History has a funny way of smoothing out the edges. If you look at the record books now, it says the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics in six games to win the 2022 NBA title. It looks like a classic dynasty reasserting its dominance.
But honestly? That series was a mess of high-stress momentum swings that almost went the other way.
If you were watching in real-time, there was a point in Game 3 where the Celtics looked like they were simply too big, too athletic, and too young for the aging Warriors. Boston had a 2-1 lead. They had the home crowd in TD Garden screaming until their lungs gave out. The "stat nerds," as Draymond Green affectionately calls them, had the Celtics at over an 80% chance to win the whole thing.
Then Stephen Curry decided to remind everyone why he’s a top-ten player of all time.
The Celtics vs Warriors finals wasn't just a matchup; it was a clash of eras. You had the battle-tested Golden State trio of Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond seeking a fourth ring to validate their "second act." On the other side, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were the young lions trying to kick the door down.
Why the Celtics vs Warriors Finals Was Won in Game 4
Most people point to the Game 6 clincher as the big moment. They’re wrong. The entire series turned on a single Friday night in Boston: June 10, 2022.
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The Warriors were down 2-1. If they lost Game 4, they were going down 3-1, a hole almost nobody climbs out of in the Finals (unless you're LeBron James in 2016). Curry had a bum foot. He had been stepped on in Game 3 and was clearly hurting.
What followed was a 43-point masterpiece.
He didn't just score; he demoralized the best defense in the league. The Celtics had spent the entire season switching everything and suffocating opponents. Marcus Smart was the Defensive Player of the Year. Robert Williams III was a human eraser at the rim. It didn't matter. Curry hit seven threes and grabbed 10 rebounds. He looked at the Boston crowd and basically told them to go home.
That 107-97 win for Golden State didn't just tie the series. It broke the Celtics’ spirit.
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Boston’s offense, which had been so fluid early on, started to look like a car with a transmission problem. They couldn't stop turning the ball over. Jayson Tatum, who had been brilliant all playoffs, struggled to finish at the rim against the length of Andrew Wiggins.
The Unsung Hero Nobody Mentions
If Curry was the engine, Andrew Wiggins was the chassis.
We talk about the stars, but Wiggins' performance in the Celtics vs Warriors finals changed his entire career narrative. He went from being labeled a "bust" or an "empty calories" scorer in Minnesota to being the ultimate winning player.
Wiggins averaged 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds, but his real value was on the other end. He guarded Tatum for nearly the entire series. He made every catch difficult. He forced the young superstar into 100 turnovers throughout the entire postseason—an NBA record no one wants.
In Game 5, when Curry actually had an off night (he went 0-for-9 from three), Wiggins stepped up with 26 points and 13 rebounds. It was the "Two-Way Wiggs" show. Without that specific contribution, the Warriors don't win that game, and we’re looking at a very different Game 6.
The Numbers That Actually Mattered
- 21-0: The back-breaking scoring run the Warriors went on in Game 6. It’s the longest run in modern Finals history.
- 100: Total turnovers by Jayson Tatum in the 2022 playoffs.
- 31.2: Stephen Curry’s scoring average, which finally earned him that elusive unanimous Finals MVP.
- 42.9%: The Celtics' field goal percentage for the series. Golden State's defense was actually better than Boston's when it counted.
The "Experience Gap" Was Real
Ime Udoka, the Celtics coach at the time, kept talking about poise. Boston had it in spurts. They outscored the Warriors 40-16 in the fourth quarter of Game 1 to steal a win on the road. It was stunning.
But as the series wore on, the mental fatigue of the Celtics’ path to the Finals showed. They had gone through grueling seven-game series against the Bucks and the Heat. They were gassed.
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The Warriors, meanwhile, had a much smoother path through the West. They knew how to manage the "Finals circus." Draymond Green was terrible for the first four games—honestly, he was a liability at times—but he stayed vocal. He stayed in the Celtics’ heads. By Game 6, he was back to his peak self, puting up 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists.
The Celtics were playing basketball; the Warriors were playing a psychological game.
What This Series Taught Us for the Future
Looking back at the Celtics vs Warriors finals, the biggest takeaway is that championship DNA isn't just a cliché. It’s about knowing how to react when a team like Boston hits you with a 15-2 run in your own building.
Boston learned from this. They went back, refined their roster, and eventually got their own ring in 2024. They realized that having two elite scorers isn't enough; you need playmaking and a bench that doesn't shrink.
For the Warriors, it was the "last dance" of sorts for that specific core. It proved that Steph Curry didn't need Kevin Durant to win a Finals MVP, a talking point that had followed him for years.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans and Analysts
- Watch the non-ball handler: If you ever re-watch these games, don't just look at the guy with the ball. Watch how the Warriors used Kevon Looney to seal off defenders. His "hidden" work on the glass (5.0 offensive rebounds per game in several stretches) gave Golden State the extra possessions they needed.
- Contextualize the "Tatum Struggle": Don't just call Jayson Tatum a "choker." Look at the defensive scheme Steve Kerr employed. They showed him "crowded" driving lanes every time he touched the ball, forcing him to become a passer before he was ready for that level of responsibility.
- Appreciate the 2022 Warriors Defense: Everyone talks about the "Splash Brothers," but that team won because they were the #2 ranked defense in the league. They won with grit, not just three-pointers.
The 2022 Finals proved that in the NBA, talent gets you to the dance, but composure wins the trophy. The Celtics had the talent. The Warriors had the composure.
In the end, that was the only difference that mattered.