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NBA Finals 2022: Game 1 Player Ratings for Warriors and Celtics

Nick Metallinos

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NBA Finals 2022: Game 1 Player Ratings for Warriors and Celtics image

Game 1 of the NBA Finals is officially in the books. 

Despite being the more rested team, it was the Warriors who looked fatigued in the final quarter as the Celtics, who trailed 103-100 at one stage, closed the game on a 20-5 run to steal away homecourt advantage with a 120-108 victory. 

Much was made of the Marcus Smart vs. Steph Curry battle and if Jayson Tatum could elevate his game to yet another level. But it was the Celtics' "others" who really stepped up big in the fourth quarter. 

We break down the key player ratings for you right here and give each player a rating out of 10 for their performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. 

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Player ratings 

Steph Curry

If you told folks that Curry would set the NBA Finals record for three-pointers made in a quarter with six in the first quarter, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Warriors would have blown out their opponent.

That was not the case though as Curry would go on to hit just one more triple after his early offensive onslaught.

He still finished 7-of-14 from long rang and 12-of-25 overall for 34 points, five rebounds and five assists. But it did appear like Curry was forcing things a little too much — especially in the second half as he tried to recapture the fire of the first quarter. 

Curry’s 21 points are the most points scored in the first quarter of any Finals game over the last 50 seasons.

Rating: 8

MORE: How Derrick White's new baby could be reason for hot shooting vs. Warriors

Al Horford 

Horford, playing in his first-ever NBA Finals showed up and showed out. 

Big Al has shown glimpses of taking over games during this postseason run, and many wondered what kind of impact he would have in the NBA Finals. 

Well, he absolutely balled out in Game 1 and was a key part of the Celtics' massive fourth quarter in which they outscored the Warriors 40-16. 

Horford was a perfect 4-of-4 in the fourth quarter and scored or assisted on 14 of Boston's final 17 points. 

Horford finished the game with 26 points (9-of-12 shooting), six rebounds, three assists and he was 6-of-8 from long-range. 

Rating: 10

Jaylen Brown 

Horford and Derrick White will get a lot of the attention postgame, but it was Brown who dragged them back into the game just as things were starting to swing in favor of the Warriors.

Brown had 24 points, seven rebounds and five assists on 10-of-23 shooting from the field. 

He was instrumental in helping the C's open the fourth on a 7-0 run. 

Rating: 9

MORE: NBA players react on Twitter to epic Game 1 of NBA Finals

Jayson Tatum

The only thing that Tatum did not do well in Game 1 was shoot the ball. 

He finished the game with 12 points on 3-of-17 shooting, but his playmaking and defense were elite.

The Celtics won the game despite Tatum making just one field goal in the last three quarters of the game. 

On a night where his shot wasn't falling, Tatum stepped up his playmaking duties from the wing position and was integral in that role. 

"I don't expect to shoot that bad again, but if we win, I'll take it," he said post-game.

He finished with a game-high 13 assists, which is an NBA record for most assists in a Finals debut. 

Rating: 8 

Derrick White 

If the Celtics are to go on and win the 'chip, they will need more performances from Derrick White like they got in Game 1. 

The Warriors may have more talent in the top half of their roster than the Celtics do, but Boston's strength is in their depth. Guys like White are integral to what coach Ime Udoka wants to do. 

White had 21 crucial points off the bench in Game 1, including five 3-pointers. 

White had back-to-back deep 3s, with his fifth and final make coming with 5:40 left to tie the game at 103-103. 

White's final 3-pointer sparked a 17-0 run that the Warriors just never recovered from. If he keeps this up Warriors coach Steve Kerr will have yet another player to worry about. 

Rating: 9

MORE: How the Celtics flipped the fourth-quarter of Game 1

Draymond Green 

This was, uh, not Draymond Green's best game in a Warriors jersey, that's for sure. 

Green is the team's defensive lynchpin, and he played that role well once again. But offensively, he struggled badly. 

Green was just 2-of-12 from the field as he just kept trying to shoot his way out of whatever slump he was in. He did however, have 11 rebounds and five assists to go with his six points.

Rating: 6

Andrew Wiggins 

Wiggins was the Warriors' second-best player in Game 1. 

He had 20 points (8-of-15 shooting) and five rebounds. But the talk surrounding Wiggins has been about what kind of impact he can have defensively on the Celtics' wings of Tatum and Brown.

Well, he obliged when he was the primary defender on Tatum on Thursday night. 

Tatum was just 1-of-7 from the field when Wiggins was the primary defender on him. 

One thing to look for more moving forward from Wiggins in this series is what kind of playmaking he will bring to the table — he had 0 assists in Game 1. 

Rating: 7

Nick Metallinos

Nick Metallinos Photo

Nick has been working exclusively within the NBA world for over a decade. He hosted 46 episodes of Ball or Nothin' - a show screened on ESPN highlighting the social media aspects of the NBA. Nick has covered 3 NBA Finals, 5 NBA All-Star weekends, 8 NBA drafts, 5 Jordan Brand Classics plus dozens of playoff games and hundreds of regular season games. 
Nick spends his spare time trying to decide which sneakers best match his outfit.