I arrived in California (San Francisco) from New Delhi in the afternoon of 2nd June, 2022 and that very evening was the first of the “best of seven” NBA finals between the Golden State Warriors (San Francisco) and the Boston Celtics. Over the next fortnight, I had a blast watching each of the six finals that ensued where the Golden State Warriors prevailed 4-2 to lift the trophy for the fourth time in seven years! Here is how the cookie crumbled and the salient highlights:
- First time finals most valuable player (MVP) Steph Curry lighted up the finals, proved himself as the greatest shooter of all time and won his 4th NBA title.
- Wiggins and Poole came together to form a lethal pair, defensively and on the offensive end too.
- Draymond Green was off color for the first 4 games, was even at the center of the Celtics’ fans wrath, but came back strongly and showed his prowess, especially in game 6, to get himself his 4th NBA ring.
- Celtics squandered away their 2-1 lead after three games with too many turnovers, especially Tatum, who gave away nearly 100 turnovers over the span of the playoffs.
- Tatum failed to fire in attack, missed many easy layups to gift game 3 to Golden State Warriors even after having the lead 5 minutes into the 4th quarter, the real disappointment throughout the series for Boston.
- Wiggins (I was fortunate to get clicked along side him!) got the rebounds in games 4 and 5, what the Warriors lacked in the first 3 games. He was by far the best player on the court in game 5, notching up 26 points, a rare day when Steph Curry failed to shoot a single three pointer for the first time in a game since November 2018.
- Warriors’ defense quality got bolstered since game 4, with them hardly missing any defensive rebounds.
- Klay’s importance in the unit once again proved undeniable, as he fired in the right moments. He has made his presence felt in the team since his return to the court after a gruesome injury. He went from being unable to walk three years ago, to now wearing his 4th NBA ring.
- Gary Payton II and Jordan Poole chipped in on the offensive side well throughout the playoffs.
- This Warriors team isn’t the most talented, yet this year’s title is probably the most unlikely and hence title the most special one, as it came after a tough couple of years for the franchise.
Boston Celtics had several positives to take them forward – Jaylem Brown was consistent for most of the series, and Horford was better offensively in game 6, driving in more often. Robert Williams II was quite good with the blocks as he made 7 straight threes in game 5 in the 3rd, with everyone chipping in!
Over to the next season in a few months!
10 Reasons Why the Cookie Crumbled the Way It Did 