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Tatum, Brown lead Celtics past Warriors in Finals opener

Boston bounces back from rough start to win Game 1

Jayson Tatum scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, and Jaylen Brown added 24 points as the Boston Celtics beat the Golden State Warriors 120-108 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

The Celtics trailed by 12 points in the first quarter, but they chipped away at the lead and took the lead for good with 8:45 remaining in the third quarter. Brown's layup gave Boston a 100-98 lead, and the Celtics never trailed again. Tatum made a jumper to give Boston a 102-98 lead, and he assisted on Brown's dunk to make it 104-98. The Warriors cut the lead to 106-104 with 2:45 remaining, but Tatum made a tough jumper to give Boston a 108-104 lead. Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 27 points, but he was just 7-of-22 from the field. Klay Thompson added 21 points, and Draymond Green had 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 9 assists. The Celtics shot 48.2% from the field, while the Warriors shot 42.9%. Boston also outrebounded Golden State 52-35. Game 2 of the NBA Finals will be played on Sunday night in San Francisco.