The Boston Celtics beat the Golden State Warriors 116-100 to take a 2-1 lead in the third game of the NBA Finals series on Wednesday night.
Jaylen Brown scored 17 of his 27 points in the first quarter as his Boston Celtics side bounced back from game two defeat with Jayson Tatum contributing 26 points and Marcus Smart adding 24.
The Warriors came out firing in the third quarter and briefly took the lead on a three-pointer by Steph Curry, who had a game high 31 points.
But the Celtics used their superior size to dominate the glass while their smothering defence led to 16 Golden State turnovers.
‘I wanted to impose my will on the game and be aggressive,’ said Celtics’ Tatum, who finished with 26 points and nine assists.
“Whether I miss shots or not, I’m going to keep playing. My team-mates believe in me to make the right play to get the best shot. All that matters is that we got the win.”
Celtics’ Smart added, “They punched us in our mouths in game two, and we responded.”
