 12 offensive rebounds. Giving Golden State a dozen extra looks is not a recipe for success and will give Ime Udoka plenty to discuss with his team over the next few days.

But the Celtics did what they do best, which is bounce back from some adversity. They did it as a team, with everyone making a difference one way or another. Whether it was more stingy defense, some elite passing, and some timely shot-making, the Celtics broke out when it mattered most on Thursday night. They are now three wins away from winning a title because of all of that.

There is plenty to clean up, but the Celtics showed that when they play as a unit, they are capable of doing just about anything. Just ask the Warriors.