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The Warriors beat the Boston Celtics, 103-90, Thursday night to clinch their fourth title in eight years behind Stephen Curry’s 34 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
The Warriors finished with the league’s worst record in 2019-20 and then failed to make the playoffs last season. That stopped a string of five consecutive Finals appearances.
Steph Curry collapsed on the court in tears with 3.3 seconds left in the game while the Warriors were up by 13 as the realization that he won his fourth NBA title started to sink.
“I’m so proud of our group. I thank God every day that I get to play this game at the highest level,” Curry told Lisa Salters afterwards. “This is what is all about, playing for a championship and what we’ve been through these last three years. Beginning of the season, nobody thought we would be here except everybody on this court. It’s amazing. Very surreal.”
Curry shared an emotional embrace with Steve Kerr after the final buzzer: “We did it coach. We did it.”
The Golden State Warriors spent two years in the NBA wilderness. Now they are back in a familiar spot: on top of the NBA.
The Warriors joined the 1985 Los Angeles Lakers as the only visiting team to celebrate winning an NBA on the Celtics’ home court.
The Warriors accomplished that by going on a 21-0 first-quarter run, the longest such run in the Finals since 1972. They had a 22-point lead at one point in the second half. The Celtics eventually trimmed the deficit to 86-78. However, they were never able to seriously threaten the Warriors.
Steph Curry, who demoralized Boston with his shooting in the series, crushed the Celtics with one 3-pointer after another. He had 34 points on 12-for-21 shooting, including 6-for-11 on 3s. It was Curry’s fifth 30-point game of the Finals, earning his first Finals MVP.
Missing out in 2015 when Andre Iguodala won in a controversial ballot and in 2017 and 2018 when Kevin Durant won the award, Curry won the 2022 Finals MVP easily.
There was no doubt this time. Curry, 34, was the unanimous selection from the Finals MVP voters. In addition, this was not a pity vote or Finals MVP lifetime achievement award. He earned it in this series.
Steve Kerr joins elite company as player, coach
Steve Kerr won his fourth title as a head coach when the Warriors clinched the title in Game 6 Thursday in Boston. He also won five titles as a player with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs.
Phil Jackson won 11 titles as a coach (Bulls, New York Knicks) and two as a player. K.C. Jones won eight titles as a player and two as a head coach (all with the Celtics). But Kerr, a second-round pick who started only 30 games in his 15-year NBA career, is the first in the league’s history to win at least three titles as a player and coach.
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