Warriors vs Celtics Game 3 Preview and Predictions

We are headed east for Game 3 of the NBA Finals as the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics are level at 1-1 through two games in the NBA Finals.

Follow game 3 live action between the Warriors and the Celtics

All square through two games

The all important Game 3 will go a long way in deciding who will go on to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy in a few weeks time.

The series has looked dead even so far, with both teams exchanging blows. The Celtics took home court away from the Warriors in Game 1, becoming just the 18th team to win the opener away from home. Statistically that doesn’t swing the momentum in the Celtics favor, because of those 17 teams just nine of them have gone on to win the NBA Championship.

Golden State got one back in Game 2 with another fabulous performance from Steph Curry. He followed his 34 point Game 1 with a 29 point performance in the win on Sunday night, but it was the Warriors defense that secured the victory Steve Kerr’s side. They shut the Celtics down to 14 points in the third quarter, the same amount that Curry scored in the same quarter.

Curry carries the Warriors in Cali

If Curry continues to play as he has been, he finally might get that elusive Finals MVP that he says he hasn’t been chasing, but surely will have a corner reserved in the back of his mind. He has been Mr. Consistency for the Warriors side that got Klay Thompson back, but he has been just a shadow of the Klay Thompson of old so far in the Finals.

Thompson has struggled in the first two games of the Finals. He is averaging just 13 points a game in this series shooting a combined 10-33 from the field, and just 4-15 from three point range in the opening games from the Chase Center.

Strangely enough the Celtics had the most success when their superstar struggled. Jayson Tatum had a dreadful Game 1, scoring just 12 points on 3-17 shooting, but it was the role players who stepped up and won the game, especially in the fourth quarter. Al Horford had a night to remember, dropping 26 points and a career high six threes in the win. Jaylen Brown had 24 points and Derrick White, who has been so good off the bench for the Celtics, had 21 points.

Boston looking to bounce back for sixth time this postseason

Boston is yet to lose consecutive games this post season, having bounced back the game after each of their five losses in the postseason. They will have to keep that streak up if they want to take the upper hand in the series on Wednesday night.

The season series between these two teams is now even at 2-2, and the only home team to win any one of the four games this season was Golden State on Sunday night. They will look to keep that trend going on Wednesday at TD Garden in Game 3.

Prediction

I think the Golden State Warriors come out and take home court back from the Celtics in the first Finals game from Boston in over a decade. This is a team with a core that knows who to handle difficult situations as they showed on Sunday night with a very professional win in Game 2.

You have to think that Curry is going to continue his fantastic form on the biggest stage. Another thing to take into account is Klay Thompson has yet to go off in this series. If he and Curry are feeling it from the field, this tough Golden State team becomes nearly impossible to beat.

When I look back at the first eight quarters of the Finals, there is really only one quarter where I think Boston has played better. That came in the fourth quarter of Game 1, and it was enough to win them the game.

Game 3 Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET

Boston needs to figure out a game plan to control Curry. He cannot be stopped, but if they can contain him and not allow him to take over a game like he did in the third quarter of Game 2 or the first quarter of Game 1, they will have a much better chance. They have the defense to do it, but It’s much easier said than done obviously.

I’ve said it since the beginning of the series, and I will stick to my convictions. I think this series is going to a Game 7, but the Warriors will win Game 3 in Boston.