The crowd confirmed up loud, with a vocal hatred for Draymond Green that pushed Kyrie Irving again into the recesses of their acrimony for a change.
And within the midst of the scrums, onerous fouls and yet one more unhealthy third quarter, the Celtics closed out Game 3 of the NBA Finals with a116-100 win for a 2-1 collection lead. The Celtics haven’t misplaced consecutive video games since March 30.
Jaylen Brown began the night time off with a 22-point first half on the best way to 27, and Jayson Tatum flirted with a triple double with 26 factors, 9 assists and 6 assists on an evening when the Celtics star didn’t shoot notably nicely (9-for-23). Marcus Smart, whose banked 3-pointer within the fourth set a closing tone, had 24 factors.
Robert Williams had his most dominant sport of the postseason, altering innumerable pictures on the best way to a four-block, three-steal, 10-rebound, eight-point efficiency. The Celtics thus survived a 31-point, 12-for-22 night time from Steph Curry.
Smart’s left nook 3-pointer, arrange by a Tatum drive, gave the Celtics a 110-96 lead with 5:06 left.
The subsequent time down Smart someway got here out of a four-player pileup with the ball – Green fouled out on the play, to the delight of the group with 4:07 left – and Horford completed off the possession with a lob to Rob Williams for the dunk.
Andrew Wiggins minimize the Celtics result in 112-100, however Smart drove for a 114-100 lead with 2:19 left.
Golden State as soon as once more dominated the third quarter, this time with a 17-3 run that included a Curry four-point play off what was dominated a Flagrant 1 foul by Horford. The Celtics barely pegged out of the quarter, courtesy of an 11-3 run for a 93-86 lead, earlier than Klay Thompson hit his fifth 3-pointer, trimming the result in 93-89.
But after getting outscored within the third, 33-25, the Celtics opened the fourth quarter with a 9-2 run that included a pair of Rob Williams steals, a banked Smart 3-pointer, and a Grant Williams putback for a 102-91 lead.
Tatum and Curry exchanged hoops, and with 7:22 left, Green picked up his fourth foul on Brown, who was solely capable of hit the second of two free throws.
But with Rob Williams altering each Golden State providing in sight, Tatum scored for a 107-96 lead with six minutes left.
Golden State got here out of the following timeout with a tough possession, ended by a deep Curry miss, and with 5:06 Tatum kicked out to Smart for a left nook three and a 110-96 lead.
After main by as many as 18 factors, and drawing energy from Brown’s massive first half, the Celtics carried a 68-56 lead into the break. Golden State heated up late, with three 3-pointers within the final 5 minutes.
Turnovers remained an issue, although, with the Warriors changing eight Celtics flubs into 14 factors. Golden State has owned the third quarter over the primary two video games this collection, and bought a lift with back-to-back treys from Curry early within the quarter.
But Curry instantly picked up his fourth foul on Smart, who hit three free throws consequently. And when Green was whistled for an offensive foul, Horford shortly tossed an inbounds outlet to Brown for the transition dunk and a 77-64 Celtics lead.
But Golden State hit again with a withering 17-3 run that included the four-point play from Curry and an Otto Porter bomb on the following possession. Curry got here again with fourth trey of the quarter, and sixth of the night time, for an 83-82 Golden State lead.
Smart took the lead again from downtown with 3:11 left within the third, and with first Grant Williams after which Thompson swapping 3-pointers within the final 48 seconds, the Celtics crawled out of the quarter with a 93-89 lead.
Source: www.bostonherald.com