Resilient Celtics put up 40 in fourth to stun Warriors, come back to take Game 1

SAN FRANCISCO — These Boston Celtics are used to battling back.

They were a couple of games below .500 in January and Celtics faithful were hoping just to avoid the play-in. They battled back not just to make the playoffs but did it as the No. 2 seed. Then they fought through Kevin Durant and the Nets, needed to win Game 7 against the defending champion Bucks, then needed another Game 7 win, this time on the road, to knock off the top seed in Miami.

So being down 12 entering the fourth quarter — after the Warriors had one of their patented dominant third quarters — didn’t phase these Celtics.

“It hasn’t been our first time being down in that position, nor in this game, let alone all season,” Marcus Smart said. “We came in with a game plan. For us it was just to stick with it, believe in ourselves. Kept doing that. As you see, everybody starts to catch fire, get hot, things start to go our way.”

“That’s kind of who we’ve been all year. Tough grinders, resilient group that we can always know we can rely on our defense to kind of buckle down when needed,” Ime Udoka said, describing a team that has taken on the personality of its coach.

A Boston team that had zero players with Finals experience were the ones showing poise in the fourth, while the dynasty Warriors were the ones turning the ball over, giving up key offensive rebounds, and looking a step slow. Al Horford (with a team-high 26) and Derrick White stepped up on a night Jayson Tatum struggled with his shot — 3-of-17 — and led the Celtics as they put up a 40 spot in the fourth quarter.

The Celtics took Game 1 and home court from the Warriors 120-108 win, and Boston now leads the series 1-0. Game 2 is Sunday in San Francisco.

That ending was not what the Golden State