BOSTON – It wasn’t until the second quarter, but Jayson Tatum of the Celtics seemed determined to build on a theme when he saw an opportunity on Wednesday night. He took a hard dribble on Stephen Curry, spun to the right and drove straight into the track before depositing a layup over his smaller defender.
The Celtics were eager to familiarize themselves with the basket in Game 3 of the NBA Finals. So they used their size to bully several members of the Golden State Warriors into the low post and off the dribble. They tried layups. They dived. They threw short sweaters off the glass.
In the process, Boston even survived one of Golden State’s signature third quarter runs to escape with a 116-100 win over TD Garden and take a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Friday in Boston.
Opening the fourth quarter by building a healthy cushion, the Celtics were led by Jaylen Brown, who had 27 points and 9 rebounds. Tatum added 26 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds and Marcus Smart finished with 24 points. Curry had 31 points in the loss, and Klay Thompson added 25. The Celtics did most of their damage in the paint, beating Golden State, 52-26.
After the first two games were in San Francisco, the series swung to Boston, a suitable venue for the finals as the league celebrates the last few flickering embers of its 75th anniversary. The Celtics are chasing their 18th championship title, while Golden State is in the final for the sixth time in eight seasons.
Two of the league’s original franchises, the Celtics and the Warriors, now mirror each other in another important way: Both rosters were largely put together through drafting. And while Boston is in the finals for the first time since 2010, Celtics coach Ime Udoka said he hopes to match Golden State’s long-term success.
“It’s a model for what we want to do here,” Udoka said.
The Celtics, who lost Game 2 on Sunday, have not lost consecutive games this postseason. Before Wednesday’s game, Udoka mentioned his team’s resilience.
“I think we put it behind us pretty quickly,” he said, “and kind of attacked the areas we did poorly and tried to improve them.”
About an hour and a half before the start of Game 3, as some of the Golden State players took to the field for individual warm-up work, reserve guard Gary Payton II noticed that one of the rims seemed to have come off a bit. He was right: it was about two centimeters too high†
“It happens every now and then,” said Golden State Coach Steve Kerr before the game. “Players have a very sharp eye for that.”
The brim was soon lowered to the proper height of 10 feet, but it didn’t seem to help. Golden State got off to a brutal start, missing 11 of its first 15 field goals as Boston rose to a 24-9 lead. To make matters worse, Curry got two early fouls.
If there was any concern for the Celtics, it came in the form of Tatum’s right shoulder, which he first injured in the Eastern Conference final against Miami. On Wednesday, he grinned in pain after a foul on an early ride.
But his three-pointer midway through the second quarter pushed the Celtics ahead 18. Boston shot 57.4 percent of the field and took a 68-56 lead at halftime.
However, all eyes were on the start of the second half. In Games 1 and 2, Golden State dominated both third quarters, beating Boston by 35 points in total. The third quarter was particularly problematic for the Celtics in Game 2, as they committed 4 of 17 shots from the field, five turnovers and were defeated, 35-14. A close game quickly turned into defeat.
On Wednesday, Golden State trailed 9 as the team conjured up some more magic in the third quarter. Curry hit a three-pointer and absorbed good contact when Al Horford of the Celtics slid under him. A flagrant-1 foul was ruled, meaning Golden State would retain possession after a free throw.
Curry sank the free throw, then Otto Porter Jr. another three-pointer buried for seven-point possession, reducing Boston’s lead to 2.
It was a scary moment for the Celtics, who could have folded but instead showed their toughness once again. Early in the fourth quarter, Smart batted in a three-pointer. Moments later, Grant Williams delivered an offensive rebound for a put-back, forcing Kerr to call for a time-out as the home crowd roared.