Trent Reinsmith
- Date & Location: Friday, June 10, at TD Garden in Boston, MA
- Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ABC
The 2022 NBA Championship Finals began on Thursday, June 2. The series features the Golden State Warriors from the Western Conference. As for the Eastern Conference, that is represented by the Boston Celtics. The Warriors and Celtics last faced off in the NBA Finals at the end of the 1963-64 season. The Celtics won that series. It was their sixth straight NBA championship title.
Boston earned their way to the 2022 NBA Finals with a four-game sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in the opening round of the playoffs. The team then bested the defending NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks in seven games before topping the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat, in seven games during the Eastern Conference Finals.
Golden State made their way to the 2022 NBA Championship Finals series with wins over the Denver Nuggets (4-1), the Memphis Grizzlies (4-2), and the Dallas Mavericks (4-1).
This year marks the Warriors’ first trip to the Finals since they lost to the Toronto Raptors in 2019. The Celtics ended a drought of 12 years. The last time Boston made it to the Finals was 2010, when they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Celtics are ahead 2-1 in the series. Boston won the opening game 120-108. The Warriors evened the series in Game 2 with a 107-88 win. The Celtics pulled ahead by winning Game 3 at home 116-100. Game 4 takes place tonight in Boston.
Before we look at 2022 NBA Finals Picks, odds and predictions, check out our guide for betting on the 2022 NBA Playoffs and our tips for betting on the NBA.
2022 NBA Finals Game 4 picks
| To Win NBA Championship Finals Game 4 |  |  |  |  |  |
| Golden State Warriors | +145 | +145 | +145 | +145 | +145 |
| Boston Celtics | -165 | -170 | -170 | -170 | -170 |
Golden State Warriors breakdown and analysis
Klay Thompson broke out for the Golden State Warriors. Thompson, who had 11 points in Game 1 and 15 in Game 2, put up 25 points in Game 3. The last time he had back-to-back games of more than 20 points was in the first round of the 2022 postseason when he put up 21, 26 and 32 in Games 2-4 against the Denver Nuggets. The Celtics are likely going to play Thompson more defensively in Game 4. His performance will go a long way toward determining the outcome of the game.
As for Steph Curry, he has played well for the Warriors in this series. He put up 31 points in Game 3 after scoring 29 in Game 2 and 34 in the opening game of the 2022 Finals. However, Curry only had two points in the fourth quarter of Game 3 after he scored 15 in the third. Overall, the Warriors scored 11 points in the fourth stanza. That’s not going to cut it going forward.
Outside of Thompson and Curry, Andrew Wiggins (18) and Jordan Poole (10), were the only players to hit double digits in points in Game 3.
Boston Celtics breakdown and analysis
Draymond Green influenced Game 2 in a big way. The Warriors’ top defensive player did not have an influence on Game 3 because the Celtics realized that they were the bigger team, and if Green wanted to be a physical force on the court, they could meet — and exceed — what Green gave them in Game 2. The physical effort from the Celtics was something they had not used in the 2022 postseason. Knowing they can use their size against the smaller Golden State team gives Boston an enormous edge heading into Game 4.
Four of the five Boston starters hit double digits in points, with Jaylen Brown (27), Jayson Tatum (26), and Marcus Smart (24) all hitting for at least 20. The only starter who didn’t get double digits in points was Robert Williams III, who had eight points but contributed 10 rebounds, three steals, and four blocks in 26 minutes of play.
Our pick
The Celtics’ home fans inspired the team on Wednesday, and those fans got the attention of the Warriors. Expect them to be even more vocal in Game 4. I think Boston got a huge boost from the way they played in Game 3, and that win will lead them to a win tonight.
Pick: Boston Celtics to win Game 4 of the 2022 NBA Championship Finals.
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