Warriors Use Familiar Formula to Get Even With Celtics

It’s closing in on Bill Buckner, Deflategate and Babe Ruth Trade as phrases that send chills through fans in greater New England.

Officially the Celtics are not a bad third quarter team. In the regular season, they had a plus-2.7 scoring differential in the third quarter. In the playoffs, it has dipped to minus-0.8—cringey, but not an awful number.

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Lately, though, some third quarters have been truly catastrophic. There was the 34–17 blitz Milwaukee put on them in Game 3 of the conference semifinals.

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The 39–17 drubbing Miami clubbed Boston with in Game 1 of the conference finals. In Game 1 of the Finals, Golden State hit the Celtics with a 38–24 third quarter.

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Boston rallied, stunning the Warriors with a 40–15 fourth quarter to come away with the win.

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The Celtics played with fire again in Game 2, allowing Golden State to run off a 35–14 third quarter, stretching a two-point halftime lead to 23.

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This time, though, Boston couldn’t rally, allowing Golden State to even the series with a 107–88 win.

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For Golden State, Sunday felt therapeutic. For three days the Warriors heard what Draymond Green termed simply “the noise.” About how Golden State coughed up a double-digit fourth quarter lead in Game 1.

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About how after a Stephen Curry first-quarter explosion the Dubs’ offense was stifled by a swarming Boston defense. About how Green, the engine of this Warriors team, missed 10 of his 12 shots.

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