NBA Finals

Jayson Tatum scored 26 points, Jaylen Brown generated 24, and the Celtics' defense held the Heat under 100 as Boston prevailed in Game 7 in Miami.

After the break, Lowry stepped into a three to make it 78-70. Oladipo countered, driving in for a bucket that brought it to 90-81. Tatum then drove and found Brown at the rim for a layup that made it 69-56. Tatum thought he extended it to 90-79 but got whistled for a charge as he tried to finish in transition. Smart answered with a layup to push it to 58-54. But Tatum answered, muscling his way to the basket for two points plus a foul on Vincent. He couldn't make the free throw, though. Butler then spun by White for a two near the basket to make it 24-17. Due to Miami being in the bonus, Lowry went to the line, earning his first two points. It was a terrific start for the Celtics. They shot 12/24 from the field, 5/9 (55.6 percent) from beyond the arc, and produced 14 points in the paint. After that, Smart delivered a dime to Williams for another deuce at the rim. But Horford responded, fielding a Jayson Tatum drive-and-kick and hitting a three that gave the Celtics a 12-5 advantage early. Jayson Tatum grabbed a Marcus Smart missed three and put it back for the game's first two points.

The Golden State Warriors will host the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Finals at San Francisco's Chase Center on Thursday, and there are weighty stakes on both ...

To get there, the Celtics knocked off the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat with a 12-6 record. That year, Hall of Fame center Bill Russell led the Celtics past his rival Wilt Chamberlain’s San Francisco Warriors in five games. While the Warriors, who were then located in Philadelphia, and the Celtics joined the Basketball Association of America (which later merged with the National Basketball League to become the NBA) in 1946, they haven’t squared off in the Finals since 1964.

The 2022 NBA Finals are set. This year, two of the NBA's most decorated franchises in the Celtics and Warriors will face off for a chance to take home the ...

Game Game Game Game Game Or will the Celtics reclaim their stake as the NBA's most successful franchise with a record 18th NBA championship?

A new champion will be crowned after the 2022 NBA Finals. Here's how to watch the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics face off.

Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, June 16 at 9 p.m. ET (ABC) Game 5 (if necessary): Monday, June 13 at 9 p.m. ET (ABC) The games for the 2022 NBA Finals will have a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the Warriors having home-court advantage.

A mind-boggling NBA Finals streak involving New York Knicks players will continue this year thanks to the Boston Celtics' Game 7 win over the Miami Heat.

The Mavs, however, fell short of the Finals after falling to the Warriors in a gentleman’s sweep. Woods went through each Finals and pointed out one player in each series who was on the Knicks at one point in their career. The streak got put in danger heading into the 2022 conference finals.

Boston appeared to be headed for the lottery at the start of the season, but now have a date with the Warriors in the championship.

But I think you just trust in yourself, trust in the work that you put in to get to this point and continue to work, and it can’t rain forever. I knew that coming in today and the group knew that.” Awaiting Boston is Golden State, and this is a matchup the Celtics can win. Tatum was a rookie when the Celtics made the conference finals in 2018, overcoming season-ending injuries to Gordon Hayward and Irving to push LeBron James and the Cavaliers to seven games before bowing out. “I came in with the mindset today that I was willing to do anything it took to win this game, however that looked,” Tatum said. Back then, Tatum believed a trip to the Finals was inevitable. “They allowed us to fix it and work it out.” The man that who spent years coaching under Gregg Popovich seemed to think he was him. “He kind of puts it on you to let you know that, hey, I’m not taking no slack. That’s right: The Celtics are headed to the NBA Finals. From the podium, Smart allowed it all to soak in. But whether it was the 48 minutes he played, the balky knee that has troubled him or the leprechaun that has seemingly attached itself to these Celtics since midseason, Butler’s shot came up short. For three quarters the Celtics had fended off a relentless, never-ending Heat charge, battling as a 15-point first quarter lead was whittled to six at the end of the second, and as a 12-point edge with 3 ½ minutes to play was sliced to two.

Looking to buy tickets for the 2022 NBA Finals? Here is where you can find tickets for the games.

The average ticket price is $4,267. TicketSmarter lists the starting price as low as $961 but as expensive as $15,750. The average price is listed as $2,685. Fans looking for tickets in Boston can expect to pay $2,862 on average. For games in San Francisco, fans can expect to pay, on average, $3,249. Whether you're a fan of either team, a San Francisco local or a Boston local, the process of hunting down tickets can be difficult.

The Warriors will have exactly one week of rest before Game 1 of the Finals, which gave Steve Kerr's team "a great chance to decompress."

"We were very conscious of hanging on to home court if at all possible, and we were able to finish strongly." "It's always special to play at home," Looney said. Fortunately, we had put a bunch of wins in the bank early that gave us a cushion that we needed," Kerr said. So I've said it many times: You go to the Finals, it's almost a two-month journey filled with stress and fatigue, so if you can build a little break, it's very meaningful." Each of them is progressing nicely, the team said Sunday, and they are expected to be slowly integrated into team practices this week. "So it was a great chance to decompress the last couple of days.

