Celtics

10 stats to know following Celtics-Warriors Game 4

Total points this series: Warriors 422, Celtics 421.

By Trevor Hass

June 11, 2022

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The Celtics squandered a prime opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 series lead, falling 107-97 to the Warriors at TD Garden on Friday thanks in large part to a 43-point explosion from Stephen Curry.

Boston led for much of the night but went shockingly cold in the fourth quarter as Curry and Co. stole one to even the series.

Here are 10 stats to know following a pivotal Game 4.

The Celtics let one slip away.

Boston led, 94-90, with 5:18 remaining following a huge Marcus Smart 3. The Celtics totaled just three points the rest of the way, as the Warriors outscored them 17-3 to close the game. Curry outscored them 10-3 himself.

The 3-point shooting flipped in the second half.

Curry’s brilliance was the main reason for the turnaround after Boston built a 54-49 halftime lead, but the Celtics didn’t do themselves any favors either. Shot selection was a major issue the rest of the way, particularly from beyond the arc.

Boston shot 8-of-14 (57 percent) from distance in the first half and 7-of-24 (29 percent) in the second half. The Warriors shot 7-of-24 in the first half and 8-of-19 (42 percent) in the second half.

The series has been remarkably even overall.

For the series, the Warriors are outscoring the Celtics 422-421. Though no games have been decided by single digits, it’s been incredibly tight big picture.

Golden State hasn’t been deterred by slow starts.

The Warriors have now scored fewer than 50 points in the first half five times in the playoffs and have won four of those games.

Curry outscored the rest of the Warriors starters.

He finished with 43, and Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Otto Porter, and Draymond Green combined for 39. Curry is the oldest player to outscore the rest of his teammates in a Finals game since Michael Jordan in Game 6 in 1998.

He joins elite company in many other ways.

Curry is now the fourth player to ever record 43 points and 10 rebounds in a Finals road game, joining Kevin Durant, Elgin Baylor, and John Havlicek.

Jaylen Brown continued his recent tear.

Brown, who finished with 21 points and six rebounds Friday, is averaging 22.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in the Finals. He’s only turned it over two times in each of the last three games and has been arguably the Celtics’ most consistent player throughout the series.

Wiggins was everywhere on the glass.

Wiggins finished with 17 points and a game-high 16 rebounds — setting his career high on the boards at a perfect moment. He became the first Warriors player to achieve that stat line in a Finals game since Nate Thurmond in 1967.

This postseason, he’s averaging 7.3 boards per game, well up from his regular season average of 4.5 and career average of 4.4. The Celtics out-rebounded the Warriors, 47-31, in Game 3, including 15-6 on the offensive glass.

In Game 4, Wiggins helped Golden State impose its will and seize momentum in that category — 55-42 overall and 16-11 on the offensive glass.

Draymond Green is struggling offensively.

Green is averaging just 4.3 points while shooting 30 percent from the floor in the Finals. Warriors coach Steve Kerr opted to bench him for part of the fourth quarter, and it will be interesting to monitor how that plays out going forward.

The Celtics haven’t lost back-to-back games in the playoffs.

Boston has been up, down, even, and dealt with just about every situation in the playoffs, and the Celtics still haven’t lost back-to-back games. Monday’s matchup, on the road against a team that plays basketball like a school of piranhas, will be perhaps the toughest challenge yet.