The Boston Celtics have taken a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals thanks to a 116-100 win over Golden State! The home side dominate large parts of the first half, but then have to survive a comeback from the Warriors. The next strong performance by Stephen Curry is not enough for the dubs.
Instead, led by the trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, Boston got down to business in the fourth quarter. The period went to the home side at 23:11 after Golden State fought back from an 18-point deficit.
Brown led his colors with 27 points (9/16 FG), 9 rebounds and 5 assists, while Tatum (26, 6 and 9 but 9/23 FG) and Smart (24, 7 and 5) also delivered strong all-around performances away. Robert Williams III also had his best game in the Finals to date, recording 8 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.
Curry, on the other hand, held back with 31 points at 12/22 from the field and 6/11 from downtown. In addition, Klay Thompson (25, 7/17 FG) got out of his dry spell, but otherwise almost only Andrew Wiggins provided offensive support (18). Draymond Green showed a weak performance and fouled out just before the end.
Both teams started the game unchanged. Tatum grabbed his battered right shoulder after his first drive, but there was better news from the Celtics’ shooting department. Brown was immediately on fire, he followed two successful threes with strong drives with good finishes and precise passing. Golden State, on the other hand, had enormous problems creating offense in the halffield. The Celtics quickly gained 15 points and won the first quarter 33:22.
Curry fuels Warriors comeback – Boston responds
After a slow start, Thompson found his rhythm, but a small Warriors lineup had no answers defensively against Boston, especially in the zone. Tatum now took charge of the Celtics offense (+18), but then Boston became careless. In no time, Curry and Co. rattled off an 8-0 run thanks to a strong transition, but then the chef conceded his third foul. The hosts recovered, Smart scored good drives. 68:56 Halftime score.
Curry started the third quarter with two threes, followed by his fourth foul-. Coach Steve Kerr left his superstar in the game, who thanked him with a four-point game in the middle of the section. Due to a flagrant foul in that scene – Horford was standing in Curry’s landing area – Golden State even got the ball and Porter Jr. completed a 7-point possession from downtown!
Curry was now completely hot, his next triple against drop coverage even put the Warriors in front again (83:82). With the chef on the bench, his fellow Splash Brothers provided the Warriors points, but Tatum put Boston back in front. The fourth quarter was 93:89.
The start of the final period belonged to the Celtics again, initiated by a lucky three over Smart’s board and favored by several Curry turnovers. The lead grew back to +11. Tatum put the pressure on with strong drives, and he also set up an open smart three-pointer to +14 five minutes from time.
In a frantic fight for a rebound, Horford landed unhappily on Curry’s left leg, leaving the Warriors star limping, his face contorted in pain. At the other end, Golden State missed several threes, Smart made everything clear with another attack on Curry, Kerr raised the white flag with two minutes to go. Game 4 will now take place again in Boston on Saturday night (3 a.m. live on DAZN).
The most important statistics
Boston Celtics (E2) vs. Golden State Warriors (W3) 116:100 (BOXSCORE), Serie: 2-1
- Boston had 24 points in the zone in Game 2 – they cracked that haul in Game 3 midway through the second quarter! The hosts’ strong attacks were one of the decisive factors for the lead in the first half, at the break the Celtics had a 32:16 advantage in the zone (16/22 FG). Defensively, the presence of Williams III helped, who seemed much more agile again and made the Warriors drives more difficult. Offensively the spacing was much better. This also continued in the second half (52:26 points in the zone).
- Another indication of Boston’s dominance in the zone: rebounding. In the first half alone, the hosts grabbed 8 offensive rebounds, which they converted into 13 Second Chance Points. The Warriors had little to counter their size and athleticism. The rebound duel ended with 47:31 or 15:6 on the offensive board for Boston.
- Golden States Offense got an important boost in transition – also favored by Celtics turnovers. The problem is known from the previous game, in game 3 the guests punished Boston’s 8 turnovers in the first half with 14 direct points. In the further course of the game, however, only 4 turnovers were added, but Golden State made negligent mistakes (a total of 17:12 turnover GSW).
- Another well-known topic: The Warriors are simply a force in the third quarter! In the first two games, the third section went to the dubs with a total of +35, in game 3 the difference was +8. You could literally feel the Celtics fans getting nervous after the first curry threes in the third quarter. But: In the fourth quarters it is 87:47 for Boston.
- The trio Brown, Tatum and Smart each cracked the 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists mark, that was loud ESPN not in the NBA Finals since 1984! Back then, the Lakers trio of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper managed this feat.
The star of the game: Jaylen Brown
The start of the 24-year-old was outstanding. Brown got the beat from the first minute, he was involved in 24 of the 33 Celtics points in the first quarter either through his own scoring or by assist. Although he did not appear as prominently as a scorer afterwards, his strong defense was enormously important in the fourth quarter with one Monster block against Thompson as the icing on the cake.
The flop of the game: Draymond Green
Green failed to replicate his positive impact in Game 2. Instead, he was frequently attacked by Brown, the Dubs star failing to keep him away from his powerful right flank. At the same time, the veteran was not a factor offensively (2 points, 3 assists and 2 turnovers). The statistical category with the largest number was fouls (6).
The scene of the game
One possession, seven points. You really don’t see that very often. made it possible this deep triple of curry from the High Pick’n’Roll, one of his 4 hits from Downtown in this section. As if a hot Splash Brother wasn’t bad enough, the refs called a flagrant foul on Horford, who had thwarted Curry’s landing. Free throw plus possession of the ball Warriors, which Porter Jr. also refined from the three country. 7:0 run within 13 seconds!
NBA Finals – Warriors vs. Celtics: The Series at a Glance (1-2)
| Spiel | Datum | time | Heim | away | result |
| 1 | June 3 | 3 o’clock | Golden State Warriors | Boston Celtics | 108:120 |
| 2 | June the 6th | 2 O ‘clock | Golden State Warriors | Boston Celtics | 107:88 |
| 3 | 9. June | 3 o’clock | Boston Celtics | Golden State Warriors | 116:100 |
| 4 | June 11 | 3 o’clock | Boston Celtics | Golden State Warriors | – |
| 5 | 14th of June | 3 o’clock | Golden State Warriors | Boston Celtics | – |
| 6* | June 17 | 3 o’clock | Boston Celtics | Golden State Warriors | – |
| 7* | 20. June | 2 O ‘clock | Golden State Warriors | Boston Celtics | – |
*if necessary