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SAN FRANCISCO — Not long after Golden State Warriors‘ fourth-quarter meltdown to drop a rare Game 1 in the coach Steve Kerr era, a relaxed Draymond Green began setting the tone for the team entering Game 2.

“It’s fine,” Green said after the Boston Celtics stunned the Warriors, 120-108. “You get a chance to do something else, do it in a different way, embrace the challenge. We’ve always embraced challenges. It’s no different. We’ll embrace this one. So no, it’s not a hit to the confidence at all not one bit.

“… It’s just nothing to panic about.”

For only the third time in the Kerr era, the Warriors lost a series opener. They were 21-2 in Game 1s entering Thursday night. And the Warriors were on track to win another Game 1 when they went up 87-72 with 2:10 remaining in the third quarter.

But then they were blindsided by a 48-18 run by the Celtics, who drilled nine 3-pointers and scored 40 points in the fourth quarter.

“Obviously everybody is down,” Kerr said. “You want to go out and win the first one. We had every opportunity, 12-point lead going into the fourth. Guys are bummed, as you would expect. But it’s a seven-game series for a reason. I think you give Boston credit. They came in and earned the win. Played a great fourth quarter. We’ll come in, watch the film and see where we can get better, and you know, it’s one game.”

This is the first time this season these Warriors have fallen behind 1-0 in a series. In fact, it was their first home loss this postseason, dropping them to 9-1 at Chase Center during this run.

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The Warriors have been in this position twice before. They lost Game 1 during the 2016 Western Conference Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder. And they lost Game 1 of the 2019 NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors. In both cases, the Warriors won Game 2. They came back from down 3-1 to beat the Thunder but lost in six games to the Raptors in their previous Finals appearance.

And they also know they’ve won at least one road playoff game in an NBA-record 26 straight playoff series. Game 2 is at Chase Center on Sunday.

“I remember just putting [those Game 1 losses] past us,” said Klay Thompson, who shot 6-for-14 and scored 15 points. “There’s no reason to hold onto a loss when you have another game so soon. I remember watching film and realizing, there’s many things we can do better, and applying those strategies.

“So it’s pretty simple. And I just know we’ll be better Game 2. I’ll be better.”

The last time the Warriors rebounded from a shocking loss was when they eliminated the Memphis Grizzlies in Game 6 after losing Game 5 by 39 points.

But even then, they led 3-2 in the series. Now, they find themselves down 1-0 in just about a must-win situation at home on Sunday to avoid an 2-0 hole heading to Boston.

“It’s not ideal,” said Stephen Curry, who scored 21 points in the first quarter before finishing with 34 points. “But I believe in who we are and how we deal with adversity, how we responded all year, how we’ve responded in the playoffs after a loss. So learn a lot from that fourth quarter.”

The Warriors have two days to make their adjustments.

“We know they are a good team,” Curry said. “So are we. We have to respond on Sunday.”

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SAN FRANCISCO — After yet another ugly third quarter in a playoffs full of them for the Boston Celtics, it looked to all the world like the Golden State Warriors were on their way to claiming Game 1 of the NBA Finals at Chase Center on Thursday night.

But then the fourth quarter started. And, after an avalanche of Celtics 3-pointers, this game — and series — was completely turned on its head.

Boston hit its first seven 3-pointers to open the fourth and outscored Golden State 40-16 to stun the Warriors 120-108. In doing so, Boston became the first team in NBA Finals history to win by double-digits after entering the fourth quarter trailing by double-digits, per ESPN Stats & Information research.

“Being resilient has been the word for this year,” Payton Pritchard said. “I think it showed tonight.”

It certainly did in the second half. Boston has struggled the entire playoffs in the third quarter, and did again in Game 1, as it went up against a Warriors team that has historically dominated coming out of the halftime break.

The Celtics were outscored 38-24 in the third. They committed five turnovers. They let Golden State get going from 3-point range. And Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined to shoot 2-for-10 from the field.

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At that point, Chase Center — hosting its first ever NBA Finals game — was rocking. The celebration was seemingly on. But, inside Boston’s huddle, the feeling was different.

“The message at the start of the fourth was, ‘We’ve been here before,'” Tatum said. “We know what it takes to overcome a deficit like that.

“Obviously that’s a great team. It’s not going to be easy. But just knowing we’ve been in that situation before and we’ve gotten our self out of it. We had a lot of time left, right? It wasn’t time to hang your head or be done, it was time to figure it out.”

The Celtics proceeded to do just that. It helps, of course, when a team comes out and buries its first seven 3-pointers, as Boston did. But it went beyond that. The Celtics finished the fourth quarter 9-for-12 from 3-point range.