After a sometimes chaotic Eastern Conference finals against, the Boston Celtics are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.

“It's not easy, clearly, this is my first time being in the championship. It took time for Tatum and Brown to rely on and trust the pass. “That was the lowest moment for me,” he said. “And they have probably done it the way that it's supposed to happen in this league. “But I think shortly after that, things started to turn around.” This was Boston’s fourth trip to the conference finals in the past six seasons. He wanted versatile defenders that could guard on the perimeter, guard multiple positions, switch when necessary and have big men who can protect the paint. It took us a while, but I feel like once we started to understand how we needed to play, we became more consistent.” They've all been here, and to get to the championship is obviously the next step, but our focus is getting four more.” “Ime just did a tremendous job this year building on what they have done the last six, seven years,” Celtics coach Erik Spoelstra said. Regardless of how long I've been in the league, I'm not too far removed from when I was in high school and when I was dreaming about moments like this.” He averaged 25 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and shot 46.2% from the field.

Boston stands tall behind Jayson Tatum on the road to take the Eastern Conference title and advance to its 1st Finals in 12 years.

The Celtics brought him back last summer, and Horford has been a huge part of their success. It was a critical two possessions, giving the Celtics a little bit of a cushion after they saw a big lead become a one-possession game. And again, Tatum didn’t hesitate, attacking Vincent, drawing help and dropping the ball off to Grant Williams for a layup. Tatum gave the ball up and Derrick White missed a floater in the lane. But he held the ball for a couple of seconds and eventually, Victor Oladipo came with another double-team. With the Celtics going scoreless on five straight possessions spanning the third and fourth quarters, their lead was cut to three. But with the win, the Celtics are 7-2 on the road in these playoffs. It was an ugly start, with the Heat scoring just 17 points on 25 possessions in the first quarter. But it will remain a fascinating “What if” for the rest of time. Butler had made a pull-up 3 from the right side of the floor when the Celtics didn’t pick him up earlier in the game. And the Celtics, oh boy … They led this series 3-2, with a chance to close it out at home. Jimmy Butler had the ball in transition with his team down two in the final seconds of Game 7.

Though they started strong and led by 15 after the first quarter, the Celtics couldn't shake the Heat until the final seconds of the game.

And they face the rested Golden State Warriors, who last appeared in the finals in 2019. Game 7 came down to the wire between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat on Sunday — but Boston ultimately prevailed. Boston now heads to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.

The Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors will begin playing the 2022 NBA Finals on Thursday night in San Francisco and here is what we should expect to ...

These two players for Golden State may not put up the dazzling numbers that Curry, Poole and Thompson do, but they are extremely important to the success of this team. Rebounding is going to be a huge factor in this series between the Celtics and Warriors, especially since the Warriors have been a terrific rebounding team given their lack of size. Neither of these guys can get going if you are the Warriors and with the success Andrew Wiggins had against Luka Doncic in the previous series, he will once again be the Warriors’ No. 1 guy when it comes to defense on the perimeter. Overall, the Celtics are a really strong rebounding team on both ends of the floor. Being able to guard multiple positions, as well as be a factor aiding the Warriors in rebounding, Wiggins has been the picture-perfect wing in an offense led by guards like Curry, Thompson and Poole. In Game 2 against Dallas, Kevon Looney had a career-high 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Golden State Warriors started the year off hot and they are ending it hot, as the Warriors have won 17 of their last 21 games dating back to the regular season. Not only has Tatum averaged 27.0 points per game on 44.6% shooting from the floor in these playoffs, but he has recorded 11 games with at least 27 points. As for Kevon Looney, his importance checks off multiple boxes. Well, here we are about to enter June and begin the 2022 NBA Finals with none of these teams playing for a championship! He proved to be key against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals and he will very likely prove to be key once again for the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Given all of the injuries they have had to deal with through the years and the adversity they faced the last two seasons missing the playoffs, Golden State is looking to send a clear message that they are still the team to beat in the NBA.

The Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors play in the best-of-7 NBA Finals beginning June 2.

Game 2: Sunday, June 5: Boston at Golden State, 8 ET Game 1: Thursday, June 2: Boston at Golden State, 9 ET The Warriors dispatched the Dallas Mavericks in five games to win the Western Conference title, securing their sixth trip to the NBA title series in eight years.

From a 12-to-1 favorite before the season, the Golden State Warriors are now favored to beat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

Warriors star Stephen Curry is the favorite to win Finals MVP at +110, ahead of Jayson Tatum (+175) and Jaylen Brown (+1000) of the Celtics. A $250 bet before the Eastern Conference finals on the Celtics to win the title would pay $2,500 if Boston can pull the upset. Now, at the start of Finals week, the Warriors are favored to beat the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics and claim a fourth NBA title under Steve Kerr.

The Warriors have home-court advantage over the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals. Heres what history says about the importance of Finals home court.

