C’s lament more 3rd-quarter woes after blowout

SAN FRANCISCO — The Boston Celtics used a outstanding comeback to beat their usually disastrous third quarter in Recreation 1 of the NBA Finals.

They’d no such luck in Recreation 2.

The Golden State Warriors, powered by a 35-14 third-quarter benefit, blew out Boston on Sunday night time, successful 107-88 at Chase Middle to even up this best-of-seven sequence at one recreation apiece. And the Warriors did so by exploiting what has persistently been the Achilles’ heel for Boston all through these playoffs: poor begins to second halves.

“It is one thing now we have to repair,” Celtics middle Al Horford stated.

Within the three days between Video games 1 and a pair of, Boston talked repeatedly about the necessity to keep away from one other ugly third quarter just like the one it needed to start this sequence, as Golden State’s 38-24 benefit within the third in Recreation 1 was erased solely due to the Celtics turning round and having their very own inconceivable fourth quarter.

There was no such comeback, nevertheless, in Recreation 2. Boston shot simply 4-for-17 within the third quarter on Sunday and dedicated 5 turnovers that turned 11 Warriors factors. Golden State, in the meantime, went 7-for-12 from 3-point vary, as Stephen Curry matched Boston’s level whole by himself.

By the point Jordan Poole buried two bombs from means behind the 3-point line inside the ultimate 30 seconds of the third — first hitting a 29-footer earlier than then burying one from almost the half-court line because the buzzer sounded — the injury had already been executed, leaving the formality of the ultimate 12 minutes to be performed for Golden State to tie this sequence up.

“I feel tonight, turnovers, and I feel typically letting our offense have an effect on how we defend, type of was just a little stagnant within the third quarter,” stated Jayson Tatum, who led Boston with 28 factors in Recreation 2 however completed a minus-36 — the worst plus-minus of his profession. “I really feel prefer it translated on the defensive finish, and so they received going and hitting photographs and issues like that.”

It’s removed from shocking that Boston is struggling within the third quarter, because it has been a sore spot for the Celtics all through the playoffs. Some numbers to again that up:

• Boston now has two of the worst third quarters on this yr’s playoffs: Recreation 1 towards the Miami Warmth within the Jap Convention finals, when the Celtics have been outscored by 25; and Golden State’s 21-point edge on Sunday.

• The Celtics have been outscored by not less than 14 factors 4 occasions within the third quarter in these playoffs — all of which have come on the highway. Three of these video games have been Boston’s three highway losses in these playoffs (Recreation 3 towards the Milwaukee Bucks within the Jap Convention semifinals, Recreation 1 versus Miami and Recreation 2 towards Golden State). The Celtics’ one win in that scenario was Recreation 1 of this sequence.

• Boston has been outscored by 37 factors within the third quarter in these playoffs. And in Recreation 2 of the Finals, the Celtics had extra turnovers (5) within the third quarter than made discipline targets (4).

• The Celtics have been 2-for-12 on contested photographs in Sunday’s third quarter, per ESPN monitoring information, and they’re 4-for-22 on contested appears to be like within the third quarter within the Finals. Over the course of the playoffs, Boston is taking pictures 35.7% on contested photographs within the third, which ranks fifteenth among the many 16 groups to take part within the playoffs (solely the Toronto Raptors, who misplaced within the first spherical, have been worse).

There is a cause, in any case, the Celtics stated a number of variations of the identical theme over the previous couple of days: After saying time and again it is time to play higher within the third quarter, it is time to really achieve this.

Then they proceeded to have their third-quarter historical past repeat itself.

“Yeah, it is undoubtedly irritating,” Celtics guard Derrick White stated. “I imply, we have talked about it just about the entire postseason. It is easy to speak about, however we have to go on the market and alter one thing.

“That was a giant quarter for them and actually 1 / 4 that put us away.”

Boston’s third-quarter downside wasn’t the one one of many group’s unhealthy habits this postseason to repeat itself. When the Celtics battle, it is typically due to turnovers. And on this recreation, Boston had 21 turnovers that turned 33 Warriors factors, the second-most factors off turnovers in an NBA Finals recreation previously 25 years — together with 11 dwell ball turnovers and 9 steals.

“That is been an ongoing theme within the playoffs to this point,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka stated. “We have turned over the ball. Take groups out of scoring towards us within the half courtroom, give them some baskets.

“However it was extra of the identical in that third quarter. We had 11 for 18 factors in that first half and gave up 5 or 6 extra in that quarter. Form of blew it open, and that hampered our offense, as effectively.”

Moreover, after Horford, White and Marcus Sensible — members of Boston’s supporting solid — mixed to hit 15 3-pointers in Recreation 1, the Celtics made 15 as a group in Recreation 2. Gamers not named Tatum or Jaylen Brown went a mixed 6-for-19 from deep.

Boston additionally struggled mightily from 2-point vary, going 15-for-43 (34.8%) — and taking pictures worse on 2s than on 3s.

Principally, although, the Celtics felt like they squandered a chance to place Golden State on life assist. They went into the locker room at halftime feeling like they did not play effectively and but have been down by solely two factors. Then they performed even worse within the third, and that was that.

Nonetheless, the Celtics do head again to Boston with the sequence twisted up and home-court benefit efficiently secured. Boston is aware of it has loads of issues to enhance if it needs to keep up that benefit and, after dropping two house video games to each Milwaukee and Miami over the previous two rounds, is aware of it wants to guard house courtroom this time.

“The previous would not matter,” Brown stated. “Nothing previously issues up till this second, to be trustworthy. Every part that occurred within the final sequence and the sequence earlier than, who cares.

“Proper now, we’re right here enjoying a distinct opponent, a distinct group, and we have to have a look at it as such. We have got to come back out and play our greatest model of basketball, as a result of we’re able to doing it. So we have simply received to come back out and try this.”

ESPN Stats & Info contributed to this story.