(Boston) Jaylen Brown scored 27 points and the Boston Celtics took a 2-1 lead in Wednesday’s NBA Finals, inflicting a 116-100 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Posted at 12:00 a.m.
Brown had 17 first-quarter points for the Celtics, who are making the Finals for the first time since 2010.
Jayson Tatum added 26 points, two more than Marcus Smart.
Brown went four-for-eight on three-point shooting.
Tatum went nine assists and Robert Williams grabbed 10 rebounds.
Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 31 points, including six 3-pointers. Klay Thompson scored 25 points, seven more than Canadian Andrew Wiggins.
Game 4 is Friday night, again at TD Garden.
Boston led 68-56 at the half.
In the third quarter, a three-point shot from Curry gave the Warriors an 83-82 lead, their first cushion since 2-0.
The Celtics still concluded the engagement slightly ahead, 93-89.
Early in the final quarter, the Celtics extended their lead to 98-89 when Smart aimed just beyond the perimeter, via the backboard.
Smart had another long shot with 5:05 on the clock. Boston then took control solidly, 110-96.
During the warm-up, the Warriors found that their basket was not at the right height.
A 10 foot pole was brought in and the basket was seen to be a few inches too high. The situation was quickly corrected.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr said before the game that he was unaware of the problem, but it does happen from time to time.
“The players have a very sharp eye. They’re going to notice things like that, Kerr said. As long as it’s settled, it’s fine. »
Kerr took the opportunity to throw a small arrow at the league, about the late hour when games start (always after 9 p.m. except on weekends, when it’s 8 p.m.).
“It’s a good thing the game starts at midnight,” Kerr said, making the reporters laugh. They will have plenty of time to fix it. »
17-time NBA champions, the Celtics have a history of some Boston shenanigans, some say.
Red Auerbach, who served as coach, general manager and president of the Celtics, has often been suspected of machinations at the old Garden.
He was said to cut off the hot water in the visitors’ locker room, or else create dead spots in the playing area.
Member of the Celtics champion team in 1986, Bill Walton did not smell any dubious scheme.
“I’m surprised Steve didn’t say anything about Red Auerbach,” Hall of Fame member Walton said.