The Boston Celtics regained the series lead with another win in Game 3 over the Golden State Warriors. Can the Celtics put the Warriors on the rope with another win this Saturday? Or, will Golden State level the field again?
Catch this game live on Saturday, June 11, at 9 AM, Manila time
Away: Golden State Warriors (1-2/0-1 Away)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Stephen Curry
- SG: Klay Thompson
- SF: Andrew Wiggins
- PF: Draymond Green
- C: Kevon Looney
The Warriors dropped their customary third-quarter bomb in the third period of Game 3, but that was it for them. They got beat in all the other quarters, in two of which Golden got outscored by at least 11 points. Stephen Curry scored 31 points on 12/22 shooting and Klay Thompson rebounded from an anemic night in Game 2 by firing 25 points. The Splash Brothers combined for 11 of the Warriors’ 15 threes, but those were still not enough to beat Boston, in large part because the guys that were supposed to anchor Golden State’s defense were the ones who put together some of the worst jobs in that area, statistically speaking.
Draymond Green and Kevon Looney finished Game 3 with a 127.9 and a 121.1 defensive rating, respectively. Gary Payton II played in 11 minutes and had a -.52.0 net rating. Nevertheless, the Warriors have been in this kind of fight too many times before, so they can still be trusted to make the right adjustments. Plus. Klay Thompson appears to have found his rhythm back – a big plus for the Warriors, who are 4-0 ATS in their last four games after a loss.
Home: Boston Celtics (2-1/1-0 Home)
Projected Starting Five:
- PG: Marcus Smart
- SG: Jaylen Brown
- SF: Jayson Tatum
- PF: Grant Williams
- C: Robert Williams
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum held a party in Beantown and were joined by Marcus Smart in Game 3. Brown paced the Celtics with 27 points, while Tatum and Smart had 26 and 24 points, respectively. Brown was a monster on both ends of the floor, draining shots from all over the field and making impactful defensive plays. The Celtics’ menacing defense is surely being felt by Golden State, notwithstanding the production of Curry and Thompson in Boston’s 116-100 win in Game 3.
So far in the series, the Warriors are posting a lower true shooting percentage (57.5%), effective field goal percentage (55.0%), and offensive rating (110.5). The Celtics are trending in the right direction in this series and they still have another game at home before hitting the road. With momentum and location favoring the Celtics on paper heading to Game 4, Boston can dig the Warriors a deeper hole in what could become a series-defining game on Saturday. The Celtics are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread: The Warriors (+4) cover the spread.
Over/Under: Taking the Under (214.5).
