At the start of the season in mid-October, the “superteams” of Brooklyn and the LA Lakers were the big favorites. Seven months later, the Nets took the door in the first round of the play-offs, in which the Californians did not even participate. And in the final (game 1 on the night of Thursday to Friday), we find Boston and Golden State, two franchises that have built their numbers and their successes in a completely different way.
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Presentation – CR – reaction (cat)
In 2019, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving tackled Golden State and Boston to chase the titles together with Brooklyn. Their departures might have pushed their respective “ex” to panic. In an era of quick-rise and tear-down “super teams,” the Warriors and Celtics have chosen to keep building. Tonight, the stars of the Nets (who didn’t make it past the second round) will watch Game 1 of a high-profile final between the Warriors – three titles and five finals between 2015 and 2019 – and the Celtics, co-holders, on TV. , with the Lakers, the most NBA trophies (17).
We had at least one certainty before the quarter-final which pitted Daria Kasatkina (seed 20) once morest Veronika Kudermetova (seed 29): the winner of this 100% Russian shock would rally for the first time the last four of a Grand Slam tournament. Beaten in the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros, then at Wimbledon, four years ago, Kasatkina took over her compatriot 6-4, 7-6 (5) in 2:08. She still hasn’t given up a set since the start of the fortnight and will now face the winner of the clash between Iga Swiatek and Jessica Pegula.
Kasatkina might have saved herself the pangs of a tie-break but the stress overwhelmed her as she served for the match at 6-4, 5-4. Her anemic services (just over 100 km/h) allowed her rival to come back up to par and to maintain hope. But Kudermetova signed a catastrophic start to the tie-break. Four unforced errors on the first five points sanctioned his sometimes excessive risk-taking. Led 6-1, they nevertheless dismissed four match points. But the fifth was the good one, Kasatkina slipping during the exchange a marvel of amortized backhand.
Much more powerful (38 winning shots), Kudermetova scuttled herself by investigating … 50 unforced errors. More stable, but also smarter tactically (especially in defense), Kasatkina made her science of the game prevail.
Worn by Jimmy Butler, Miami offers itself a match 7 against Boston
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
With their backs to the wall following their home defeat on Thursday night, Miami was able to transcend itself, like an exceptional Jimmy Butler (47 points), to clinch Game 7 in the Eastern Conference final of the play-offs.
Yet pushed by the fans of the TD Garden, Boston has never been able to gain the upper hand over Miami. ” We know what we are capable of. We knew we were going to get a win here. And we know we’ll win the next one too “Reacted Butler followingwards. A great architect of his team’s victory, Jimmy Butler, author of 47 points, achieved the best performance of his career in the play-offs (16/29 shooting, 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals).
In the wake of its leader, the entire Heat collective has raised its level to compensate for the absence of Tyler Herro (groin). A Miami team certainly recovered following the words of Draymond Green, Golden State winger, who assured Thursday evening, following his team’s qualification for the final, that the Warriors would face Boston on June 2.
For the Celtics, he lacked consistency throughout the game. Like Jaylen Brown, author of 18 points in the first period and only 2 in the second. The 30 points of a too lonely Jayson Tatum were not enough.
The Heat therefore offered themselves the right to dream of an NBA final. Butler’s teammates will have the advantage of the field, on the night of Sunday to Monday, to hope to join the Warriors in the final.