Golden State, on the other hand, shot only 7-for-17 from the field. The Celtics stopped turning the ball over, putting up an absurd 12-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in the fourth. Boston’s plus-24 scoring margin in the fourth quarter was the best in an NBA Finals game.

And the Celtics got contributions from up and down the roster, including Celtics coach Ime Udoka leaving the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart on the bench for most of the fourth quarter, opting instead to ride Pritchard for the biggest moments of Boston’s season thus far.

“We pride ourselves on everybody being able to contribute on both ends,” Udoka said. “That’s rewarding, especially on a night when your best guy has an off night, others step up.”

Derrick White continued his brilliant play since the birth of his child early in the Eastern Conference finals, scoring 21 points off the bench and hitting five 3-pointers.

Al Horford, playing in his first NBA Finals game after previously being the record holder for playoff games played without a Finals appearance, had 26 points, six rebounds and three assists, including hitting all four shots he took in the fourth quarter — and set his career high with six 3-pointers.

“It wasn’t our best game, but we continued to fight and find different ways to get this win,” said the Celtics’ Al Horford after the victory over the Warriors. Jed Jacobsohn-Pool/Getty Images

Even with Tatum struggling, going 3-for-17 from the field, he still finished with 13 assists to just two turnovers, and was plus-27 in the fourth quarter without scoring a single point. He finished with four assists and no turnovers while missing all three shots he took in the quarter.

“Ecstatic,” Tatum said with a smile, when asked how he felt about the game. “Forty points in the fourth quarter … guys made big shots, timely shots as well. And we won.

“I had a bad shooting night. I just tried to impact the game in other ways. We’re in the championship. We’re in the Finals. All I was worried about was trying to get a win, and we did. That’s all that matters at this point.

“So I don’t expect to shoot that bad again. But if it means we keep winning, I’ll take it.”

That was the message across the board from the Celtics: That they managed to steal Game 1 while still not playing their best. Yes, they hit shots, going 21-for-41 from 3-point range. But they had that sloppy third quarter and also got off to a slow start to begin the game, when a roster that didn’t feature a single player with NBA Finals experience looked like it at times in the first quarter.

“Just continue to play. That was our message throughout the whole game,” Horford said. “They’re such a good team. And for us, it was just, you know, continue to play no matter what.

“And our guys, that’s what we did. It wasn’t our best game, but we continued to fight and find different ways to get this win.”

In many ways, this game was a microcosm of Boston’s roller-coaster season. The Celtics were under .500 in late January, before tearing through the NBA over the final 35 games of the regular season, posting the best offensive and defensive ratings in the league over that stretch.

Boston then endured two difficult seven-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat to get here, including winning elimination games on the road against both teams. They now have become the first team to beat the Warriors at Chase Center in a playoff game.

Now, after entering the NBA Finals having played 12 games in 23 days across the Eastern Conference semifinals and finals, Boston will now get another three days rest and prepare to play here again in Game 2 Sunday night, when the Celtics will have an opportunity to put a stranglehold on this series with another victory.

“It just says what we’ve been doing all year,” Smart said. “We’ve been counted out all year. Rightfully so. We’ve had moments. But we continue to fight. That’s who we are.

“I think over the last couple months, that’s our identity. I think it stuck with us for a reason.”

And, as a result, the Celtics are three wins away from an NBA title.

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After a wildly entertaining NBA season, we have finally arrived at the NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors hope to capture their fourth championship since 2015, while the Boston Celtics look to secure their first title since 2008.

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Prior to Game 1, this Celtics squad was new to the Finals, as no one on the Boston roster had played in an NBA Championship game. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Golden State’s 123 games of Finals experience to Boston’s zero games was the largest gap since the Chicago Bulls (134) vs. the Utah Jazz (0) in 1997.

Read More: Why Celtics-Warriors could be an epic series

But Boston’s inexperience on the NBA’s biggest stage proved to be a moot point.

For most of the contest, Golden State appeared to be in complete control as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson recorded historic milestones, but the final 12 minutes were a different story.

After trailing by 12 points to start the fourth quarter, Boston went on a run largely driven by Derrick White and Al Horford to take the lead.

In his first ever Finals appearance, Horford led the team with 26 points while Jaylen Brown and White added point totals of 24 and 21, respectively.

With the 120-108 win, Boston became the first team in NBA Finals history to win a game by double digits after trailing by double digits entering the final frame.

The Celtics outscored the Warriors 40-16 in the fourth quarter and ended the game on a 20-5 run that caught the attention of several stars, including longtime New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman, Kevin Durant and Alex Caruso.

