For all the celebrations of skill and small balls in recent years, the NBA still rewards size and speed in big moments. In the first final game at TD Garden since 2010, the Boston Celtics took advantage of speed, length and physical advantage to fill Game 3’s Golden State Warriors 116-100 in the 2-1 series. I got a lead.
The Celtics have set championship goals based on top flight defense and explosiveness. Jayson Tatum When Jaylen Brown, A pair of talented attackers. Both the Celtics defense and the wing tandem have seen different results in San Francisco, where the team split the first two games. But on Wednesday, Boston’s D showed off its versatility, with Brown and Tatum showing off a mature, smart performance that took control of the game in the first half.
Over his first six NBA seasons, Brown has traditionally created many of his opportunities in the flow, not the playcalls on the set. In Game 3, he claimed to be the initiator of the Celtics half-court game. Brown relentlessly attacked the Warriors’ limited rim protection with a definite drive to the basket. When he met the Help Defender, he shook the ball. When the Warriors’ defensive brotion opened a high-quality look across the arc of the stream, Brown was happy to incorporate them as well. Overall, he finished with 27 points, hitting 9 out of 16 field goal attempts (including 4-8 across the arc) and progressing 5-6 from the stripes.
Despite averaging 20 points in the first two games of the final, Tatum made less than 30% of the shots from the field and made the least dynamic and efficient effort (overall with a 23-9 shot on Wednesday). I got 26 points in). He prospered as a playmaker. Following Game 2, Celtics coach Ime Udoka considered some of Tatum’s struggles to be prone to foul hunting. In Game 3, Tatum recorded nine assists per turnover, primarily by reading the Warriors’ defenses and quickly finding teammates with smart cross-court passes and kickouts.
The Celtics outsourced to the surroundings and midrange in Game 2 and tried only 6 shots on the rim for all the benefits inside. In Game 3, Boston tried 14 shots on the rim by half-time, pulled four shot fouls and Brown led the attack. Their advance into paint has fueled the Celtics drive-and-kick game. The Celtics didn’t see a huge amount of three-point attempts made in San Francisco, but still produced a healthy 35 look across the arc and converted 37.1%. Boston also ended at the 52-26 edge at the point of paint.
In exercise, Stephen CurryThe Warriors, a warm-up routine for the Warriors, staged a signature rally in the third quarter. The Golden State dragged most of the night with two-digit numbers, temporarily leading with a 14-3 run. Seven points Possession in a span of 13 seconds. The Celtics eventually withstood the onslaught and steadily rebuilt the lead despite the explosion from Curry.With just over two minutes left, the Celtics tycoon dropped out of the Warriors in the fourth quarter. Al Horford I landed on Curry’s left foot while diving for the ball. Curry dragged off the floor and didn’t come back-the rest of the Warriors starters that the Golden State dragged at 14 didn’t come back either.
For the Warriors who want to see Klay Thompson Returning to the form, the loss is especially bitter. Thompson scored 25 points in 17 attempts. This is one of the better efforts after his season, but it was wasted. The Warriors turned the ball more than 17 times, hitting it even more devastatingly, crushing it with defensive glass, and giving Boston 15 aggressive rebounds. The Golden State liked to call these two columns “Battle of Ownership”, which they decisively lost.
Through post-season tracking for the first time in three years, the Warriors have emphasized that they are a different team than the team that made five final appearances and won three titles. In Game 3, it was more obvious than during the current title run. This Warriors team is still an ongoing task and there is some work to be done for all of their collective basketball brilliance.
