{"id":32926,"date":"2022-06-02T00:56:09","date_gmt":"2022-06-02T00:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/will-warriors-or-celtics-emerge-as-champions\/"},"modified":"2022-06-02T00:56:09","modified_gmt":"2022-06-02T00:56:09","slug":"will-warriors-or-celtics-emerge-as-champions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/will-warriors-or-celtics-emerge-as-champions\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Warriors or Celtics emerge as champions?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em__fp gnt_em_vp__tp gnt_em__el\" aria-label=\"Video - NBA Finals predictions: What's the X-factor? Who's the MVP? Who's winning it all?\"\/>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">When the season began, the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics were given little chance by the NBA punditry to be playing for the NBA championship.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Tipico Sportsbook had the Warriors at +1000, far behind title favorite Brooklyn at +230.  The Celtics landed outside of the Top 10. But the Celtics and Warriors survived the brutal regular season and then the first three rounds of the playoffs. <\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Now the Warriors will play for their fourth NBA title in eight years.  The Celtics will be playing for their NBA-record 18th title.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">To help sort out the Finals, our team of NBA experts will make their predictions: Jeff Zillgitt, Cydney Henderson and Matt Eppers of USA TODAY Sports, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic, Berry Tramel of the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman, Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal, James Boyd of the Indianapolis Star, Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press, Joseph Mussatto of the Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman and Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong class=\"gnt_ar_b_al\">NBA FINALS:<\/strong>Warriors eye the Lakers as they try to create a long-running NBA dynasty<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong class=\"gnt_ar_b_al\">NBA FINALS:<\/strong>Top storylines to watch as Celtics and Warriors hunt for championship<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong class=\"gnt_ar_b_al\">SPORTS NEWSLETTER:<\/strong>Sign up now to get daily updates sent to your inbox<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\"><strong>Zillgitt: Warriors in six<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Experience, too many offensive options and a quality defense will be too much for the Celtics.  That doesn&#8217;t mean it will be easy for Golden State.  Boston plays quality defense, and Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole need to work their shots against Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.  And the Celtics&#8217; scorers, especially Brown and Tatum, will make it tough on Golden State&#8217;s second-rated defense.  The series could look ugly at times and scoring will be a premium, and the Warriors have more of that than Boston.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\"><strong>Henderson: Warriors in 7<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Boston Celtics are as battle tested as they come.  They swept the Brooklyn Nets and beat the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat in two decisive Game 7s, but they will come up short against the Golden State Warriors.  The Celtics&#8217; defense has propelled them to the Finals, even when their offense stalled, but that won&#8217;t be enough against the Warriors, who dominate on both sides of the ball.  Yes, the Celtics have the top-ranked defense in the league, but the Warriors finished the regular season with the No. 2 offense.  Boston has also faced opponents who have struggled to produce offense, but that won&#8217;t be the case with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole.  The Warriors will be too much to contain.  And the homecourt advantage will be crucial.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\"><strong>Eppers: Warriors in 6<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">I picked against the Warriors in the previous two rounds, but I&#8217;ve learned my lesson and wouldn&#8217;t be surprised if they wrap up the title in five games.  Golden State hasn&#8217;t seen a defense as strong as Boston in the playoffs, but the Celtics haven&#8217;t faced an offense as potent as the Warriors.  I trust the Warriors&#8217; secondary scorers around Steph Curry to be more reliable and consistent, no matter how much the Celtics want to drag the game down into the mud.  Boston&#8217;s scoring depth is shaky after Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Golden State has a pretty great defense of its own that can throw out a lot of different looks to slow opponents.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_cp\" aria-label=\"For USA TODAY subscribers\" data-c-cta=\"PREMIUM CONTENT\">\n<div class=\"gnt_em_cp_cw\"><img class=\"gnt_em_cp_cw_i\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/06\/01\/USAT\/2f4a85cd-16e8-4e22-a689-9f09e014e0e0-AP_Pelicans_Warriors_Basketball.JPG?ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/06\/01\/USAT\/2f4a85cd-16e8-4e22-a689-9f09e014e0e0-AP_Pelicans_Warriors_Basketball.JPG?crop=3092,2319,x24,y0&amp;width=516&amp;height=386&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\"><strong>Rankin: Warriors in 7 <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Boston&#8217;s top-ranked defense in the regular season has traveled in the playoffs.  The Celtics are second in defensive rating behind the Bucks.  Having gone through Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Miami and already played in two Game 7s to reach the finals, Boston is more battle tested than Golden State in this year&#8217;s postseason, but they&#8217;ve given away games, too.  One will be one too many against the Warriors.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\"><strong>Tramel: Warriors in 7 <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">This series will be determined by the officiating.  Will the referees allow the Celtics to play physical?  If so, Golden State could be in trouble.  Golden State&#8217;s Western Conference series against Dallas, Memphis and Denver were mostly benign.  The Warriors were able to flow through their offense.  Meanwhile, the East was hand-to-hand combat.  The Celtics series against Miami, Milwaukee and Brooklyn were bone-crushing.  The Heat-Celtics series was determined by which team had more players who could dribble through the Oklahoma (football) Drill.  If the officials call it tight, advantage Golden State.  The Warriors have more offensive fire.  But if the officials let things get rough, Golden State will be bloodied and bowed.