9:00 PM EST, ABC – Line: Celtics -3.5, Over/Under: 212.5
With two games in the books, the NBA Finals are now squared at one game apiece as the Boston Celtics look to bounce back at home against the Golden State Warriors, as the scene shifts to Beantown in this Game Two from TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Ater getting stunned in front of their home crowd in Thursday night’s opener (120-108), the Warriors (53-29, 3rd in Western Conference) retaliated as expected in Game Two, annihilating the Eastern Conference Champions in a 107-88 rout from Chase Center, which saw them do the complete opposite of what they did in its predecessor: close the deal. In Game One, Golden State erupted in the third quarter to outscore Boston 38-24, building a 15-point lead in the process, only to let it all slip away in a historic final period in which they were ousted 40-16 (the largest differential in a single quarter in NBA Finals History). The hosts succumbed to a 17-0 run during a four-minute span that turned the tables of the affair, as turnovers (4) and less than inspiring defense (68.2%) saw them concede not only their first home defeat of this postseason, but their first Game One loss at home in thirteen outings. In addition to getting roasted in the fourth stanza, the Dubs were fell victim to a cavalcade of treys (21-of-41 3FG) and were worryingly wasteful with the basketball, committing fourteen turnovers that were manufactured into TWENTY-ONE points for the visiting side. Furthermore, after exploding for twenty-one points on an insane 7-of-9 shooting (77.8%) and 6-of-8 from downtown (75.0%) in the first quarter, (two-time MVP) Steph Curry (25.5 PTS, 43.7% FG, 38.0% 3FG, 92.3% FT, 5.2 REB, 6.3 AST, 1.3 STL, 21.4 PER) cooled off considerably the rest of the way, with just thirteen points on just 5-of-16 shooting the rest of the way (31.2%), including a meager 1-of-6 from three (16.6%) over the ensuing three periods of play. So, what changed for (Head Coach) Steve Kerr’s troops, you ask? Well, it certainly appeared that they learned from their mistakes, for the second half of Sunday night’s sequel was ALL Warriors. After a nip-and-tuck first half (52-50), the home side once again authored a dominant third quarter, outscoring the Celtics 35-14, which stands as the largest differential within a single quarter in franchise playoff history. Golden State shot 11-of-23 from the field (47.8%), including 7-of-12 from beyond the arc (58.3%), while relegating Boston to a miserable 4-of-17 shooting (23.5%) and 2-of-8 from downtown (25.0%). Curry had no such troubles against the NBA’s top-ranked defense in this one, pouring in fourteen of his game-high twenty-nine points in the period, and as a result wasn’t called upon to participate much in the fourth, where the Dubs would hold onto the sizeable lead that they built for themselves (29 points). It was the continuation of their dominance in the third quarter, where they have edged their opponents by a whopping 165 points in this postseason, or in other words, by an average margin of 9.1 points per period. In the end, the Western Conference Champions shot 45.3% from the floor, including 15-of-37 from three (40.5%), while dishing out twenty-five assists in comparison to committing just twelve turnovers. That last figure has served as the barometer for their success in this postseason, for coming into the Finals they had averaged 14.8 giveaways, but in their five losses have seen that number inflate to 16.3 turnovers parlaying into 20.8 points for their opponent, which is the fifth-highest figure in the Association. After conceding fourteen for twenty-one points on Thursday, they saw that twelve turn into just fifteen points for their opponent, which was far different than the carelessness of the Celtics, who turned over the rock on nineteen occasions for a staggering THIRTY-THREE points (more on that in a bit). This led to a much better defensive performance from the Dubs, who held the Cs to 37.5% shooting overall, outscoring them by sixteen points in the paint. As we stated earlier, Curry led the