SAN FRANCISCO -- Like two heavyweights feeling each other out in the opening round of a championship bout, the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics opened the 2022 NBA Finals, with the Celtics striking the first blow with a 120-108 comeback victory.
The Celtics won Game 1 with a scintillating 17-0 run in the fourth quarter, the second-largest spurt in the closing frame of a Finals game over the past 50 seasons.
Like many NBA Finals Game 1s, Thursday night's contest began as less of a display of surprise tactics than two elite teams throwing their best stuff at their opponent and observing what it can and can't handle.