Klay makes history

It’s a sign of how dangerous the Warriors are from beyond the arc that Klay Thompson passed LeBron James for second on the all-time playoff 3-pointer list in the second quarter … and No. 1 is his teammate Steph Curry.

Jay-Z takes in the action

Musician, Roc Nation Sports founder and noted Brooklyn Nets fan Jay-Z pulled up to the Chase Center for Game 1.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

After the game, he congratulated Jayson Tatum on the comeback victory.

Chef Curry cooks

Stephen Curry kicked off the series’ strong start in the first quarter. His six 3-pointers in the first frame are a Finals record for the most in a quarter.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson couldn’t help but marvel at Curry’s impressive feat.

Ja Morant was also among the stars to note his hot start.

Spike’s in the house

Famed director Spike Lee can usually be spotted courtside at New York Knicks games, but tonight he’s at the Chase Center for Game 1.

Eye-catching outfits

Before the game tipped off, the fashion choices by a few players certainly turned some heads. Take Jayson Tatum for example, as he rocked a multi-patterned suit jacket on the pregame runway. His teammate Jaylen Brown donned a leather coat with some graphic jeans.

Food and drinks

The Warriors went all-out for refreshments at the Chase Center for Game 1. Fans could get chicken waffle cones, souvenir cups for beer or other drinks, Moet & Chandon champagne, black sturgeon caviar and a stone-fruit old fashioned cocktail. There were oyster bars and popcorn bars in some boxes.

Warriors/Chase CenterWarriors/Chase CenterWarriors/Chase Center

Setting the scene

Both squads chose to roll with gold in the series opener.

Boston used the color in complementary fashion by adding a Finals emblem on its jerseys. Meanwhile, Golden State stayed true to its “Gold Blooded” postseason theme with T-shirts.

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SAN FRANCISCO — Commissioner Adam Silver said the NBA is considering switching the voting process for All-NBA selections each season from the current position-based system to one where voters select the 15 best players regardless of position. Silver said it is something he plans to address with the National Basketball Players Association.

“In terms of determinations for All-NBA, I think a fair amount of consideration is going into whether [the media] should just be picking top players than be picking by position,” Silver said at a news conference ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals. “I think we are a league that has moved increasingly toward position-less basketball, and the current system may result in some inequities based on the happenstance of what your position is.

“So that is something we’re looking at. It’s something that we will discuss with the Players Association because it has an impact on incentives and players contracts, and it has, you know, deep meaning for their legacy as well. So we will look at those things.”

The topic of whether the ballot should continue to be determined by positions has picked up steam over the past two years, as two centers — Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers — finished 1-2 in the league’s voting for its Most Valuable Player award.

But because of the current system, only one of them has the ability to be a first team All-NBA player, while the other — in this case, Embiid both last season and this one — would have to be a second-team selection.

Silver also said there will be more discussions about whether contract bonuses will be tied to media awards voting, but also added that both sides have agreed that it is the best of a series of imperfect options.

“In terms of the ultimate selection process and, to your point that in some cases can have a direct financial impact on a player’s contract, right now we agreed with the Players Association to use those designations to trigger certain bonuses in players’ contracts, frankly because we couldn’t come up with a better way that would feel objective to everyone involved,” Silver said.

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Throughout his roughly 30-minute session with reporters, Silver touched on a number of topics:

o Both the NBA and NBPA have the ability to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement in December ahead of it expiring next summer. It was a similar situation the last time the deal was up in 2017, with both sides agreeing to a new deal in December 2016 before the opt-out date arrived.

Silver said it was his hope a similar blueprint would be followed this time around, but said it was a bit too early to say that would be the case, given in part his still getting to know the newly appointed executive director of the NBPA, Tamika Tremaglio.

“I think we all know that for any negotiation, seemingly collective bargaining in particular, deadlines are really helpful to get people to push their best offers across the table,” Silver said.

Silver also added that all of the discussions both sides have had over the past two-and-a-half years over everything that’s gone on because of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to them talking more than ever before, which helped increase his belief of a deal being agreed to amicably once again.

o Silver said the idea of a midseason tournament remains on the table, though is not yet finalized, as more discussions with the NBPA are required. In addition, when asked about players dealing with wear-and-tear on their bodies over the course of an 82-game season Silver said he’d potentially be open to discussions of shortening the season — but only if it could be proven to help mitigate injuries.

