Iguodala recalls ‘two key moments' that gave Celtics Game 1

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Across his impressive 18-year career, Andre Iguodala has made it to the NBA Finals seven times and is in the middle of his sixth such trip with the Warriors.

That being said, the three-time champion has an invaluable feel for the game -- something that allowed him to pinpoint where it all went wrong for Golden State on Thursday night as they lost Game 1 of the Finals to the Boston Celtics at Chase Center.

Iguodala provided his thoughts after the game on the “Point Forward” podcast, where he told his co-host, Evan Turner, how things went from good to bad for the Warriors during the 120-108 loss. The game marked the 38-year-old's first appearance since the opening round of the NBA playoffs when he was sidelined with a neck injury.

“Well it was two key moments, and I’ve been asking myself this question a few times in the key moments -- you know how I get, I can think too deep,” Iguodala said, noting that he wondered to himself if the Warriors were “bad for basketball” as they took a 10-point lead in the first half.

But after they jumped out to a quick lead, the flow of the game changed.

“We went up 10 in the first half, and I was like, ‘Alright, this next minute is important,” Iguodala said.

Up 47-37 with just over seven minutes left in the second quarter, ill-timed turnovers and missed shots by Golden State across the next 120 seconds allowed Boston to claw its way back and pull ahead.

“That’s what inexperience from our bench has to understand,” Iguodala continued. “Going up 10, the next minute is super important, like two or three possessions making sure -- them young boys ain’t going to stop coming at us. Them young boys going to keep coming over and over and over again and they’re going to keep applying pressure.

“We don’t have to increase speed … Simplify the game. When you go up 10, it means simplify even more. Now, you’re really trying to hit a single. You’re not going for home runs, you’re not going for triples, you’re not trying to steal bases … [There were] a few small things that you can’t see unless you’re one of us, you know the game. It affects the game and it’s like, ‘Come on, man.’”

Down two at the half, Iguodala was feeling exasperated about the blown lead. But then, Golden State jumped back out ahead with an incredible third quarter that saw the team hold a 15-point advantage over Boston near its end.

“We went up 15, 14, whatever it was. And I’m like, ‘All we need is one play, we can knock them out with a layup,'” Iguodala recalled. 

Jordan Poole grabbed a defensive rebound, but Jayson Tatum stole the ball and dished it to Jaylen Brown who made that layup Iguodala had been hoping for on Golden State’s side. From there, momentum again shifted in the Celtics’ favor.

RELATED: Why Draymond isn't hitting 'panic button' after Game 1 loss

“It was like, ‘Boom, boom,’” Iguodala said. “Those things that the naked eye can’t see that you and I know about. And this is what we mean by how momentum can change.”

After the Celtics roared back to win the game in the fourth quarter, momentum certainly is on their side heading into Game 2 at Chase Center on Sunday. 

And the second game of the series appears to be a must-win for the Warriors, as no NBA team ever has gone on to win the Finals after losing the first two games at home.

If anyone is up for the challenge, however, it’s Golden State and its championship DNA.

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