NBA Final Update: Celtics up (2-1)

The Boston Celtics bounced back from a (107-88) road loss in #2 and won (116-100) at home in game 3, to take a (2-1) NBA final round lead vs the Golden State Warriors.

Again no close game and I watched none. Boston led by 12 at the half, again got outscored in the third quarter and as was the case in their game 1 road win, outscored “G.S.” decisively, (not as much as in game 1 when they trailed entering the “4th,” but did so by 13 points to win by 16, the # of points the Warriors had in the “4th” of game 1. Last night the Warriors had a pitiful 11), in the fourth quarter.

“Jay”len Brown led Boston with 27, “Jay”son Tatum had 26 while Marcus Smart added 24 for the Celtics, who had already achieved a road win in a final round series for the 21st time in 22 such entities. (Only in ’87 when L.A. took all 3 of their home tilts did Boston fail to win a road final round game).

It was a third straight game in which Steph Curry led all scorers, but it was not a win. Additionally Curry was injured, though likely and hopefully, will play in #4 on Friday night.

Click above for some highlights from what appears to be the Celtics’ game 5 title clinching win vs the Warriors in 1964. Then it was a 6th consecutive title.

If Boston, now over a 2 to 1 series favorite and (-4) in #4, prevails it would be just the Celtics’ second title in 36 seasons, (1/18) but a record 18th, one more than the Lakers, as the Celtics once had 16 of the NBA’s 40 crowns (’47-’86) (2/5 or 40 percent) and nearly half (11) of the first 23 NBA crowns (’47-’69) as they won an incredible 11 titles in 13 seasons (’57-’69).

This series is far from over!