(Curry said after Game 3 he expects to play in Game 4.)īut the Dubs stand no chance if the hub of their defense is lost.
DRAYMOND GREEN STATS SERIES
This series isn’t over - unless of course Curry cannot play on Friday because of his foot injury, picked up late in the fourth quarter. There are, of course, adjustments that the Warriors can make ahead of Game 4. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole gather themselves as the Warriors fall to the Celtics 116-100. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 08: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) lies in pain after a loose ball wrestling match with the Boston Celtics’ Al Horford (42) in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. In many ways, the Celtics beat the Dubs with Golden State’s template: They turned great defense into offense and capitalized on lopsided defenses in their half-court offense. The Celtics kept the ball moving for 40-something minutes in Game 3, and when they do that, with their half-court defense, they are something close to unbeatable. That’s a defensive breakdown and the Celtics capitalized on them early and often.
No, Curry made penetration easy after he picked up a soft early foul - his physicality in Game 2 helped him turn in a great defensive game but such bumping was not going to fly in Boston - and then, approaching the lane, with Green abandoning his mark, the Celtics’ ball handler - be that Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum or Marcus Smart - all kicked to the man left open on the perimeter or in the dunker’s spot. That over-aggressiveness could result in forced turnovers, as we saw in Game 2, but Boston’s plan Wednesday counteracted that problem.īoston’s perimeter ball-handlers weren’t looking for their own shot when they drove in Game 3. The Celtics had seen in the first two games that Green was over-helping, attacking the ball handler in the mid-range instead of collapsing into the paint. The Celtics’ new offensive plan on Wednesday was to attack Curry as a primary defender, but more specifically to go at Green as the help defender. (32) fight for the ball against Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (7) in the third quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 08: Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) and Golden State Warriors’ Otto Porter Jr. No, credit the Celtics for their adjustment. No, the truly concerning part of the Green’s Game 3 was his poor defense.ĭon’t blame the “ Draymond” chants at the TD Garden. Of course, the box score rarely explains Green’s impact, good or bad. He has five made field goals and 15 fouls in this series. He finished with two points, two turnovers, four rebounds, three assists and six fouls. The Celtics waited until Game 3 to respond, but they were marvelous from the opening tip at TD Garden as “Shipping Out to Boston” blared.Įven when the Warriors surged back in the third quarter, Green struggled. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 08: Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) defends against Boston Celtics’ Derrick White (9) in the second quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. He was able to knock the young Celtics off their game with physicality and trash talk. If all things are equal, that experience should win out, with Green as the player who can most effectively weaponize it. What the Warriors have in their favor is Curry and a trove of experience. His play seems directly correlated with the Warriors winning and losing.Īnd worse yet, in all three games, he’s looked old.īoston is young, strong, long and the more athletic team. Thompson’s early-series struggles melted away in Game 3 - his big performance gave the Warriors a chance to win on the road.īut Green has not held up his end of the bargain in two of this series’ three games. BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JUNE 08: Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) defends against Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (7) in the first quarter of Game 3 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden in Boston, Mass., on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. It’s one of those stats that seems to be shoehorned, but when you consider how many playoff series that have played in, it’s stunning.Ĭurry had a poor defensive game Wednesday, but he has been marvelous on offense for three games.
The Warriors have never lost a playoff series under Steve Kerr when Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Green have all played in every game.