SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In a rematch of the 1964 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors are seeking their fourth championship in eight years, while the Celtics are trying to break a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers and become the first team with 18 NBA titles.
Celtics coach Ime Udoka will also seek to become the 10th coach in NBA history to win a title in his first season, something that Golden State’s Steve Kerr did with the Warriors in 2015.
The starters matchup
Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney for the Warriors against Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford and Robert Williams III for the Celtics.
Put simply, it’s the great offense of Golden State against the great defense of Boston. The experience edge goes to the Warriors. But Smart, Brown and Tatum have been building for this moment and are now, officially, a Big 3. Smart — the defensive player of the year — will draw the primary assignment on Curry, the most prolific and probably most creative 3-point shooter in the history of the game.
The bench keys
Derrick White had a huge Eastern Conference finals for Boston, and Jordan Poole has exceeded all reasonable expectations for Golden State throughout the playoffs. If the Warriors get Gary Payton II back to form in this series after his elbow fracture, that’s a huge plus. Grant Williams would be another X-factor off the bench for Boston and will likely log huge minutes anyway because it wouldn’t seem likely that Robert Williams III — dogged by knee recovery — will be on the floor a ton.
Schedule:
Game 1: Thursday, June 2, at San Francisco
Game 2: Sunday, June 5, at San Francisco
Game 3: Wednesday, June 8, at Boston
Game 4: Friday, June 10, at Boston
If necessary, Game 5: Monday, June 13, at San Francisco
If necessary, Game 6: Thursday, June 16 at Boston
If necessary, Game 7: Sunday, June 19 at San Francisco
How to watch:
- Game 1 on ABC10 at 5:30 p.m.
- Game 2 on ABC10 at 4: 30 p.m.
- Game 3 on ABC10 at 5:30 p.m.
- Game 4 on ABC10 at 5:30 p.m.
- Game 5 on ABC10 at 5:30 p.m.
- Game 6 on ABC10 at 5:30 p.m.
- Game 7 on ABC10 at 4:30 p.m.
