Udoka after impressive Game 1 win: 'We pride ourselves on everybody being able to contribute' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: AP - Scanpix Credit AP - Scanpix

The Boston Celtics took Game 1 of the NBA Finals on the away court against the Golden State Warriors even though none of their players had played in the finals before.

Player of the Game EFF 28 Al Horford Points 26 Accuracy 9-12 Rebounds 6 Assists 3

Jayson Tatum scored only 12 points on a disappointing 3-for-17 shooting but provided 13 assists while his teammates feasted from the 3-point territory, making 21 threes in the game.

"We look at ourselves as a complete unit, as a team," Celtics head coach Ime Udoka told the media after the game. "We've seen the teams that rely on guys in the Playoffs, whether it was Brooklyn in First Round with [Kevin] Durant, Milwaukee with [Giannis] Antetokounmpo, and Miami with [Jimmy] Butler."

"If you take out these guys, you know the team is going to struggle," Udoka explained. "We pride ourselves on everybody being able to contribute on both ends."

After being in the league for 15 years, it was Al Horford's first time in the NBA Finals. The veteran made a career-high six 3-pointers in the game, leading the team with 26 points.

"It's rewarding, especially on the night when your best guy has an off night," Udoka explained. "Others stepped up. Some of the starters on the bench, other guys playing great, Al [Horford] coming in, stepping up late."

"It is rewarding knowing we can play so much better. That's the main thing. We didn't have a great three quarters but we kept ourselves in the game and locked down when we needed to," the coach concluded.

Game 2 of the NBA Finals will take place Sunday night in San Francisco where the Celtics will attempt to take a decisive 2-0 lead against the Warriors.

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