Can Boston bounce back after blowout?
TV: ESPN, 9 p.m. ET
BetMGM Line: Celtics -3.5
The NBA Finals are all tied up because the collection heads to Boston for the primary time, which is about nearly as good because the Celtics might have hoped for past a 2-0 collection lead.
Although they’ve but to drop consecutive video games this postseason, issues didn’t go nice for the Celtics within the again half of Recreation 2. The Warriors erupted within the third quarter earlier than pulling off a 19-point blowout win that shut down the Celtics.
Wednesday’s recreation isn’t a must-win for Boston by any means however failing to bounce again after a tricky loss to the Warriors might show to be deadly and should lead to a fast ending to the Finals.
Can Boston bounce again?
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had been tremendous Sunday night time, however that was about it for Boston offensively.
They had been the one two Celtics starters to attain in double figures, and Al Horford, Robert Williams and Marcus Sensible had been all held to 2 factors a bit. Boston had 18 turnovers as a group, and mustered simply 14 factors within the third quarter.
If the Celtics are going to win, that may’t occur in Recreation 3.
Tatum and Brown need assistance to tug off a win Wednesday night time, and so they want the variations of Horford and Sensible from Recreation 1 to indicate up. Horford dropped 26 factors and shot 9-of-12 from the sphere in that win, and Sensible added 18 factors with 4 3-pointers. The Celtics additionally shot a powerful 51.2% from the 3-point line in that win.
With two big men on the court at a time — both Horford, Williams, Daniel Theis or Grant Williams — Golden State has outscored Boston by 33 factors within the first two video games.
Boston wants a well-rounded entrance to beat, or at the least take care of the Warriors. With out a lot help from two-thirds of its beginning lineup, that activity isn’t prone to be completed, even with home-court benefit on its aspect.
Will the third quarter Warriors present up once more?
The Warriors have thrived within the third quarter thus far this collection, although they nonetheless ended up splitting the opening two video games.
In Recreation 2, the Warriors erupted on a 35-14 run within the third quarter behind 14 factors and a wild buzzer-beater from Jordan Poole en path to Golden State’s 107-88 blowout win. After only a two-point recreation at halftime, that’s a large change.
Recreation 1 was related, too, besides Boston mounted a 17-0 run within the fourth quarter to stun the Warriors and get the win. Nonetheless, Golden State has outscored the Celtics 73-38 mixed within the interval.
If this third quarter model of the Warriors exhibits up once more Wednesday night time, they are going to be in nice place to take a 2-1 lead. If the Celtics can lastly present up after halftime, it is going to doubtless be a really completely different story.
What about Draymond Inexperienced?
There are many individuals who say Draymond Green should have been ejected from Game 2 after his altercation with Jaylen Brown simply earlier than halftime.
Inexperienced already had one technical when that incident occurred. Had he acquired a second, that may have triggered an computerized ejection.
Although there’s no going again now, all eyes are certain to be on Inexperienced come Wednesday night time after a bodily Recreation 2. If the Celtics can get beneath his pores and skin with the Boston crowd on their aspect this time, issues might end up very in another way at TD Backyard ought to Inexperienced be in the same scenario.
And, based mostly on how the Celtics felt after Recreation 2, they received’t be backing down.
“I imply, you reply to fireside with hearth, proper? Celtics guard Marcus Sensible said. “We’ve simply acquired to show round and do the identical factor. If he’s going to come back in right here and attempt to be bodily, that is our home and we’ve acquired to guard it.”
