Boston Celtics use size, quickness to regain control of series in Game 3

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The NBA still rewards size and speed at big moments despite the celebration of skill and small ball. The Boston Celtics used their speed, length and physical superiority to bury the Golden State Warriors 116-100 in Game 3 of the NBA finals, taking a 2-1 series lead.

The Celtics have built their championship hopes on the strength of their top-flight defense and the ability of their two talented attackers, Jaylen Brown and Aron Baynes. The teams split the first two games in San Francisco but the Celtics' defense and wing tandem did well. On Wednesday, Boston's D showed off its flexibility while Brown and Tatum turned in mature, heady performances that helped the Celtics take a commanding lead in the first half.

Brown has traditionally generated many of his opportunities in the flow rather than on set play calls. In the Celtics' half-court game, he was the one who initiated. Brown was aggressive with his drives to the basket. He moved the ball quickly when he saw help defenders. Brown was happy when the Warriors' defensive rotation opened up quality looks from the outside. He finished with 27 points, hitting 9 of his 16 field goal attempts and 5 of 6 from the stripe.

In the first two games, he averaged 20 points, but on less than 30% shooting from the field, he didn't produce his most dynamic or efficient effort. Ime Udoka attributed some of Tatum's struggles to his tendency to look for fouls. In the third game of the series, Tatum had nine assists against only one turnover, largely because he read the Warriors' defense and found teammates quickly.

The Celtics did not attempt a shot at the rim in the second game of the series. In the first half, Boston attempted 14 shots at the rim and drew four shooting fouls, with Brown leading the charge. The Celtics had a drive-and- kick game. The Celtics didn't see a lot of 3-point attempts in San Francisco, but they still converted 35 of them. Boston had a big lead in points in the paint.

The Warriors staged their signature rally in the third quarter. Golden State took the lead briefly during a 14-3 run that included a seven-point possession after trailing for much of the night. Despite Curry's statements, the Celtics rebuilt their lead. As the game slipped away from the Warriors in the fourth quarter with a little more than two minutes remaining, Celtics big man Al Horford dived for the ball, landing on Curry's left leg. The rest of the Warriors' starters did not come back after Curry left the floor with an injured ankle.

The Warriors were eager to see Klay Thompson return to form. Thompson scored 25 points on 17 tries, but one was wasted. The Warriors were turned over 17 times and gave up 15 offensive rebound to Boston. Golden State likes to refer to these two columns as the "possession battle", and it was one they lost.

The Warriors have emphasized that they are not the same team as the one that won three titles in five finals appearances. It was more obvious in Game 3 than it has been during the title run. The Warriors team is still a work in progress and there's some work to be done.