“As I have said before, what we don’t see is increased numbers of injuries as the season goes on. It’s not as if because of fatigue over the course of a season, you see more injuries,” Silver said. “We do see a connection between actual fatigue, for example, from back-to-backs or three in a row. We think that potentially can lead to more injuries.”

o As he has in the past, Silver shot down the idea of expansion happening in the near-term, though he did again reiterate it is something that the league is going to do again at some point. He went on to say one potential issue is the dilution of talent as a result of expansion.

“Even sort of adding another 30 players or so that are roughly comparable, there still are only so many of the truly top-tier super talents to go around,” Silver said. “That is something on the mind of the other teams as we think about expansion.”

o Silver said the NBA has lost “hundreds of millions” because of its strained relationship with China, and said that is an acceptable cost of doing business when it comes to protecting free speech of the league’s players, coaches and workers.

“We accept that, and I said that at the time when we said we stand behind our players and team executives, their right to free expression, whether about issues in the United States or issues any place in the world, if those are the consequences, that’s what I mean that our values travel with us,” Silver said. “Others, as you know, since then have spoken out about their views around China and other places in the world, and if the consequences are that we’re taken off the air or we lose money, we accept that.”

Silver also said he continues to believe engaging with China is not inconsistent with the league’s values in light of alleged human-rights violations taking place within the country.

o When asked about women being far away from being a head coach, Silver said it remains a work in progress. He said Becky Hammon’s move to the WNBA as coach of the Las Vegas Aces shouldn’t be seen as a negative thing.

“But I’ve said it before, and I should have said earlier, there is no reason that women shouldn’t be head coaches and more of them shouldn’t be assistant coaches in the NBA,” Silver said. “There’s no reason why there shouldn’t be more women officials. We have made progress in both those areas around the league now. There are a lot more female assistants at our teams, but we do have to break through that glass ceiling.”

Silver also said the NBA increasing its number of black coaches to 15 with the hiring of Darvin Ham by the Los Angeles Lakers last month is a product of the league continuing to emphasize the need for diversity.

o When asked whether a positive test for COVID-19 next year would mean a player would be unable to play, Silver said that recommendation would come from medical personnel, and that it was too early to say, adding that the NBA is only a small part of the world in terms of learning how to live with the virus moving forward.

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After a wildly entertaining NBA season, we have finally arrived at the NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors hope to capture their fourth championship since 2015, while the Boston Celtics look to secure their first title since 2008.

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Prior to Game 1, this Celtics squad was new to the Finals, as no one on the Boston roster had played in an NBA Championship game. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Golden State’s 123 games of Finals experience to Boston’s zero games was the largest gap since the Chicago Bulls (134) vs. the Utah Jazz (0) in 1997.

Read More: Why Celtics-Warriors could be an epic series

Given that this is the Finals, Chase Center is rocking for the series opener — including celebrities showing up to take in the action and players donning exceptional pregame fits.

Here’s a look at some of the best sights and sounds from Game 1 in San Francisco:

Klay makes history

It’s a sign of how dangerous the Warriors are from beyond the arc that Klay Thompson passed LeBron James for second on the all-time playoff 3-pointer list in the second quarter … and No. 1 is his teammate Steph Curry.

Jay-Z takes in the action

Musician, Roc Nation Sports founder and noted Brooklyn Nets fan Jay-Z pulled up to the Chase Center for Game 1.

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Chef Curry cooks

Stephen Curry‘s campaign for a Finals MVP trophy got off to a strong start in the first quarter. His six 3-pointers in the first frame are a Finals record for the most in a quarter.

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson couldn’t help but marvel at Curry’s impressive feat.

Ja Morant was also among the stars to note his hot start.

Spike’s in the house

Famed director Spike Lee can usually be spotted courtside at New York Knicks games, but tonight he’s at the Chase Center for Game 1.

Eye-catching outfits

Before the game tipped off, the fashion choices by a few players certainly turned some heads. Take Jayson Tatum for example, as he rocked a multi-patterned suit jacket on the pregame runway. His teammate Jaylen Brown donned a leather coat with some graphic jeans.

Food and drinks

The Warriors went all-out for refreshments at the Chase Center for Game 1. Fans could get chicken waffle cones, souvenir cups for beer or other drinks, Moet & Chandon champagne, black sturgeon caviar and a stone-fruit old fashioned cocktail. There were oyster bars and popcorn bars in some boxes.

Warriors/Chase CenterWarriors/Chase CenterWarriors/Chase Center

Setting the scene

Both squads chose to roll with gold in the series opener.

Boston used the color in complementary fashion by adding a Finals emblem on its jerseys. Meanwhile, Golden State stayed true to its “Gold Blooded” postseason theme with T-shirts.

Read More