Boston Celtics May Have Found Warriors' Weak Point In Targeting Jayson Tatum

Boston -- The Boston Celtics pulled off the improbable come-from-behind 120-108 win over the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and it very well could be because of how well-rounded the team is.

From the get-go, it was apparent that the Warriors were going to clamp down on Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, forcing him to go 2-for-5 from the field in the opening frame.

Warriors star Stephen Curry went ballistic in those 12 minutes as he put up 21 points on 6-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc to give his side the 32-28 lead.

However, it was this same strategy that may have cost them the game.

Tatum’s co-stars Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart stepped up to the plate for much of the first half as they took the 56-54 lead going into halftime thanks to them chipping in with 12 and 10 points respectively.

The Warriors would then storm back in the third, outscoring the Celtics 38-24 on the back of Andrew Wiggins’ 12 points.

Disaster struck the Warriors in the fourth quarter as the Celtics caught fire from three-point land, making nine of their 12 attempts and eventually winning the game thanks to a 17-0 run in the middle of the quarter.

Tatum was ultimately shut down by the Warriors’ defense as he only had 12 points in 41 minutes of action, but his 13 assists were a major key in the win.

Brown, Smart and Al Horford all played a big role in the comeback by combining for 68 points, with Horford being the most impactful performer in the fourth.

Backup guard Derrick White also flexed his offensive skillset by draining making two timely three-pointers in the fourth quarter, ending Game 1 with a total of 21 points.

With the Warriors’ focus being mainly on stopping Tatum from scoring, it allowed the Celtics’ supposed “others” to step up and take the opening matchup for themselves.

“I’ve talked to him at length about impacting the game when he’s not having his best offensive night. He did that tonight,” Celtics head coach Ime Udoka said about Tatum’s performance in the postgame presser.

Udoka also heaped praise on the entire team for taking the initiative to pick up the scoring during the game.

“We do look at ourselves as a complete unit, as a team. … We pride ourselves on everybody being able to contribute on both end, so that’s rewarding, especially on a night where your best guy has an off night – others step up,” he stated.

Heading into Game 2, the challenge now is for the Celtics to break through the Warriors' defense the same way they did in Game 1 and hopefully, Tatum gets his groove back.

Game 2 will see both squads run it back at the Chase Center in San Francisco on Sunday, June 5 with the tip-off set for 8:00 PM ET.