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Tim BontempsESPN
BOSTON — This time, it’s the Celtics They were pummeled and abused by the Golden State Warriors In the third quarter.
Also, Stephen CurryWith 3 minutes, 45 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Game 3 of NBA Finals, Game 3, was over. The 3 pointer, which was made by, went through the basket. This ended a 10-0 Golden State run.
We are back.
Only, the Celtics managed to put an end to the Warriors punch to the jaws in the third quarter. The Celtics responded with their own haymaker for the fourth. This limited Golden State to only 11 fourth-quarter points. Boston continued. to win 116-100The C’s are now leading the 2-1 series with this win.
“I felt like our team really held their ground in those moments,” Celtics centre Al Horford said. “As you may know, this could have gone south very quickly earlier in the calendar year.
“But we just kept going with it, didn’t panic and just played.”
Horford mentioned that Boston has not been able to do this all season. They’ve been resilient ever since the Celtics turned their season around in January. Boston improved to 7-0 in the playoffs after a loss on Wednesday, and has not lost back-to-back postseason games.
The Celtics have been 13-1 since Jan. 23 in games after a loss.
Boston Forward: “I think that’s kinda when we turned our seasons around, when that corner was turned,” Boston forward Jayson Tatum said. “Earlier in this season, we would have given away leads and lost games like those, but now things happen right. They’re a great group. They’re blessed with great players. They will make shots. They’ll go on runs. It’s all about your response.
“We didn’t keep our heads down or do anything. We called for a timeout, regrouped and came up with winning plays. The group was definitely a credit to me.
Because they couldn’t get any momentum in the third quarter, the Celtics had to do this. The Warriors have been able repeatedly to turn the Celtics into knots defensively, and Golden State now leads Boston by 43 points.
This is, naturally, driven by Stephen CurryThe final score was 31 points, on 12-for-22 shooting over 37 minutes. Curry was able to generate a seven point possession in the third quarter when he hit a 3 while being flagrantly fouled and Horford. Curry then attempted the free throw. Otto Porter Jr. Another 3.
One minute later, a Curry 3, put Golden State up — and put Boston on its heels.
The Celtics didn’t give up, however. To regain the lead going into the fourth quarter, they went on an 11-6 run in the last few minutes of the third quarter. The Celtics outscored Golden State 23-11. In the final three minutes, Golden State was held to only one basket by the Warriors. Boston, however, went on an immediate 9-2 run to increase its lead to double-digits.
Celtics guard: “For me it was just being poised.” Marcus Smart said. “Just keep calm. We’ve been there before. They’re a very good team. We are just as capable of going on runs with them. All we have to do is get on our runs.
It was a blessing that Boston had Robert Williams III Patrolling the paint. Tatum, Smart, and Jaylen Brown All three teammates combined for more than 20 points, five boards and five assists. This is the first time that this trio has achieved this feat in a NBA Finals game. Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar It was Michael Cooper who did it for the Los Angeles Lakers Williams played against the Celtics in 1984. He was a team best plus-21 in 25 mins. Williams finished with eight points, 10 boards, four blocked shots, and a mountain hustle plays.
Horford described Williams’s ability to “change the game.” Rob is a true game-changer. We are very lucky to have a man like Rob who can make a difference in winning. It goes beyond the numbers. It’s all about his ability to bring the right things, and being there for the right people. Rob is amazing. His ability to keep learning and improving has been a huge inspiration to me.
“He learns. We can talk to him. I feel like we have a lot to ask him. He always takes it in, figures out the best way, and that’s what I love about him. His stuff is more than just the box score. It’s the impact he has on games.
Williams has seen his impact change from one game to the next during these playoffs because he has been having issues with his left leg for over two months. At the end in March, he had surgery on the meniscus in his knee. He was out for the final season and the start of Boston’s first round playoff series against The Bostonians. Brooklyn Nets.
The bone bruise he suffered in the same knee sustained in Boston’s second-round series win against the Boston Red Sox. Milwaukee BucksHe was unable to attend the final three games of the series and Game 3 of Eastern Conference finals against the opponent. Miami Heat. Williams has been questionable since then — but was cleared during the hours leading to tipoff.
Williams admitted that managing his knee was difficult. “We throw everything at it. The adrenaline from the race makes it more sore. We did something different today. We got on the bike a bit earlier than the game. It was a great experience.
He was clearly happy. Williams was constantly on the court, looking for loose balls and flying across the lane in search of contest shots. He was always at the center of all the action.
Smart stated, “I am constantly talking to Rob just because I know what his going through.” Smart stated that even though he is grieving, he still wants his team to succeed. He’s also thinking about his future. As I said to him, “You know your body.” You know your body and what it can withstand. You never know what you can do, but we have the chance to do something amazing. There are no guarantees that we will return. We’ll take 20% of you if you’re able to go.
“He knew that and decided to put on his big boy pants and go wild.”
The Celtics spent the three days in between their horrible Game 2 loss and Game 3 discussing the importance of playing with more energy, effort and focus. The message was clear right from the beginning tip. Boston’s physical play set the tone for the rest of the game. Boston won the rebounding race by 16 points. It also grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and didn’t let Golden State speed things up. Golden State committed only 12 turnovers, one of which was in the fourth quarter.
Boston is now just two wins away of a championship. The Celtics are now two wins away from winning the championship after rebounding from their loss and the blow they received from the Warriors.
Ime Udoka, Celtics coach, said that there was another bounce-back. “My message to them was: “We’ve done that after losses. Let’s respond right after a win.”