SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors had just tacked on a blistering 38 points in the third frame of Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics on Thursday evening.
For a Celtics squad that prides itself on the defensive end, it was a punch to the gut. The Warriors were up a comfortable 12. The crowd was deafening inside Chase Center, with two fans strolling through the 126-section concourse shouting, “We’re about to be up 2-0 after Sunday.”
Sensing the contest slipping away, and before the fourth quarter commenced, an impassioned Celtics head coach Ime Udoka took his seat, looked his team in the eyes and issued a fiery challenge that consisted of a descriptor that not many first-year head coaches could vocalize.