When the Boston Celtics lose a playoff game, they have a reliable response the next game.
For the seventh time in as many games in the 2022 postseason, the Celtics followed a loss with a victory.
Playing an NBA Finals game at home for the first time since 2010, Boston defeated Golden State 116-100 in Game 3 on Wednesday, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.
The Celtics led for all but 49 seconds — Golden State was up 2-0 and 83-82 — and had a double-digit lead for much of the contest.
Jaylen Brown scored 17 of Boston’s 33 first-quarter points, helping the Celtics to an 11-point edge after the first 12 minutes. He scored or assisted on 24 of those points.
Brown made 6-of-9 shots and played all 12 minutes of the opening quarter and had 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the first half.
With 5:06 remaining in the third quarter, Steph Curry made a 3-pointer and Boston’s Al Horford was assessed a flagrant foul-1 for not giving Curry room to land after his shot.
Curry made the free throw, Golden State retained possession, and Otto Porter Jr. made a 3-pointer that became a seven-point possession, trimming a nine-point Boston lead to 82-80.