way with twenty-nine points on 9-of-21 shooting (42.9%), including 5-of-12 from deep (41.7%), with six rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals in just over thirty-two minutes of action. However, four other Warriors also finished in double-figures scoring, including (young Guard) Jordan Poole (18.5 PTS, 44.8% FG, 36.4% 3FG, 92.5% FT, 3.4 REB, 4.0 AST, 0.8 STL, 16.1 PER), who bounced back from a dreadful Game One (7 points, 4 turnovers) with seventeen points on 6-of-14 shooting (42.9%), three assists, and two steals, all the while punctuating that watershed third quarter with a dagger from near halfcourt. After offering just four points in little over twenty-five minutes the opener, (veteran Center) Kevon Looney (6.0 PTS, 57.1% FG, 60.0% FT, 7.3 REB, 2.0 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.6 BLK, 15.7 PER) made his presence felt in this one, totaling twelve points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting (100.0%) along with seven rebounds, two assists, three steals, and a block. Neither (veteran sharpshooter) Klay Thompson (20.4 PTS, 42.9% FG, 38.5% 3FG, 90.2% FT, 3.9 REB, 2.8 AST, 0.5 STL, 16.7 PER) or (veteran Swingman) Andrew Wiggins (17.2 PTS, 46.6% FG, 39.3% 3FG, 63.4% FT, 4.5 REB, 2.2 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.7 BLK, 15.0 PER) shot the ball particularly well, combining for twenty-two points on 8-of-31 shooting (25.8%), but they were both essential on the defensive end where they spent the bulk of night matching up with Boston’s talented wings. And speaking of defense, (versatile Forward) Draymond Green (7.5 PTS, 52.5% FG, 29.6% 3FG, 65.9% FT, 7.3 REB, 7.0 AST, 11.3 STL, 1.1 BLK, 14.3 PER) did what he does best in directing traffic offensively with seven assists, while disrupting the visitors’ ball-movement and frequently getting under the skin of his opponents, nearly earning an ejection midway through the third period following an exchange. Game Two also saw the long-awaited return of (backup Guard) Gary Payton II (7.1 PTS, 61.6% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 60.3% FT, 3.5 REB, 0.9 AST, 1.4 STL, 17.8 PER), who missed the last ten games with a broken bone in his elbow after taking a rough foul back in the Western Conference Semifinals against the Grizzlies. The youngster made an immediate impact off the bench with seven points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting (100.0%), three rebounds, and three assists, while providing Kerr with another defensive option to throw at Boston’s backcourt.
Meanwhile, it appeared that for about half of Sunday night’s 107-88 affair that the Celtics (51-31, 2nd in Eastern Conference) were hellbent on taking an utterly commanding 2-0 lead with them back to Beantown, but that quickly dissipated in the second half as the Eastern Conference Champions left San Francisco content with earning a split on the road. Indeed, Game Two was a tale of two halves for Boston, who carried their momentum from Thursday night’s stunning victory at Chase Center. After twenty-four minutes of action, only two points separated the two sides at intermission, as the visitors hung in despite shooting a poor 38.6% from the field and committing nearly as many turnovers (11) as assists (12), thanks in large part to their torrid three-point shooting; (Head Coach) Ime Udoka’s troops netted a blistering 21-of- 41 treys in Game One (51.2%), and drilled 10-of-19 through the first half of this one (52.6%). Furthermore, after authoring a meager twelve points on a miserable 3-of-17 shooting from the field (17.6%), including 1-of-5 from three (20.0%) in the opener, (All-Star Swingman) Jayson Tatum (26.9 PTS, 45.3% FG, 35.3% 3FG, 85.3% FT, 8.0 REB, 4.4 AST, 1.0 STL, 0.6 BLK, 21.8 PER) asserted himself firmly with twenty-one points on 7-of-16 shooting (43.8%) and 5-of-7 from beyond the arc (71.4%), along with five rebounds, three assists, and a steal. