BOSTON—The 2022 NBA Finals shift to New England for Game 3. It will be the first time an NBA Finals game is in Boston since 2010.
The momentum seems to have shifted in favor of Golden State, in part thanks to its blowout win in Game 2. Stephen Curry has been a man on a mission so far, combining for 12 three-pointers in the first two games.
But the Celtics and their fans are up for the challenge.
“As a competitor, this is what you work for. You want to be the last team standing,” Celtics star Jayson Tatum said to the media on Tuesday. “When it’s all said and done, win or lose, you want to feel that you gave it your all.”
The Celtics look to bounce back after their worst loss in these playoffs, while the Warriors hope to snatch their fourth road win of the postseason.
Golden State’s prolific offense
Through the first two games of the series, the Warriors are shooting 41% from beyond the arc as a team. Their leading scorer in Games 1 and 2 was Stephen Curry.
Each game has seen Curry dominate in a certain quarter. In Game 1, it was the first quarter where he scored six three-pointers and had 21 points.
He finished with 34 points. But the Warriors were outscored 40-16 in the fourth quarter and lost Game 1 by a final score of 120-108.
Curry did not have as dominant of a start in Game 2. Golden State was up by just two at halftime but overwhelmed the Celtics after the break.
The Warriors outscored Boston 35-14 in the third quarter. They never looked back from there.
Curry had nine points from downtown to help the Warriors secure a split in the NBA Finals after two games on their home court.
“We (the Warriors) always know how to just find a way to win games,” Curry said Tuesday. “No matter what style it is—high scoring, low scoring, (a) defensive battle, (a) shootout, (or) whatever it is. We find another level of grit and determination.”
Another player who stepped up in Game 2 for the Warriors was Jordan Poole. After struggling to find his footing in Game 1 (scoring 9 points in 25 minutes), Poole bounced back. In Sunday’s win, he scored 17 points off the bench. That included a half court buzzer beater to end the third quarter.
“I think the biggest thing with Jordan is (that) he just has great confidence and belief in himself,” Golden State Head Coach Steve Kerr said Tuesday. “(It) allows him to respond to a bad game or a tough shooting stretch … He’s never afraid. He never shies away. And I think that’s one of his best qualities.”
The Warriors will need Poole’s scoring punch on the road, regardless of how Curry performs in Game 3.
Klay Thompson staying ready
After recovering from a knee and Achilles injuries in the last couple of years, Klay Thompson has climbed back up the mountain to the NBA Finals.
But he has struggled in the series thus far. In the first two games, Thomson shot a combined 10-of-33.
Thompson is not discouraged whatsoever. He looks to continue playing with the energy and passion that has never left him.
“I’ve been through shooting slumps before. The best part is how (I will) respond,” Thompson said Tuesday. “Come Game 3, I’ll probably not do much differently rather than just play with great pace and hunt great shots.”
Boston’s turnover issues
If the Celtics hope to take a 2-1 lead in the series after Wednesday’s game, they must do a better job protecting the basketball.
Boston had 12 turnovers in Game 1 and 18 more in its Game 2 blowout loss. Celtics guard Jaylen Brown discussed why the team is prone to committing turnovers at times.
“We don’t set screens the way we need to and get jumbled up together. (It) allows them (the Warriors) to guard us a lot easier than they should be,” Brown said Tuesday. “We just (have) to emphasize our spacing.”
When the Celtics have had 15 or less turnovers this postseason, they are 13-2. When they commit 16 or more, they are 0-5.
In Game 2, Boston conceded 33 points off its 18 turnovers.
Horford and White’s importance
As of Tuesday, Celtics center Robert Williams III has been listed as “questionable” for Game 3. If he is unavailable to play, Al Horford must play a more dominant role in the paint.
In Boston’s comeback victory in Game 1, Horford scored 26 points. He went 6-of-8 shooting from three-point range to secure a 120-108 win.
If Williams is unavailable, Horford will have to anchor the defense and find ways to score closer to the basket.
Williams’s absence will also require more minutes from veteran big-man Daniel Theis, who played just 15 minutes in Game 2. Theis did not play in the last three games of Boston’s previous series against the Miami Heat.
Derrick White will need to pick up from where he left off in Game 1. After scoring 21 points off the bench, White scored just 12 points in Game 2 on 4-of-13 shooting.
White talked about the Celtics’ mentality of Wednesday night’s critical Game 3.
“(We’re) just trying to control what we can control,” White said Tuesday. “(It’s about) believing in the man next to you and just sticking with the team.”
Upcoming Schedule
Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Finals is scheduled for Wednesday night at the TD Garden in Boston. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m. EST.
Game 4 between the Celtics and Warriors is set for Friday night.
