FINALS COUNTDOWN

Five keys that will determine who wins Celtics-Warriors

After seven weeks of postseason basketball, the NBA Finals are set, but Warriors-Celtics won’t begin until Thursday in San Francisco’s Chase Center.

What’s another five days? Adam Silver’s tournament has been an endless journey with too many blowouts, too many injuries, too many “play-in’’ rounds.

The main course is finally here with the Celtics’ brutish defense facing the Warriors’ finesse offense, which includes most of the championship core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.

And the Warriors have an unheralded defense, too.

With Golden State back in the Finals for the sixth time in eight years after two playoff-free seasons, Curry chewing on his mouthpiece and Green chewing out referees and lawless behavior are back in prime time.

TNT’s Stan Van Gundy told The Post during the first-round CelticsNets series that Boston has played the league’s best basketball since the AllStar break and was unappreciated. He’s been proven right, though the Warriors are -160 favorites on BetMGM.

This Jayson Tatum-Jaylen BrownMarcus Smart grinding green-clad group still isn’t being given proper credit.

“If they win it, it’s the worst Celtics team to ever win it by far,’’ one coaching source said. “The league has a lot of good teams — no great teams.’’

Here are five storylines to watch in the series:

Will the Celtics be allowed to flex muscles on defense?

In 1990s style, Boston bullied the Nets physically — particularly Kevin Durant — in a first-round sweep. But this is the Finals.

“Can Boston out-physical the Warriors and win the rebounding war?’’ one NBA advance scout said. “Can they play physical without putting the Warriors on the foul line?’’

The Celtics, led up front by big man Al Horford, have put switching-onevery-possession in vogue, with 2022 draft prospects talking about fitting into the Celtics style of guarding 1-to-5.

“The concern is whether Boston’s switching defense works against the Warriors’ pace, speed and cutting game,’’ the scout said. “The Warriors may be the best team in the league at attacking this style of defense.’’

In addition, the scout pointed out that Golden State “makes you pay if you turn ball over against them. And Golden State gets the ball out quickly on made baskets, too, so transition defense will be a key to Boston success.’’

Warriors’ Finals experience vs. Celtics’ prideful legacy

Celtics rookie coach Ime Udoka had a great line after Boston moved on.

“We don’t celebrate Eastern Conference championships in this organization,’’ Udoka said.

However, not one of these Celtics has played in the Finals as the Tatum-Brown-Marcus Smart Era had been consistently denied. Along this 2022 ride, the Celtics eliminated teams that ousted them in each of the past three postseasons — Nets (2021), Bucks (2019), Heat (2020).

“They are young but have old souls,’’ ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, a former Celtic, said.

Meanwhile, the Warriors players have combined to play in 123 Finals games. Still, one coaching source says Thompson, after his ACL and Achilles surgeries, is nowhere near what he was defensively during the title years.

“He’s not an A-level defender — in fact some nights he’s C-level,’’ the coaching source said.

The Tatum Factor

Perkins said if the Celtics pull this off, Tatum’s playoff run should be considered arguably the best individual postseason march in NBA history; he would have slayed Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler and Curry in succession.

A key is whether Udoka can force Curry to defend Tatum on switches. In the playoffs, Tatum is averaging 27 points and 5.9 assists while shooting 37.5 percent from 3.

“Tatum will score,’’ an NBA scout said. “Boston will try to have whoever Curry guards, set a pick on the ball. When he is at his best is when he get over six assists per game and gets others shots. Jayson’s trust for his teammates from the beginning of the year till now is much different. That’s one of the reasons they have won.’’

Another advance scout said a big question for Steve Kerr is “where do they hide Curry on defense? They’ll attack him and a key is keeping [Curry] out of foul trouble’’

Rebounding wins championships

This is an old axiom that got supplanted in the 3-point shooting, small-ball era perfected by the Warriors. The Celtics, even when they play small ball with center Robert Williams on the bench, are a mighty rebounding team. Center Kevon Looney has helped Golden State’s boardwork in the last two series.

Williams’ sore knee still is a tricky issue and he looked lost in the Game 7 win over the Heat.

“Defensive rebounding will be a major part of this series for Golden State,’’ a talent evaluator said. “They don’t have to win this battle, but can’t get crushed.’’

Can the Celtics’ plodding offense keep up?

The Warriors have a league-best 116.1 offensive rating in the playoffs, so Boston has a lot to live up to.

And the Warriors are likely getting back injured defensive specialists Gary Payton III, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr.

“Both teams are great defensively so it will be fun to watch if scoring is hard to come by,’’ a scout said.

Another scout says Williams will need “to find a way to impact the game’’ and take away Green’s strength of defending off the ball.