BOSTON — All through the postseason, the Boston Celtics had performed their greatest basketball away from residence.
Not anymore.
Jaylen Brown scored 27 factors, Jayson Tatum added 26 and the Celtics rode the vitality of a raucous TD Backyard crowd to beat again one other third-quarter onslaught by Golden State in a 116-100 victory Wednesday night time that gave them a 2-1 lead within the NBA Finals.
Marcus Good added 24 factors and helped gas a defensive effort that held the Warriors to 11 factors within the fourth quarter — third-fewest in a finals recreation within the shot clock period.
“Recreation 2, they introduced the warmth to us,” Good mentioned. “For us, that left a foul style in our mouth as a result of what we cling our hat on is effort on the defensive finish and being a bodily staff. It positively woke us up somewhat bit.”
Tatum mentioned the actual fact the Celtics didn’t cling their heads after the Warriors’ third-quarter flourish is one thing they didn’t at all times do within the common season.
“I believe that’s after we are at our greatest after we reply to robust conditions. We reply to groups happening runs and issues like that,” he mentioned. “I believe we did that a number of instances tonight.”
Boston improved to 6-4 at residence, in comparison with 8-3 on the highway this postseason. The Celtics haven’t misplaced two straight video games for the reason that finish of March.
Stephen Curry led Golden State with 31 factors and 6 3-pointers. He had 15 factors in a 33-25 third quarter by the Warriors however was damage late within the fourth after Al Horford rolled into his leg on a free ball. It was just like a play in the course of the common season through which Good dove into Curry’s legs whereas chasing a free ball.
Klay Thompson broke out of a finals stoop and completed with 25 factors and 5 3s. However the Warriors’ taking pictures couldn’t save them on an evening the extra athletic Celtics outmuscled them for a 47-31 rebounding benefit.
“Once you enable a staff to get comfy, particularly of their residence — in entrance the house crowd, then it’s robust,” Warriors ahead Draymond Inexperienced mentioned.
Robert Williams III, who has been working his manner again from knee surgical procedure, completed with eight factors, 10 rebounds and 4 blocks.
“We talked about it fairly a bit, our group being resilient and having the ability to struggle by numerous issues and at instances when it’s most wanted having the ability to lock down on protection,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka mentioned. “We did within the fourth quarter,”
Recreation 4 is Friday in Boston.
Regardless of Curry’s noticeable limp after the play with Horford, Warriors coach Steve Kerr mentioned it was not why he pulled him from the sport within the closing minutes.
“The harm didn’t drive him out of the sport, however I took him out down 14 with two minutes left as a result of we weren’t going to catch up,” Kerr mentioned. “We'll know extra tomorrow.”
The earlier 39 instances groups have cut up the primary two video games of the finals, the winner of Recreation 3 went on to win the collection 82 p.c of the time.
Feeding off the vitality of a Backyard crowd that jeered Inexperienced all through his depressing night time within the first NBA Finals recreation in Boston since 2010, the Celtics began quick and led by as many as 18 factors within the first half.
Coming off a Recreation 2 loss through which Boston turned the ball over 19 instances, the Celtics’ ball motion was a lot crisper within the half court docket, which led to open perimeter photographs, favorable 1-on-1 matchups and driving lanes..
It left the Warriors scrambling at instances, which contributed to a few foul calls on Curry within the opening 24 minutes.
However in addition to Boston performed, it had its early lead erased within the third quarter by a Warriors seven-point possession that included a four-point play by Curry when he drew a flagrant 1 foul on Horford and 3-pointer by Otto Porter Jr to place Golden State in entrance 83-82.
Boston recovered to take a 93-89 edge into the fourth, then outscored Golden State 23-11 within the quarter.
The Celtics led 56-39 earlier than an 8-0 spurt in simply 37 seconds by the Warriors trimmed the result in 56-49 on a layup by Curry with 3:32 left in half. Boston flurried on the finish of the half to take a 68-56 lead into halftime.
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