In the fifth game of the finals, the Golden State Warriors did what they had to do: when Boston concentrated on stopping Steph Curry, other shooters stepped up, particularly Andrew Wiggins. Klay Thompson and J. Poole had good games. Draymond Green returned to form, especially on offense. But the difference for the Warriors was defense. That's where they made the adjustments, to which the Celtics had no answer. Gary Payton II strengthened the defense in the last several games, but it was really a team effort. Golden State used quick hands and positioning to make up for their apparent deficiencies.
After this victory, the Warriors were very confident about game six. Coach Steve Kerr guided them to closing out the series in this game in Boston. They were focused on it.
After the Dubs were down 2 games to 1, Klay Thompson said he was getting 2015 vibes. That was the first championship year, when the Warriors came back from a 2-1 deficit to win the series in six games with three straight victories. That's exactly what they did again in 2022. In 2015, the difference was largely Andre Iguodala, on offense and defense, reflected in his MVP trophy in that series. It seemed pretty clear after the fifth game in that series that the Warriors were going to win in six. In 2022 there was no easily named difference-maker in these last several games, but the scores were remarkably similar--the Warriors were in the low 100s, the Celtics in the low 90s. It was team defense, plus several of the new Warriors--like Wiggins and Poole--figuring out the Celtic defense. And of course, the sustained brilliance of Steph Curry.
In fact, the Warriors seemed so confident and the media so unanimous in predicting a 6th game victory that it was all set up for Boston to come roaring back. The pundits may not have known anything, but the Warriors did. Boston came fast out of the gate but by the beginning of the second quarter, Golden State turned 21 unanswered points into a lead that grew to be insurmountable pretty early. The struggles of the past three years came flooding into Curry's consciousness, so that he was in tears and may have actually blacked out in the closing moments.
This year, Steph Curry set the all-time career record for 3s, won the MVP for the All-Star Game and the Western Conference Finals, and was the unanimous choice for MVP of the Finals. The Warriors won its fourth championship in eight years, with the same core players--Steph, Klay and Draymond--who together with Andre I. had been together at Golden State for a decade.
After the series was over, one player after another--starting with Andrew Wiggin--said they absolutely wanted to return to the Warriors. Kerr was about to lose two of his assistant coaches to head coaching jobs elsewhere, but at the last second, one of them decided he was better off being an assistant at Golden State. That speaks to the team and the culture. The closeness of the players, the mentorships of the veterans and the example of hard work and unselfish play, along with management's commitment to shared responsibility and complete support, with an eye to the long game--those are some of the components of that culture. Steph Curry is its embodiment. The team culture was the bedrock upon which these championships were built. They'll have a parade tomorrow, and soon enough will be getting ready to go for more.
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