The narrative of a series changes so quickly in the modern NBA. Fans and analysts overreacted to the Celtics’ Game 2 performance by concluding that the inexperience on the finals stage was coming to the fore, and they would wilt before the home crowd. The Celtics answered the call from minute 1 by delivering a powerful and complete performance in TD Garden to capture Game 3 and lead the best of 7 series, 2-1. There were plenty of noteworthy performances and nuggets from the exciting game. In this article, we will discuss the main talking points and preview a defining Game 4.
1. Turnover margin is the key-the Boston Celtics struggled to win games this postseason when they are careless with the basketball and allowed teams to get into the transition. In this game, the Celtics made a concerted effort to take care of the ball and limit their turnovers. The Celtics won this margin by conceding only 12 turnovers to the Warriors’ 17. The Celtics didn’t try to make the hard passes or dribble into traffic. The team was able to outscore the Warriors 19-17 in points off turnover. As I predicted, this will be the key stat that will determine the likely winner of the series. The Celtics must realize that they only lose in the playoffs when they beat themselves and turn the ball over.
2. Dominant in the paint- the Celtics were dominant in the paint with athleticism and size that overwhelmed the Warriors in this game. The Celtics outscored the Warriors 52-26 which shows that the team played with force and aggression. The team outrebounded the Warriors 47-31, and the offensive rebounds played a huge role with a 15-6 margin. Rebounding at times is about desire, and the Celtics were the team that played with grit.
3. Balance play making history- in Game 3, the trio of Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum became the first trio since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Michael Cooper in 1984 to record 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in the NBA Finals. Adding Al Horford the Celtics had four players with at least 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. The quartet became the first quartet since Bill Russell, Sam Jones, K.C. Jones, and John Havlicek in the 1966 NBA Finals. It shows that the Celtics are a well-rounded team where the burden is not placed on an individual player to carry the team. Also, the contribution of Marcus Smart will be the determining factor in the series, and it is not a coincidence the team won two of the games when he was playing his best
4. Point differential-the quirkiest thing about this series is the disparity in the third and fourth quarters. The Warriors have hammered the Celtics in the third quarter outscoring them by 43 points in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Celtics have turned the tables in the fourth quarter by 40 points. The team that weathers the storm in those quarters usually wins, and the Celtics withstood the onslaught in Game 3 to escape the third quarter with 4 points. It will be interesting to see if this absurd trend continues in Game 4.
5. Rob Williams is invaluable- Rob Williams had eight points, ten rebounds, three steals, and four rebounds in Game 3. However, his impact goes beyond the box score in the way he protected the rim, was a force on the glass, and his ability to pick up Steph Curry on the perimeter. The man is playing hurt but, in the playoffs, Rob Williams is proving he is a top 5 center in this league.
Predictions- the challenge for the Boston Celtics is duplicating the efforts of Game 3 into Game 4. The Celtics won back-to-back games against the Bucks to snatch Games 6 and 7. They also won Games 4 and 5 against the Heat to take control of the series. This young team has suffered letdowns after big wins in the playoffs. However, I think the Celtics will recognize that Game 4 is a pivotal point in this series, and will seize the moment. I have them winning Game 4 in a thriller.
Celtics 115-Warriors 112