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old would not be able to maintain that form in the second half, where he and his teammates succumbed to another vicious Warriors’ outburst, one that they were unable to counter in the final stanza. Post halftime, the Celtics could muster only 36.1% shooting, as their prowess from the perimeter abandoned them (5-of-18 3FG), while Tatum mustered just seven points on 1-of-3 shooting (33.3%), with Udoka eventually waving the white flag and emptying his bench early in the fourth quarter. So, what went wrong for Boston, you ask? Well, the two most decisive factors for them in these playoffs thus far have been three-pointers and turnovers, and neither favored them in this one. Game One marked the fourth instance in which they buried at least twenty triples, and unsurprisingly each occurrence has resulted in victory. Udoka’s charges have knocked down an insane 278 threes through this playoff run, which is now fifth-most in NBA history, and if this series happens to go the distance (as many believe it will), then there is a real chance that they will shatter the record of 306, which ironically belongs to the 2016 Warriors. With that said, the turnover problem has continued to plague them throughout this successful run; if you thought that this statistic defined Golden State’s success in these playoffs then look at what it’s meant for Boston, who in thirteen victories have committed an average of 12.8 turnovers for 14.0 points parlaying to a +32 margin, but in their seven losses have coughed up the rock on 16.7 occasions for 23.0 points and a damning -117 differential. Indeed, they’ve been downright self-destructive in some of these defeats, including eighteen turnovers for twenty-seven points in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against Milwaukee and a franchise-record twenty-four for thirty-three points in Game Three of the Conference Finals versus Miami. Sunday’s affair marked the fifth time that they’ve totaled eighteen or more turnovers in these playoffs, and the fifth time in which they’ve relinquished at least twenty points from them. Hell, in the third quarter alone they had as many turnovers (4) as they did field goals, which is never a recipe for success. Simply put, shooting below 40.0% against the Dubs is going to make it extremely difficult to win, but doing so while giving away the basketball wholesale is tantamount to suicide. It also certainly didn’t help that the supporting cast around Tatum, which was so impressive in the opener, came crashing back down to Earth in this second chapter. (All-Star Swingman) Jaylen Brown (23.6 PTS, 47.3% FG, 35.8% 3FG, 75.8% FT, 6.1 REB, 3.5 AST, 1.1 STL, 18.9 PER) totaled twenty-four points, seven rebounds, five assists, and a pair of steals in the first Finals appearance of his young career, but over the weekend could offer only seventeen points on a dismal 5-of-17 shooting from the field (29.4%), while (veteran Guard) Derrick White (11.0 PTS, 40.9% FG, 30.6% 3FG, 85.3% FT, 3.4 REB, 3.5 AST, 0.6 STL, 0.6 BLK, 12.9 PER) followed up his 21-point performance off the bench with a more subdued twelve points on 3-of-14 shooting (30.8%). Furthermore, the well ran dry for both (veteran Forward) Al Horford (10.2 PTS, 46.7% FG, 33.6% 3FG, 84.2% FT, 7.7 REB, 3.4 AST, 0.7 STL, 1.3 BLK, 16.7 PER) and (Defensive Player of the Year) Marcus Smart (21.1 PTS, 41.8% FG, 33.1% 3FG, 79.3% FT, 3.8 REB, 5.9 AST, 1.7 STL, 13.6 PER), who after combining for forty-four points on 16-of-23 shooting (69.5%) and 10-of-15 on treys (66.7%) were relegated to a mere FOUR points on 2-of-10 shooting (20.0%). In many ways, this was the performance that many predicted would take place in Game One, given the unforgiving schedule that Udoka & Co had endured for the better part of a month, as they were completely overwhelmed in the second half. Moving forward, the Celtics will count upon the resilience that has defined them to this point, for they haven’t dropped back-to-back games since March 30th. After a defeat in this postseason, they’ve bounced back with flair in averaging 110.3 points on 45.3% shooting, including a stellar 39.3% from downtown, with just 10.1 turnovers, en route to hammering their opponents by a margin of 15.5 points per contest.