So this is how it’s going to be? The Celtics shoot the lights out with 40 points in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals and win, 120-108. The same Celtics can’t find the light switch in their 14-point third quarter of Game 2 and lose, 107-88. The Warriors put up 33 points in the third quarter of Game 3 Wednesday night and the Celtics stumble again.
Not quite. Boston weathered the Golden State rally with a 25-point third, outscored the Warriors, 23-11, in the fourth and left TD Garden with a 116-100 victory and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
We should not be surprised. The Celtics have played this way throughout the postseason. Up and down. Rollercoaster. Unbeatable and beatable. Win on the road. Lose at home.
But these unpredictable Celtics have not lost back-to-back games since March, so we were justified in expecting a rebound against the Warriors in Game 3.
Here’s what they did to protect their turf.
They played aggressive basketball. Jason Tatum slashed to the basket time and again for many of his 26 points. Robert Williams III grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked four shots, none prettier than his rejection of a Steph Curry jumper in the fourth quarter.
The Celtics turned the ball over 12 times while forcing 16. They kept their complaints about the officiating to a minimum and ignored the rants of Warriors motor mouth Draymond Green, a non-factor with two points, four rebounds and six personal fouls.
Jaylen Brown scored 27 points and buried four of his eight three-point attempts. Marcus Smart added 24 points and Al Horford, invisible in Game 2, chipped in 11.
Curry scored 31 for the Warriors and led their third-quarter surge with 15 points. He injured his leg in the fourth quarter in a collision with Horford but expects to be ready for Game 4 Friday night in Boston.
The Celtics are fortunate to be in these NBA Finals. No, forget fortunate. The Celtics are lucky to be in these NBA Finals for the first time since 2010 and the 22nd time in the 75-year history of the franchise. If the Heat’s Jimmy Butler had made that three-point shot with 16.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals for a 99-98 Miami lead, I seriously doubt the Celtics would have won, not the way they closed out that game in Miami.
But Butler’s shot hit the front rim, and here we are, Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Celtics leading 2-1 and two victories from the franchise’s 18th banner. Buckle up! This wild ride is far from over.
