The Keys to Celtics' Winning Game 3 of the NBA Finals

When there's a one-to-one tie in the NBA Finals, whoever prevails in Game 3 raises the Larry O'Brien Trophy 82.1 percent of the time, boasting a combined record of 32-7.

For the Celtics, emerging victorious starts with taking care of the ball. In their 107-88 loss in Game 2, they committed 19 turnovers, 11 of the live-ball variety, and those giveaways led to 33 points for the Warriors.

It's a troubling trend persisting throughout Boston's playoff run. At his post-game presser Sunday, Ime Udoka said: "I think we weren't strong with the ball a lot. (We were) searching for fouls instead of going up and making plays," adding: "That's been a constant theme in the playoffs. When that happens, we're in trouble."

For the Celtics to emerge victorious in this game and this series, they also need to maintain their composure, no matter how challenging it gets. In Game 2, Draymond Green and frustration with the officiating caused Boston to lose focus. It fed into those 19 turnovers and made it even more unlikely they'd head home with a commanding 2-0 series lead.

In the heat of the moment, when upset with the officiating or Green clutching and grabbing, or he's putting his legs on Jaylen Brown's head, it's healthy to show emotion, rather than pretending to be a robot.

Draymond Green and Jaylen Brown getting into it👀 pic.twitter.com/ZV7RmpP3en
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 6, 2022

But a part of being a champion is proceeding with poise, focusing on what needs to get accomplished.

Tuesday, when addressing how he wants his team to handle Green trying to get under the Celtics' skin, Udoka replied: "I'd say be who you are. If you want to ignore it, ignore it. If you want to engage, engage. Do what you do. Be who you are. And the main thing is to continue to stay composed."

Brown echoed a similar sentiment: "Just come out and play basketball and let everything else take care of itself."

For Boston to protect its home floor in Game 3, the Celtics must also play with the necessary energy to prevent the Warriors from going on one of their patented third-quarter runs, as they did in the first two matchups.

Golden State seized control of Game 2 by outscoring Boston 35-14 in the third frame. That set the Warriors up to deliver the knockout blow at the start of the fourth quarter, going on a 6-0 run that prompted Ime Udoka to empty his bench less than two minutes into the period. Through the first two games in this series, Golden State's outpaced Boston 73-38.

A positive for the Celtics in Game 2 that must continue Wednesday is they limited the Warriors to six offensive rebounds and six second-chance points.

That's on the heels of Golden State turning 12 offensive rebounds, six by Kevon Looney, into 26 second-chance points in the series opener. As tiring as it is to keep up with the Warriors and all their off-ball activity, boxing out isn't optional, and if Golden State extends possessions, Boston should expect to pay for it.

Lastly, there's the challenge of defending the Splash Brothers. Two games into the Finals, Stephen Curry's playing the best of anyone in the series. He leads all participants with 31.5 points and three steals per game. He's also averaging 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

For the Celtics, the goal is no different than when they faced the likes of Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. These are elite scorers who typically generate a high-volume of points. The objective is to make them work as hard as possible. If that happens, they can live with the results.

But Curry's more lethal from beyond the arc. In the Finals, he's launching 13 threes per game and converting them at a 46.2 percent clip. The key is coming up higher to meet him as he comes off screens, like Boston did in the fourth quarter of Game 1 when the league's top-ranked defense limited him to four points.

In the play below, Al Horford's waiting for Curry above the three-point line, a shade below the pick from Kevon Looney. Horford and Jayson Tatum surround Curry, White tags the roller, Looney, and Horford uses his length to stay connected to Curry and Looney. Perhaps the latter could've gotten to the other side of the rim with more urgency, but the pass could still prove difficult. Instead, Curry rises for a floater as Tatum comes across his face to contest the shot.

In the final frame of Game 1, the Celtics also went smaller, allowing them to switch against screens with greater frequency than in the first three quarters. That's their preferred method for dealing with picks, and a reason they're likely better off spending more time with only one traditional big on the floor.

Boston doesn't switch the off-ball screen below, which is really Green grabbing his defender, Jayson Tatum. But when Curry shakes free of Derrick White, Tatum has no choice but to jump out to contest his potential shot. That results in Curry giving the ball up, swinging it to Andrew Wiggins, who's plenty capable of making this three, but the Celtics will live with this shot.

The Celtics also know they have to do everything in their power to prevent Klay Thompson from finding his rhythm. Through the first two games, he's averaging 13 points and connecting on only 26.7 percent of his three-point attempts.

But this is the same Splash Brother that scored 32 points to help put away the Mavericks in Game five of the Western Conference Finals and drilled eight threes to help eliminate the Grizzlies in Game 6 of the previous round.

It's not that the loser of Game 3 can't overcome going down 2-1, but as referenced earlier, there's a reason the victor goes on to win the championship 82.1 percent of the time. For the Warriors, a win on Wednesday means reclaiming home court. For the Celtics, it opens their best path to a title, creating the possibility of holding serve at home and giving themselves three chances to win one game to capture the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

By following the steps identified above, Boston will put itself in an advantageous position to sway the outcome of this pivotal matchup in it's favor.

Further Reading

Jayson Tatum's Aware of Debates About If He's a Superstar, But He's Focused on Getting 3 More Wins

Ime Udoka Provides Update on Robert Williams Ahead of Game 3 of NBA Finals

Celtics Address Draymond Green Trying to Get Under Their Skin: 'We're here to play basketball, don't get caught up in the antics'

The Celtics Know Failing to Protect Home Court Likely Leaves Them on Losing End of NBA Finals

Turnovers at Root of Celtics' Game 2 Loss vs. Warriors: 'a constant theme in the playoffs; when that happens, we're in trouble'

The Anatomy of the Celtics' Fourth-Quarter Comeback in Game 1 of NBA Finals

Tony Parker Sizes Up the NBA Finals, Talks Ime Udoka and His Collaboration with MTN Dew LEGEND

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