Celtics look to build off Game 3 win against Warriors on Friday
BOSTON (WLNE) — The Boston Celtics will be looking to take a 3-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night.
Boston is hoping to build off of the things they did well in their 116-100 Game 3 win over Golden State.
The C’s looked like a completely different team than the one that got blown out in San Francisco Sunday night. They were able to come out strong, dominate the glass, and stay focused on both ends of the floor.
The first quarter proved to be a big one for the Celtics. They came out with good energy right from the tip and outscored the Warriors 33-22 in the period. Jaylen Brown was able to fuel Boston’s fast start with 17 first quarter points.
He also had three assists in the quarter, making him responsible for 24 of the team’s 33 points.
When asked about Brown’s performance in Game 3, head coach Ime Udoka said, “It was one of his best games… it was almost a perfect night as far as the reads he made.”
Brown totaled 27 points on the night on 57% shooting.
Getting off to a good start again in Game 4 is something that the C’s would certainly benefit from, especially with the home fans behind them.
Boston was able to control Wednesday’s game because of their strong presence on the glass. They grabbed 47 total rebounds compared to Golden State’s 31.
Rebounding had been an issue through the first two games of this series, with the Celtics allowing 18 total offensive boards. In Game 3, they allowed just six and pulled down 15 of their own.
“We’re the bigger team,” said Udoka. “We want to impose our size in the series.”
Boston’s presence on the offensive glass created 22 second chance points in Game 3. Robert Williams and Al Horford were a big part of that success, combining for six of their team’s 15 offensive boards.
When asked about Williams, Horford praised the fourth year big man, “He’s a game change. He’s just a game changer.”
Williams had his best game of the series, logging 26 minutes and filling the stat sheet with eight points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. It was easily his most impactful game since returning from meniscus surgery.
“I had a discussion with myself about pushing through this. I’m happy with how it’s going. We’ll worry about the injury after the season, but right now I’m still fighting,” said Williams after Game 3.
The green will be looking for another strong showing from the Timelord in Friday’s game.
The Celtics also saw a significant increase in focus across the board in Game 3 compared to Game 2. The team was locked in on both ends of the floor and it paid dividends when things got tense in the third quarter.
Golden State was in the process of putting together another third quarter masterclass, when they completed an 18-point comeback. A 3-pointer from Steph Curry put the Warriors up over the Celtics 83-82 with 3:45 left in the period.
Instead of wilting like they did Sunday, Boston responded by stringing together an 11-6 run to end the quarter.
“It’s all about how you respond. We didn’t hold our head down or anything. We called a timeout, figured it out, and made winning plays,” said Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum.
After giving up the lead, the C’s strung executed a few good offensive possessions. Marcus Smart immediately made a three to help them regain the lead, and then Tatum drew a foul and made both of the free throws.
They were able to carry over that momentum put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Warriors 23-11.
Boston will hope to prevent Golden State to put together a monster third quarter in Game 4, but if they’re on the wrong end of another avalanche, then they’ll have stay focused and get back to playing their best ball.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals can be seen live on ABC 6.
