Boston’s Tatum/Brown/Smart three-leaf clover got the better of Golden State’s fantastic comeback, initiated by Stephen Curry in the 3rd quarter, winning at home (116-100) on Wednesday to regain the advantage two wins to one in the final NBA.
The Celtics wanted to respond to the physical challenge imposed by the Warriors in the previous game (107-88) and it showed. They won the battle on this plan and it did some damage as Curry hurt his left leg, which fell heavily on Al Horford in the fight for a ball.
At that time, four minutes from time, Boston held its victory well (110-96). The double MVP (2015, 2016), so brilliant before this hard blow (31 pts at 12/22, 4 rebounds), stayed well for another minute, despite the pain, before finally sitting on the bench. Next to Draymond Green, who had just picked up his 6th foul on the action, synonymous with exclusion, collecting a few bird names from the overexcited fans of the C’s.
They could exult for the first game of a final played at TD Garden in twelve years and fourteen years after celebrating their 17th title there. One of the strong men of this coronation, Paul Pierce, was also “front-court” to support the Tatum generation, on a mission to add an 18th title to Boston’s record, which would be a new record and leave the rivals hated by the Lakers right behind.
– Back in 1984 –
A generation not yet golden, but talented and determined to be, which will have, during this third game, achieved a rare performance in the final NBA.
The trio Jayson Tatum (26 pts, 9 assists, 6 rebounds), Jaylen Brown (27 pts, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) and Marcus Smart (24 pts, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) is indeed the first to succeed at least 20 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds in a final NBA since the Lakers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Michael Cooper, authors of this performance in 1984 against the … Celtics.
“I was born in 1998, so it was a long time before. It’s nice to be in such company. But we can’t afford to be too happy tonight. We have to be ready for the next game because we knows that they will come back even more aggressive”, commented Tatum, who knew how to be more than in the first two matches.
Especially in the interior sector, where Boston did not lay down the law, until returning to its garden. This time his domination was total since he scored twice as many points as Golden State (52-26) and took many more rebounds (47-31), like Robert Williams III imperial in defense (8 pts, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks, 3 interceptions).
– Thompson wakes up –
Reaping the rewards of a cannon start, the Celtics were up to 18 points ahead in the first period. But the third quarter was looming, the one during which the Warriors know how to do great damage.
The jump did take place, since the Californians won (33-25), even managing to regain the advantage in score (83-82) by Curry, then author of his sixth and last three-point banderilla (on 11).
Untenable the leader had just been the main actor of a crazy sequence, with another basket at long distance, the fault as a bonus of Horford, guilty even of a flagrant. Result one more throw, registered, and a throw-in Warriors which resulted in another award-winning shot from Otto Porter (6 pts). That’s seven points scored in one possession!
In the wake of his “Splash Brother”, Klay Thompson found his address (25 pts, 5/13 behind the arc) and Andrew Wiggins fought like hell (18 pts, 7 rebounds). So much so that a trio then seemed to be able to respond to the other.
“But we had no more gas in the fourth quarter,” regretted their coach Steve Kerr afterwards.
A fourth quarter, which is in these play-offs as much as that of Boston, with the defense found (23-11), that the third is in Golden State.