The team that begins the series on the road hosts Games 3, 4 and 6. The team that hosts Game 1 also hosts Games 2, 5 and 7. In most cases, the team with the higher seed also has the better record. How often does the home team win Game 7 in the NBA Finals? How often does the home team win Game 1 in the NBA Finals? Prior to this season, the most recent instance of a team with the higher seed starting the Finals on the road came in 2019.

The NBA Finals are here, as the Celtics and Warriors will battle for the NBA title. Read the latest odds and a series wager from FOX Bet.

Just download the Super 6 app and make your picks today! Golden State is seeking its seventh NBA title and fourth since drafting Curry in 2009 (who was picked after Hasheem Thabeet, Tyreke Evans and Jonny Flynn). Game 7: Celtics @ Warriors, 8 p.m. ET June 19 * Moneyline: Warriors -162 favorites to win (bet $10 to win $16.17 total); Celtics +125 underdogs to win (bet $10 to win $22.50 total) Game 6: Warriors @ Celtics, 9 p.m. ET June 16 * The one guy who I believe can’t be stopped one-on-one by any Celtic defender is Poole. "Yes, his numbers have dwindled since the Denver series, and he was often played off the court by the Mavs, who hunted him mercilessly. Game 5: Celtics @ Warriors, 8 p.m. ET June 13 * "Another huge factor is home-court advantage as Golden State has not lost in Chase Center in the playoffs this year. Game 3: Warriors @ Celtics, 9 p.m. ET June 8 Game 4: Warriors @ Celtics, 9 p.m. ET June 10 PICK: Steph Curry NBA Finals MVP ( +100 at FOX Bet, bet $10 to win $20)

We've been through a lot,” Marcus Smart said after Boston's Game 7 win over the Miami Heat. “Literally blood, sweat and tears."

We know we’ve got a long road in front of us, but we’re up for the challenge.” Horford collapsed to the ground. “No matter what adversity is put in front of us, no obstacle, no loop, we’re going to get through it, we’re going to get over it, we’re going to get around it,” Smart said. For months, the Celtics struggled to learn the way Udoka wanted them to play. The Celtics lost their scruples over the final three minutes but still did enough to advance. In the celebration, Tatum and Brown hugged each other. Butler, dominant over the last two games of the series, pulled up for a 3-pointer instead of driving to the rim. The Celtics were a golden franchise loaded with enough talent, both young and established, to control the Eastern Conference for years to come. As Miami tried to mount a comeback after that drought, Tatum drilled a stepback 3-pointer from the left wing, then lost Butler with a great move at the end of the shot clock. Why would the Celtics dwell on the pain when the future promised to heal it? At the end of a series that left both teams hobbled, Tatum, Brown and Smart became the second trio in NBA history to record at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists each during a Game 7. MIAMI — Four years ago, back when this all seemed easy to Jayson Tatum, the Celtics ripped off a run to the Eastern Conference finals.

Though they started strong and led by 15 after the first quarter, the Celtics couldn't shake the Heat until the final seconds of the game.

And they face the rested Golden State Warriors, who last appeared in the finals in 2019. Game 7 came down to the wire between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat on Sunday — but Boston ultimately prevailed. Boston now heads to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010.

The stage is finally set for the 2022 NBA Finals. Will the revamped Warriors build on an already impressive modern legacy? Or will the Celtics start an era ...

As long as the Celtics can get ahead early, they find a way to win — they never once trailed in Game 7 against Miami. The Warriors have home-court advantage. We’re betting Iguodala comes in and makes a big play when it matters most, as he’s done so many times before. They find a way to score on this remarkable Celtics defence. Still, Boston's able to have multiple high-scoring players — Brown and Smart both dropped 24 points in the Game 7 win over Miami on top of Tatum's 26. Though Smart had to come to his own defence by saying “I’m not a dirty player” after injuring Curry’s ankle, there’s no doubt he’s bringing the same aggressive energy to this Finals matchup. Something tells us that number will fall somewhere in between, but who's it likely to favour? Thompson found his groove down the stretch, culminating in a 32-point performance in Game 5. This doesn’t feel like their last chance at a title, they could be even stronger next season. All key players, except Looney (UFA), are signed for next season, where the team will have this whole playoff run behind them and a full campaign ahead to gel, instead of having to quickly find chemistry like this year. The Warriors are back. Off the bench?

Steph Curry gave his thoughts on the matchup against Jayson Tatum and Boston Celtics.

“[They] got some guys playing at a really high level, very well-rounded team, they got the size,” Curry said. “They’ve had a group together, gone through a lot in the last four, five years. “Obviously a great team, they’re in the Finals,” Curry said.

Former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coaches are finding a lot of success in the NBA as of late. It might be a tough pill to swallow for the Sixers ...

After making it out of the first round, the Sixers lost to the Boston Celtics in round two. While the Sixers considered Udoka to replace Brown, he was far-behind several candidates and eventually took an assistant job in Brooklyn before becoming the coach of the Celtics. Former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coaches are finding a lot of success in the NBA as of late.