The 2022 NBA Finals are set after the Boston Celtics took care of business and eliminated the Miami Heat from the Eastern Conference Finals and now are ready to face the last obstacle between them and the Larry O’Brien trophy: the Golden State Warriors.
It’s been a while since these two teams last clashed in the Finals, even though we were close to seeing them going at it in recent seasons. The C’s have shown that they are ready to compete for the title. The season didn’t start the best way for them, and many people had doubts about Ime Udoka, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Well, they were wrong, and now the Celtics are ready to fight to win their 18th NBA title.
It won’t be an easy job though, as the Warriors are inspired, have their Big 3 ready to go, young players who will show up in the series, and have received exciting news regarding their injured players.
The Celtics know they’ll have to fight hard to beat the Dubs, but they’re not backing down. After Game 7 of the ECF, Marcus Smart talked about this new challenge, making it clear that the Celtics are ready for anything:
"We're up for the challenge."
Marcus Smart on the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV and facing the Warriors. pic.twitter.com/HjxhiNaJHo
— NBA (@NBA) May 30, 2022
“No matter what adversity is put in front of us. No obstacle, no loop. We’re gonna get through it. We’re gonna get over it. We’re gonna get around it,” Smart said post game. “This is how we live our lives on the court. We really truly believe that.”
“We know we’re going up against a great team with the Warriors. Great players, great organization. They have a track record to prove it. They know exactly what it takes. They’ve been here. There they’re vets. We know we got a long road in front of us, but we’re up for the challenge.”
This is the first time the Celtics will play in the Finals since 2010 when Kobe Bryant and co. beat them in seven games. The differences between the teams are huge, especially regarding Finals experience. The Dubs have been in this stage six times in the last eight years, while the Celtics just finally made it. Smart and Stephen Curry have some personal issues after the former injured the Chef before the playoffs, so you know there will be more to this story than simply what we see on the court.
The Finals start next Thursday at Chase Center, with both the Warriors and Celtics trying to win Game 1 and not lose that advantage for the rest of the series.
