Boston Celtics vs Golden State Warriors 6/5/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Live Stream

Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors Matchup Preview (6/5/22)

The Boston Celtics (1-0) face the Golden State Warriors (0-1) in Game 2 on Sunday night after stealing Game 1 on the road. They orchestrated a dominant comeback, as they won 120-108 after being down 87-72 with 2 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Al Horford scorched the Warriors from deep through his career-high 6 3PM. He finished with 26 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. Jaylen Brown had an all-around game for Boston; he produced 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Derrick White came off the bench and scored 21 points on 5/8 from three. His defense on the Warriors guards was stifling as well. It wasn’t Jayson Tatum’s night scoring-wise. He only had 12 points on a horrific 3/17 from the field; however, his 13 assists were crucial. Overall, the Celtics should feel elated that they won despite Tatum’s shooting struggles. Their role players stepped up and shined in the biggest moment, which is a great sign for their future in this series. 

The Warriors were cruising in the 3rd quarter, but Boston’s defense caught up to them in the 4th. They were outscored 40-16 and didn’t record a single point between 6:05 and 1:09. Stephen Curry had 34 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals on 7/14 from three, but he didn’t get much help. Wiggins was solid with 20 points, and Otto Porter Jr made 4 threes. However, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson were uncharacteristically ineffective. Jordan Poole was awful on both ends of the court, and the rookies are not ready to make an impact. Golden State should be concerned about their effectiveness here because Boston is the perfect antidote to their style. Fortunately, defensive ace Gary Payton II is ready to rejoin the lineup. His athleticism and on-ball defense will provide a huge boost against Boston’s perimeter threats.

Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors Betting Odds

The spread for Game 2 is -4 Warriors, but I like Boston to win here. Horford, Smart, and White combined to shoot 15/23 (65.2%) from three, so they are in for some serious regression. However, Tatum was 3/17 from the field, Curry was 7/14 from three, and Porter Jr was 4/5 from three. Tatum will assuredly have a better scoring night, and I don’t expect Curry and Porter Jr to shoot that efficiently in Game 2. It will balance each other out, and Boston’s defense remains a problem for the Warriors. 

According to ShotQuality, they held Golden State to an expected 92 points – one of their worst marks this season. Boston’s length and ability to switch 1-5 will haunt the Warriors all series. Their comeback was also not a fluke, as Boston led in shot quality for essentially the entire game.

While the Warriors took a double-digit lead in the third quarter, the Celtics controlled the quality of shots throughout the game.

They won the fourth quarter SQ score 28-20 pic.twitter.com/e8ZicU5fbG

— ShotQuality (@Shot_Quality) June 3, 2022

TV Schedule

Date: 6/5/22
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Arena: Chase Center – San Francisco, CA
Channel: ABC

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Boston Celtics Starting Lineup

PG: Marcus Smart
SG: Jaylen Brown
SF: Jayson Tatum
PF: Al Horford
C: Robert Williams III

Boston Celtics Analysis

Curry torched the Celtics for 21 points and 6 threes in the 1st quarter because they were playing drop defense. Robert Williams wasn’t flashing out to the perimeter, which allowed Curry – the deadliest shooter ever – space to launch. Once they adjusted, Curry’s impact was lessened, and they clawed back to a small lead at halftime. Boston learned their lesson, and luckily it didn’t cost them. Switching everything neutralized the off-ball movement, and they started pressuring every player with their length. Robert Williams also protected the paint with 4 blocks in 24 minutes. Every area was covered; Golden State couldn’t find an inch of space late in the game. 

Tatum struggled, but it was partly because Golden State constantly doubled and trapped him. His playmaking has radically improved, so he consistently found the open man on the perimeter. Boston attempted 38 open/wide open threes because of this doubling, and they made 19 of them. Jaylen Brown has also developed into an elite offensive weapon who the Warriors must guard. Entering the 4th down 12, Brown scored or assisted on their first 14 points to start the quarter. His driving contributed to the open threes, as Golden State had to shade inside to protect the rim. Overall, Boston is lethal because Tatum and Brown create open shots for their teammates just with their presence. If both of them get hot at the same time, the Warriors will be helpless considering the additional talent around that duo.  

Golden State Warriors Starting Lineup

PG: Stephen Curry
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Andrew Wiggins
PF: Draymond Green
C: Kevon Looney

Golden State Warriors Analysis

The Warriors spacing was dubious when two of Draymond, Looney, and Iguodala shared the court. Boston was completely sagging off of them and dared any of the trio to shoot from deep. It hurt Curry immensely because the threat of his drive was taken away with Williams and Horford patrolling the paint relentlessly. The problem for the Warriors is that they need Looney’s rebounding to keep Boston off of the glass. Otherwise, Williams and Horford would rack up second chance points. Playing Bjelica – who can space the floor at center – isn’t a great solution because he will be targeted on the defensive end. The Warriors absolutely need Draymond to hit his threes because it would force Boston to send resources away from the paint. He cannot go 2/12 from the field and 0/4 from three again. 

Jordan Poole shined this year as a spark off the bench who became the final piece in the new Death Lineup. However, he was careless with the ball, and Boston’s defense locked him down. Poole finished with 4 turnovers and went 2/7 from the field. Because he is such a liability on defense, Poole is a huge negative if his offense is putrid. He had a -19 plus-minus because Boston hunted him on the defensive end in addition to him not scoring. Golden State needs his shot creation off the dribble, but they arguably must always pair him with Draymond in order to somewhat lessen the blow from his defense.