The 2022 NBA Finals don’t have a direct connection to USC athletics, but the thought hit me like a truck on an open highway on Monday night, when the Golden State Warriors pulled away late to beat the Boston Celtics in Game 5:
These are the Pete Carroll NBA Finals.
In Game 5, the Dubs beat Boston by 10 in a game they led by 16 with just a few minutes left in regulation. An interesting and tense game for three quarters became drama-free well before the final horn. This is a pattern which has been replicated numerous times this series.
Early in the fourth quarter, the winner of a game in this series has been in doubt. With two minutes left in regulation in each game this series, the winner has not been in doubt.
It has been a series defined by decisive fourth quarters.
See the Pete Carroll angle now?
If not, remember this classic Carroll speech after the Seattle Seahawks beat the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Wild Card Game in January of 2016? Seattle trailed 9-0 in bitter Minnesota cold before scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter to win, 10-9.
Carroll let loose:
Celtics-Warriors has basically been a Pete Carroll speech, unveiled in four different acts. We’ll see if Game 6 and, if necessary, Game 7 continue the pattern.
In case you are a Laker fan who can’t stand either team and hasn’t been following this series closely, here are the fourth-quarter explosions (or meltdowns) which have defined the 2022 battle for the NBA title:
GAME 1 4TH QUARTER: 40-16, CELTICS
San Francisco, California, USA; Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) grabs a rebound against Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) in the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
GAME 3 4TH QUARTER: 23-11, CELTICS
Jun 8, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dunks and scores Golden State Warriors during game three of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Kyle Terada-USA…
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