For all the small-ball and skill celebrations in recent years, the NBA still rewards size and quickness at the big moments. In the first Finals game in TD Garden since 2010, Boston Celtics used their speed, length, and physical superiority to bury Golden Empire Warriors 116-100 In Game 3 take the lead 2-1.
The Celtics have built their championship aspirations on the strength of their top defense and the explosive Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, their talented attacking duo. Both the Celtics’ defense and their flanks saw mixed results in San Francisco, where the two teams split the first two games. But on Wednesday, Boston’s D showed his versatility while Brown and Tatum put on mature, stellar performances to take control of the game in the first half.
In his first six NBA seasons, Brown has traditionally created more of his chances in the flow than on the fixed calls. In game 3, he established himself as the initiator of the Celtics inning. Brown attacked relentlessly with decisive steering shots to the basket against the Warriors’ limited rim protection. When he encounters the help of defenders, he moves the ball sharply. As the Warriors’ defensive rotation opens up quality glimpses from outside the arc in the flow, Brown happily accepts those too. Overall, he finished with 27 points, hit nine of his 16 on-field scoring attempts (including four to eight from outside the arc) and went on to go five to six.
Tatum, who averaged 20 points but with 30% fewer shots from the field in his first two Finals, failed to make his most dynamic or effective effort (he scored 26 points overall in the second leg). shoot 9 eats 23 on Wednesdays) but thrives as a player. After the second half, Celtics coach Ime Udoka thought Tatum had difficulty making fouls. In game 3, Tatum scored nine assists in just one shootout, largely by reading the Warriors’ defence, and finding teammates in time with clever passes and corners.
For all the inside advantages, the Celtics tried to focus on the outer and midfield in Game 2, only trying to make six shots at the belt. In game 3, Boston attempted 14 shots at halftime, along with four fouls on the shot, with Brown leading the attack. Paint intruders greased the Celtics’ driving and kicking game. While the Celtics didn’t see the sheer volume of 3-point efforts they made in San Francisco, they still produced 35 healthy images from outside the arc, a 37.1% conversion. Boston also finished with 52-26 points in the paint.
In a reliable little exercise like Stephen the curryFollowing a warm-up routine, the Warriors held their signature rally for the third quarter. Having stretched much of the night by double digits, Golden State led briefly in a 14-3 run that included a seven points possessed for a period of 13 seconds. The Celtics eventually withstood the onslaught and slowly rebuilt their lead, despite an outburst from Curry. When the game slipped from the Warriors’ hands in the 4th half with just over two minutes left, the big Celtics Al Horford lands on Curry’s left foot while diving for the ball. Curry limped off the floor and didn’t return — though the rest of the Warriors didn’t start either with Golden State trailing 14.
For the Warriors who were eager to watch Klay Thompson back in form, the loss was particularly bitter. Thompson scored 25 points on 17 tries, one of his better post-season efforts – but a point was wasted. The Warriors turned the ball over 17 times and were even more devastating, having destroyed their defense, bringing 15 counter-attacks to Boston. Golden State calls these two columns the “battle of possession,” and it was one of those games they lost decisively.
During their first chase after the season in three years, the Warriors insisted that they were a different team than the one that has won three titles in five Grand Finals. In game 3, that’s more obvious than their current title run time. This Warriors team is still a work in progress, and for all of their collective basketball achievements, there’s some work to be done.