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_fo__bet-best\" aria-label=\"Scores and odds from Tipico\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-type=\"comment\"><!--@pre<iframe class=gnt_em_fo_if src=\"\/tangfrag\/sports\/gaming\/bet-best?prm-embedded&prm-teamid=117&prm-gnteamid=404169&prm-league=NBA#fhp-assetid=7472888001\" loading=lazy sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-forms\" title=\"Scores and odds from Tipico\"><\/iframe>--><\/aside>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\"><strong>Ridenour: Warriors in 7<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">I&#8217;m a big believer in momentum, and the Celtics certainly have that in their favor.  But the brutal seven-game series against the Heat may have taken too much out of them, especially when it comes to the defensive challenges the Warriors present.  Can Al Horford continue to play like the ageless wonder he&#8217;s been at age 35?  Is the Celtics&#8217; bench deep enough?  The Warriors will have six days off between games.  They not only have their big three, but Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins are capable of taking some of the pressure off Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\"><strong>Boyd: Celtics in 7<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Warriors are led by the greatest shooter in league history, Stephen Curry, but it won&#8217;t be a cakewalk for him to claim his fourth title.  The Celtics have the No. 2-rated defense in the postseason, which has helped them knock off Kevin Durant and the Nets, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the defending champion Bucks and the Jimmy Butler-led Heat.  If Boston is able to play with the same level of defensive versatility and physicality, it should be able to steal a couple of ugly games and send this series to Game 7, where Jayson Tatum will establish himself as the NBA&#8217;s top dog.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\"><strong>Owczarski: Warriors in 6 <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">It&#8217;s easy to forget Golden State had the league&#8217;s second-best defensive rating in the regular season &#8211; trailing only Boston.  And while the Warriors&#8217; defense hasn&#8217;t been as good in the playoffs &#8211; whereas the Celtics have turned it up a notch &#8211; it just goes to show that the Warriors are a complete team.  Unlike Milwaukee (no Khris Middleton) and Miami (pick a malady), Stephen Curry and Co. are at full speed and simply, they&#8217;re going to make shots that the Bucks and Heat missed.  And, while the Celtics may indeed see some more spacing on offense, I don&#8217;t think they can win four times outscoring the Warriors.  This is going to be a good series, but unlike the Bucks and Heat, the Warriors will be able to close out the Celtics.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\"><strong>Sankofa: Warriors in 5<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Celtics have earned their spot in the Finals, knocking off the top-seeded Miami Heat, third-seeded Milwaukee Bucks (sans Khris Middleton) and seventh-seeded Brooklyn Nets.  They&#8217;ve been outstanding defensively, and Jayson Tatum has established himself as an elite No. 1 option.  However, I&#8217;ll never bet against Golden State.  The Warriors have superior depth and superior playoff experience.  They&#8217;ve been significantly better on the offensive end.  Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins are all capable of taking over games offensively, and the Warriors have been the best offensive team in the playoffs.  Boston might be able to make a couple of games close, but I don&#8217;t think this will be a competitive series.<\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"advertisement\" class=\"gnt_m gnt_x gnt_x__lbl gnt_x__al\"\/>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\"><strong>Mussatto: Celtics in 7 <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">I&#8217;ll go with the youth, size and strength of the Celtics to wear down the older Warriors.  Marcus Smart is as good of an option as any to defend Steph Curry, and Boston&#8217;s switch-heavy defense will muck things up just enough.  Jayson Tatum established himself as a two-way superstar this season, and his impressive campaign by him will end with a Finals MVP trophy. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\"><strong>Cole: Warriors in 6 <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Boston&#8217;s defense is prototypically built with long versatile defenders who can limit the effectiveness of Golden State&#8217;s offensive firepower.  While the Celtics have the No. 1 defense, the Warriors aren&#8217;t far behind with an elite unit of their own.  Boston&#8217;s defense will keep it in games, but Golden State&#8217;s shooting plus the potential return of elite wing defenders Gary Payton II and Andre Iguodala gives it the edge.  The Warriors have multiple defenders to throw at Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.  While Boston can do the same, the Warriors have four scorers &#8211; Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins &#8211; who can score 20 points on any night.  Golden State completes redemption and gets its fourth title in the past eight seasons. <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"gnt_em_gl_i\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/05\/28\/USAT\/e0fd5043-69f7-404f-b538-2fc988488b81-2022-05-27_NBA2.jpg?resize=660%2C372&#038;ssl=1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/05\/28\/USAT\/e0fd5043-69f7-404f-b538-2fc988488b81-2022-05-27_NBA2.jpg?crop=2838,1596,x868,y169&amp;width=1320&amp;height=744&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp 2x\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" width=\"660\" height=\"372\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When the season began, the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics were given little chance by the NBA punditry to be playing for the NBA championship. Tipico Sportsbook had the Warriors at +1000, far behind title favorite Brooklyn at +230. The Celtics landed outside of the Top 10. But the Celtics and Warriors survived &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/will-warriors-or-celtics-emerge-as-champions\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Will Warriors or Celtics emerge as champions?<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/06\/01\/USAT\/e5feb3be-9ea9-42ba-a458-ec171dd34535-USP_NBA__Boston_Celtics_at_Golden_State_Warriors_2.jpg?ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/06\/01\/USAT\/e5feb3be-9ea9-42ba-a458-ec171dd34535-USP_NBA__Boston_Celtics_at_Golden_State_Warriors_2.jpg?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32926"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32926"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32926\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}