The Boston Celtics Bounce Back Continues

Boston avoids back-to-back playoff losses again, with a 116-100 win to take a 2-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors, led by Jaylen Brown's (27 points, nine rebounds) near double-double.

With just over four minutes to play, there was a mad scramble for a loose ball in front of the Golden State Warriors bench, with most of the players from both teams on the floor.

There was pulling, poking and eventually a little too much shenanigans, resulting in a foul being called.

And the man coming up with the loose ball?

That was Boston’s Marcus Smart.

And the foul was called on Draymond Green, his sixth of the game which meant bye-bye Draymond for the night.

It was a fitting sequence of events that in many ways described the kind of night this was for both teams.

The Celtics were the tougher, scrappier team that made most of the tough plays.

And they did this on a night when they had to withstand the best game of the series from arguably the NBA’s best backcourt, Stephen Curry (31 points) and Klay Thompson (25 points).

Despite all that, Boston still managed to come away with a comfortable 116-100 win.

Boston now leads the best-of-seven series two games to one, with Game 4 in Boston on Friday.

The intensity of games this time of year is always high, but there was added fuel for the Celtics and their fanbase in large part because of Green’s play in Golden State’s Game 2 win in the Bay.

Green’s physicality as well as the mental torture chamber he put the Celtics team through, was undeniable.

And while Boston didn’t flap its gums nearly as much as Green on the Warriors home floor, the Celtics delivered a resounding response in Game 3 that was a clear push-back on Green’s Game 2 performance.

Boston got off to a fast start and spent most of the game playing with a lead, but there were stretches in which the Celtics’ offense sputtered and the defense gave up too many uncontested lay-ups.

But they did enough to pull away for the victory, a victory that now has them two shy of winning the franchise’s 18th NBA title.

Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

STARS

Jaylen Brown: Jayson Tatum may have been the Celtics’ leading scorer, but it was Jaylen Brown whose play at both ends of the floor, helped set a tone that put Boston in control for most of the night. His aggressive drives and timely 3-pointers were huge for the Celtics, as he finished the game with a near double-double of 27 points and nine rebounds in addition to dishing out five assists.

Stephen Curry: The Boston Celtics continue to have problems limiting Stephen Curry. He has been scoring at a high clip in Games 1 and 2 but was getting buckets efficiently in Game 3 despite having to sit with foul trouble. Curry would lead all scorers with 31 points on 12-for-22 shooting from the field.

STUDS

Klay Thompson: The shooting funk Klay Thompson has been in during this series, appears to be a thing of the past; at least it was in Game 3. Thompson would finish the night with 25 points on 7-for-17 shooting which included five 3-pointers.

Jayson Tatum: Boston’s leading scorer was very much in the role of leading man in the fourth quarter when the Celtics needed him most. Tatum led Boston with eight, fourth-quarter points as part of his near double-double of 26 points, nine assists and six rebounds.

Marcus Smart: A bank-shot 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter was one of many timely shots Smart was able to knock down for Boston. Smart would finish the game with 24 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists.

Al Horford: The Celtics made getting Al Horford going early a priority. And while his numbers didn’t reflect it, Horford’s play and presence was a major factor in Boston getting the win and continuing to control the series. He would finish the game with 11 points with eight rebounds and six assists.

DUDS

Draymond Green: Numbers rarely tell the story of Draymond Green’s impact on a game. But Green was bad in every sense of the word in Game 3. You don’t look for him to score much, but the Warriors do count on his defense, rebounding, playmaking and above all else, his presence. He failed to check off any of those boxes in Game 3. Before fouling out, he had two points on 1-for-4 shooting with four rebounds and three assists.