The Boston Celtics regained control of the 2022 NBA Finals on Wednesday night by pulling away from the Golden State Warriors down the stretch to secure a 116-100 victory in Game 3 and take a 2-1 lead in the series. While the on-court action produced plenty of talking points, there was a lot going on off the floor as well. The Celtics' crowd, which was particularly hostile toward Draymond Green, became a storyline throughout the night -- to the point that Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and multiple players addressed it after the game.
Boston has always been known for having great playoff environments, and Game 3 was no exception. With the Finals back in Boston for the first time since 2010, a late 9 p.m. local time start, and their team coming off a loss, the locals brought everything they had. TD Garden was loud well before tip-off, and the atmosphere impressed everyone from the broadcast crew to Warriors beat reporters.
As expected, the crowd had something extra for Green. The Warriors forward is a villain in every road arena, but after his performance (and antics) in Game 2, the Celtics fans were hot. It took just a few minutes for them to start raining down "f--- you Draymond" chants, and they jeered him at every opportunity.
Those came often throughout the night, as Green played one of his worst games of the postseason, finishing with two points, four rebounds, three assists and more turnovers (two) than made baskets (one). He also fouled out in the fourth quarter, much to the crowd's delight.
But for all the excitement and reactions in the media, the Warriors players insisted that the atmosphere wasn't a factor in the loss. Green said he was expecting that sort of atmosphere, and didn't want to give them a reaction. "Par for the course," Steph Curry said. "Every arena you kind of get a little something. It's been like that the whole playoffs and every run we've made over the course. He expects it. So no different tonight."
Both Kerr and Klay Thompson did, however, seem to take offense to the language being used. "Classy," Kerr said. "Very classy."
"[The crowd] was not a factor," Thompson said. "We've played in front of rude people before. Dropping f-bombs with children in the crowd. Real classy. Good job, Boston"
While the Warriors tried to downplay the effect the fans had on the game, the Celtics were praising it in the other interview room. In particular, Al Horford credited them with helping the team get through a tough stretch in the third quarter where the Warriors surged back to briefly re-take the lead.
"Yeah, I felt like our team really stayed poised in those moments," Horford said. "As you know, earlier in the year, that could have gone south quickly. The other thing was the energy from our fans was just contagious. I felt it going into just -- when I did my shooting slot an hour and a half before the game, and as soon as I saw that, I was like, yeah, it's going to be different tonight. They stayed with us even through that because sometimes things can get shaky."
The Celtics will hope to get the same boost on Friday night in Game 4, when they'll have a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead.
