With the NBA Finals wrapping up Game 3 of the NBA Finals, it’s only right that we take a look to see how everything is unfolding. For this most recent game, the Boston Celtics got the better of the Golden State Warriors. The recent victory gives them a 2-1 cushion in the series with Game 4 being played in Boston as well. There were a few things that caught my eye here but let’s cover them individually.
Klay Thompson Breakout
Starting off with Klay Thompson. Thompson has been virtually invisible in this series before his breakout Game 3 performance. In Games 1 and 2, he had only made four total three pointers. Looking at Game 2 individually, he shot 4-19 from the field. In Game 3, Klay shot 5-13 from behind the arc and ended up tallying 25 total points. It was a brilliant time for the sharpshooter to come alive as it forced Boston to stretch their defense out even further. However, he is going to have to prove that he can keep this shooting going. After all, the rust he is feeling is likely still there even with the last few months of play.
Warriors Running Out Of Ground
Next, we have to talk about Golden State potentially being in a lot of trouble. Game 4 means a lot to them if they want to win this series. If they are to drop Game 4 in Boston, then coming back from a 3-1 deficit seems almost impossible. If there’s anything for them to be positive about moving into this critical matchup, it’s that they played horrible until the second half and still found a way to get the lead late in the game. Still though, this is a make-or-break game for this group.
Steph Curry’s Injury
Then we have to cover the Steph Curry injury. He was diving for a loose ball late in the fourth quarter when a few bodies crashed down on him. It was the center Al Horford that did the most damage, falling right on his leg. You could see that he was visibly in a lot of pain instantly after Horford fell and he limped off to the sidelines. Reporters have been consistently asking about his status for Game 4, to which he has said with certainty that he will be out there playing. However, his injury is something to monitor in this game as even a slight tweak could reaggravate it much worse.
Draymond Green Gets Outmatched
Lastly, the size difference and trash talk were on full display. Draymond Green was trying to do his usual style of play. Get in the heads of the opponent with relentless trash talking while simultaneously playing physical. It was working to a degree in the first two games, but Boston matched it in Game 3. Grant Williams was going back and forth with Draymond all night. Plus, other big men like Horford and Robert Williams were harassing him down low in the paint. So much, that the Celtics scored 52 points in the paint themselves. Green only managed four rebounds and 1-4 shooting from the field. On top of that, the Celtics fans cheered when he fouled out of the game late in the fourth quarter.
Boston looks solid right now. They aren’t changing their game plan too much and their players are going out there with so much intensity. Golden State on the other hand has been acting like they aren’t worried all series long. At some point though, they have to look themselves in the mirror and figure out why they lost two games already. Otherwise, the Celtics could clean this series up quick and win the NBA Finals.
Do you think the Warriors can bounce back? Or will the Celtics get a 3-1 lead in Game 4? If you enjoyed this post, click here to head over to our NBA page!