SAN FRANCISCO — After one more ugly third quarter in a playoffs stuffed with them for the Boston Celtics, it seemed to all of the world just like the Golden State Warriors have been on their strategy to claiming Sport 1 of the NBA Finals at Chase Middle on Thursday night time.

However then the fourth quarter began. And, after an avalanche of Celtics 3-pointers, this recreation — and collection — was utterly turned on its head.

Boston hit its first seven 3-pointers to open the fourth and outscored Golden State 40-16 to stun the Warriors 120-108. In doing so, Boston grew to become the primary workforce in NBA Finals historical past to win by double-digits after getting into the fourth quarter trailing by double-digits, per ESPN Stats & Info analysis.

“Being resilient has been the phrase for this 12 months,” Payton Pritchard mentioned. “I feel it confirmed tonight.”

It actually did within the second half. Boston has struggled the complete playoffs within the third quarter, and did once more in Sport 1, because it went up towards a Warriors workforce that has traditionally dominated popping out of the halftime break.

The Celtics have been outscored 38-24 within the third. They dedicated 5 turnovers. They let Golden State get going from 3-point vary. And Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown mixed to shoot 2-for-10 from the sector.

At that time, Chase Middle — internet hosting its first ever NBA Finals recreation — was rocking. The celebration was seemingly on. However, inside Boston’s huddle, the sensation was totally different.

“The message firstly of the fourth was, ‘We have been right here earlier than,’” Tatum mentioned. “We all know what it takes to beat a deficit like that.

“Clearly that is a terrific workforce. It isn’t going to be simple. However simply realizing we have been in that scenario earlier than and we have gotten our self out of it. We had plenty of time left, proper? It wasn’t time to hold your head or be completed, it was time to determine it out.”

The Celtics proceeded to do exactly that. It helps, after all, when a workforce comes out and buries its first seven 3-pointers, as Boston did. However it went past that. The Celtics completed the fourth quarter 9-for-12 from 3-point vary.

Golden State, however, shot solely 7-for-17 from the sector. The Celtics stopped turning the ball over, placing up an absurd 12-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio within the fourth. Boston’s plus-24 scoring margin within the fourth quarter was the perfect in an NBA Finals recreation.

And the Celtics acquired contributions from up and down the roster, together with Celtics coach Ime Udoka leaving the reigning Defensive Participant of the 12 months Marcus Sensible on the bench for a lot of the fourth quarter, opting as an alternative to journey Pritchard for the most important moments of Boston’s season so far.

“We pleasure ourselves on everyone having the ability to contribute on each ends,” Udoka mentioned. “That is rewarding, particularly on an evening when your greatest man has an off night time, others step up.”

Derrick White continued his sensible play because the delivery of his little one early within the Japanese Convention finals, scoring 21 factors off the bench and hitting 5 3-pointers.

Al Horford, enjoying in his first NBA Finals recreation after beforehand being the report holder for playoff video games performed and not using a Finals look, had 26 factors, six rebounds and three assists, together with hitting all 4 pictures he took within the fourth quarter — and set his profession excessive with six 3-pointers.

Even with Tatum struggling, going 3-for-17 from the sector, he nonetheless completed with 13 assists to only two turnovers, and was plus-27 within the fourth quarter with out scoring a single level. He completed with 4 assists and no turnovers whereas lacking all three pictures he took within the quarter.

“Ecstatic,” Tatum mentioned with a smile, when requested how he felt in regards to the recreation. “Forty factors within the fourth quarter … guys made large pictures, well timed pictures as nicely. And we received.

“I had a nasty capturing night time. I simply tried to impression the sport in different methods. We’re within the championship. We’re within the Finals. All I used to be nervous about was making an attempt to get a win, and we did. That is all that issues at this level.

“So I do not count on to shoot that dangerous once more. But when it means we hold profitable, I am going to take it.”

That was the message throughout the board from the Celtics: That they managed to steal Sport 1 whereas nonetheless not enjoying their greatest. Sure, they hit pictures, going 21-for-41 from 3-point vary. However that they had that sloppy third quarter and in addition acquired off to a sluggish begin to start the sport, when a roster that did not function a single participant with NBA Finals expertise seemed prefer it at occasions within the first quarter.

“Simply proceed to play. That was our message all through the entire recreation,” Horford mentioned. “They’re such workforce. And for us, it was simply, you recognize, proceed to play it doesn’t matter what.

“And our guys, that is what we did. It wasn’t our greatest recreation, however we continued to struggle and discover alternative ways to get this win.”

In some ways, this recreation was a microcosm of Boston’s roller-coaster season. The Celtics have been underneath .500 in late January, earlier than tearing via the NBA over the ultimate 35 video games of the common season, posting the perfect offensive and defensive scores within the league over that stretch.

Boston then endured two troublesome seven-game collection towards the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Warmth to get right here, together with profitable elimination video games on the street towards each groups. They now have turn into the primary workforce to beat the Warriors at Chase Middle in a playoff recreation.

Now, after getting into the NBA Finals having performed 12 video games in 23 days throughout the Japanese Convention semifinals and finals, Boston will now get one other three days relaxation and put together to play right here once more in Sport 2 Sunday night time, when the Celtics can have a chance to place a stranglehold on this collection with one other victory.

“It simply says what we have been doing all 12 months,” Sensible mentioned. “We have been counted out all 12 months. Rightfully so. We have had moments. However we proceed to struggle. That is who we’re.

“I feel during the last couple months, that is our identification. I feel it caught with us for a purpose.”

And, because of this, the Celtics are three wins away from an NBA title.