Boston (United States) (AFP) – 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, to win at home (116-100) on Wednesday, and thus resume the game. advantage two wins to one in the NBA Finals.
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 the end of the match, Boston held its victory well (110-96). And the double MVP (2015, 2016) of Golden State, so brilliant before this blow (31 pts at 12/22, 4 rebounds), went, head down and grimacing, to sit on the bench. Next to Draymond Green, who had just picked up his sixth fault on the action, synonymous with exclusion, collecting the bronca of the excited 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, in search of bringing an 18th title to the Boston list, which would be a new record and would leave the hated Lakers rivals right behind.
Back in 1984
A generation not yet golden but talented and determined to be one who, during this third game, achieved a rare performance in the NBA final.
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 an NBA final 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 long before… but it’s nice to be in such company. We can’t afford to be too happy tonight. We have to be ready for the next game because we know they will come back even more aggressive “Commented Tatum, who knew how to be more than during the first two meetings.
In particular in the interior sector where Boston did not make the law, until returning to its garden. This time its domination was total since the team coached by Ime Udoka, who had called for a jump in this sector, 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). To the point that a trio then seemed to be able to respond to the other.
But the fourth quarter is as much that of Boston, with the defense found (23-11) at the right time, as the third belongs to Golden State.