For one of the rare occasions this season, the sense of urgency and the Boston Celtics providing above-average effort collided.
And the end result was an impressive 125-119 victory that has put, at a minimum, a delay on the Brooklyn Nets’ coronation as the best team in the East.
However, there was something even more valuable gained by Boston as they cut Brooklyn’s lead in the best-of-seven series down to 2-1.
Conventional wisdom told us all that a near-perfect game on Boston’s part combined with a sub-par Brooklyn performance would have to be in the cards for Boston to pull off the upset.
However, Kemba Walker struggled (six points, 3-for-14 shooting) with his shot all night, Robert Williams (ankle) played just six minutes because of injury, and the team’s bench once again provided very little offensive punch (10 points).
And the Celtics still came away with the win.
Kyrie Irving, public enemy No. 1 among Celtics’ fans, struggled with his shot (6-for-17 shooting) before finishing with just 16 points. Joe Harris, coming off an impressive Game 2 performance, was a non-factor as well with eight points on 3-for-9 shooting.
But this game wasn’t about who struggled for Brooklyn, but rather who surged ahead for Boston to make this series, for one game at least, a series worth watching. Of course, Jayson Tatum’s 50-point performance stood out, as did Marcus Smart chipping in 23 points on just 11 shot attempts. But there was Tristan Thompson (19 points, 13 rebounds) providing the kind of inside presence at both ends of the floor that Celtics fans thought they would have seen more often by now. Romeo Langford played almost as many minutes as the entire Celtics bench combined.
Lots of different players, making the most of their opportunities to contribute to the team’s success.
Yes, Celtics fans. This is what you have been waiting for.
Langford from long range
The reason Romeo Langford sees playing time is primarily because of his defense. But in Game 3, Langford showcased a level of confidence offensively we have rarely seen before. The second-year wing finished with six points which included a pair of 3-pointers made a pair of 3-pointers. As much as the Celtics are focused on this playoff series against the heavily-favored Brooklyn Nets, there has to be an eye towards the near future … like next season. Having Langford find success offensively even if it’s a limited sample size, is huge for Boston heading into what will likely be an offseason with a number of changes within the team’s reserve players.
Fandom gone too far?
The Boston Celtics have some of the most passionate fans in the NBA. But as we’ve seen in recent days, sometimes NBA fandom can go a bit too far.
Washington’s Russell Westbrook was doused with popcorn by a Sixers fan as Westbrook was being helped back to the locker room following an ankle injury. We also saw a New York Knicks fan spit at Atlanta’s Trae Young which resulted in both fans being removed from the arena indefinitely.
When you combine those events with Kyrie Irving’s comments on the eve of Game 3 between Brooklyn and Boston, anything was possible.
There is no part of the country that’s fully insulated from being impacted in some form by racism.
While Irving did not provide any specific examples of racism he has experienced, he has played with at least one current Celtic who has experienced racism while in Boston.
Smart is quick to explain that he does not associate all Celtics fans with those who have been racist towards him. But that shouldn’t diminish the message that Irving and so many others are trying to deliver when it comes to discussing racism.
“Happy it was a great start to seeing what this crowd is going to be like,” Irving told reporters. “I’m looking forward to the challenge (of Game 4).”
Timelord (ankle) questionable for Game 4
Robert Williams. Health questions.
So what else is new?
Williams left Game 3 with an ankle injury after just six minutes of action. It was later revealed by Brad Stevens that the third-year big man was in a walking boot. For Celtics fans, this likely means a lot more Tristan Thompson and Grant Williams at center in Game 4.
In Game 3, playing those two worked out quite well for Boston.
Thompson had arguably his best game as a Celtic, scoring 19 points to go with 13 rebounds. Meanwhile, Williams had four points while making both of his field-goal attempts, and just as significant, Boston was a plus-15.