Every game of the NBA Finals is live on Sky Sports: Watch Warriors @ Celtics – Game 3, live on Sky Sports Arena & Main Event, on Wednesday night from 1.45am followed by a repeat on Sky Sports Arena from 8am
Monday 6 June 2022 07:08, UK
Jayson Tatum found his scoring touch after a rare poor shooting night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals but it was the rest of his Boston Celtics teammates who went missing.
Now instead of going home in complete control of the Finals, the Celtics will need to regroup following a 107-88 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night that evened the series at one game apiece.
Tatum bounced back from a 3-for-17 shooting performance in the opener to lead the way offensively for Boston with 28 points. But outside of a fast start by Jaylen Brown, he had no help and the Celtics had no answers.
Boston shot 37.5 per cent overall and struggled all night to make anything inside the 3-point line. When the Celtics outside shooting went cold in the third quarter, the Warriors turned a close game into a rout with a 35-14 blitz.
Boston had five turnovers and four baskets in the crucial third quarter, leading to a 23-point deficit that was too much to try to overcome – something the Warriors will have been wary of after the Celtics rallied from 12 points down after three to win the series opener comfortably.
Coach Ime Udoka cleared the bench for much of the fourth quarter, giving his starters some needed rest after grinding their way through gruelling, back-to-back seven-game series in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
If the Celtics are to rebound when the series shifts to Boston for Game 3 on Wednesday night, they will need some of Tatum's supporting cast to play much more like they did in Game 1 than on Sunday.
Al Horford didn't even take a shot in the first half after leading the Celtics with 26 points in the opener and finished with two points.
After making five 3-pointers and scoring 21 points in Game 1, Derrick White missed 9 of 13 shots and was held to 12 points.
Brown made his first three shots and scored 13 points in the first quarter but went 1 for 11 the rest of the way, failing to support Tatum.
Marcus Smart followed up a 7-for-11 shooting night in Game 1 by making just 1-of-6 on Sunday night. Throw in 18 turnovers that yielded 33 points for the Warriors and Tatum had very little help on the offensive end, even if he was able to get going by making 6-of-9 of his 3-point attempts.
Boston has still managed to steal one on the road though, and has taken home court advantage in the NBA Finals. Game 3 is on Wednesday night at TD Garden, and you can watch live on Sky Sports Arena & Main Event from 1.45am.
The Celtics will need to show improvement if they wish to take another step towards winning a record 18th NBA title.
The NBA Finals (TV listings here) continue on Sky Sports this week, subscribe to watch the live action.
