NBA Finals, Game 6: Boston Celtics vs Golden State Warriors quarter-by-quarter breakdown

Golden State Warriors would shake off a slow start to march to their fourth NBA Championships in 8 years. Led by Finals MVP Stephen Curry’s all-court brilliance- 34 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists- the visitors kept Boston at bay without much hassle. The home side began strongly before fading as has been the norm. Apart from a stirring third-quarter sortie, they were too error-prone to stretch the finals to a deciding seventh. Bleeding 22 turnovers, the Celts would lose 103-90 in front of a sell-out crowd at their TD Garden home base. Trailing 2-1 after Game 3, the Dubs won three on the bounce to seal a hard-fought series 4-2!   

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Quarter 1: Celtics 22 Warriors 27 

Boston flew off the blocks, storming into a 12-point lead in little more than four first-quarter minutes. Golden State was error-strewn throughout much of the early running, missing FG attempts and conceding turnovers almost at will. Unable to cope with the Celtics’ intensity, Brian Kerr called a timeout. Whatever Kerr said was an instant cure, sparking a Warriors revival that would blunt the Cs charge. From 2-14 down, the Dubs ended the quarter with a 27-22 lead on the back of an 11-point run. Curry, who struggled to find range on his shooting early doors, lasered the visitors into the lead with a silky three-pointer from the tightest of angles. Jordan Poole put the exclamation mark on a remarkable turnaround, closing the quarter with a cannon from beyond the arc! 

Quarter 2: Celtics 17 Warriors 27

During the interval, Steve Kerr pointed out how ball pressure in the defensive phase had helped effect a momentum shift. It was a plan they would execute brilliantly in the second. Draymond Green-on the back of a stellar Game 5– was dominating the paint, keeping Boston’s forward thrusts at bay as the Dubs continued their hot scoring streak! Going 21-0 between the end of the first and the start of the second, the visitors eased into a 15-point lead. Poole and Wiggins were enjoying themselves in court, dropping points without fuss. For the Celtics, Robert Williams continued to thwart Stephen Curry, inspiring a mini-revival. With his spirit rubbing off on his teammates, the Celts put together a 7-0 run, forcing Golden State to call a timeout. The visitors would respond with a 17-8 run, closing the half at 54-39! To put things into perspective, the Warriors outscored them by 33 points since going 12 behind early in the first quarter. 

Quarter 3: Celtics 27 Warriors 22 

The quarter kicked off with both sides trading three-pointers. Al Horford combined well with Jayson Tatum to drive the Celts forward. But the big man’s efforts notwithstanding, the Warriors hit their stride from the get-go. Steph was on a roll, reeling off three FGs from beyond the D, the last of which was a dagger from deep. At 72-50, Game 6 was slipping fast from the hosts!

Udoka called for a breather, giving his players a break from the ragging they had undergone. It seemed to work as Jaylen Brown and Horford seized control, turning the tide bit-by-bit. Roused by the Boston faithful’s loud support, the Cs cut the deficit to 10! If the home side had upped their game, the Dubs drop-off was alarming. In classic Jekyll and Hyde fashion, the visitors seemed strangely paralysed after the timeout. Conceding turnovers and missing their attempts, the visitors allowed the Celts to put together a 16-4 run. If not for Green’s clutch three-pointer, the margin would be in single digits. The quarter would close with Jordan Poole attempting yet another buzzer-beater from afar but failing! 

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Quarter 4: Celtics 24 Warriors 27

Boston had bust a gut to eat into the GSW lead, but Kerr knew his team had to remain patient, not get rushed by the physicality of their opponents. Celtics fought gamely but were running on fumes! The home side would narrow the gap to eight points at one stage, but Wiggins’ immediate three-point response seemed to suck the air out of them. Golden State’s heavy-hitters shook off their third-quarter slump to assume control of the court. Curry was masterful as usual, snuffing out the Celts just when they sensed an opening. With the game firmly in their grasp, the 34-year-old conjured five points to bury Boston hopes. He even found time to taunt the partisan crowd with a put-to-sleep gesture after arrowing a basket from beyond the D. Coach Kerr would send out veteran Andre Iguodala as the Warriors could barely hold back their emotions in the dying minutes of the quarter!