After an interesting start to the 2022 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics, the action moves to Boston for a 3rd game on Wednesday night. In the 39 times the finals were tied 1-1, the team that won the third game won the title 82.1 percent of the time.
As such, it is a borderline victory for both teams. Will the Warriors be able to get into Boston and steal the lead on the court? Or will the Celtics remain perfect after a playoff loss and take control of the series at home? Our experts have made their choices and the overwhelming majority is riding with the team on the green.
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How to watch game 3 live
- Game: NBA Finals, Game 2
- Date: Wednesday, June 8 | Time: 9 pm ET
- Location: TD Garden – Boston, Massachusetts
- TV: ABC | Live streaming: fuboTV (get access now)
- Probabilities: GS +140; BOS -160; O / U 212.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured game | Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors
Celtics vs. Prediction Warriors, 3rd party election
Bill Reiter: Boston delights in the fact that he’s at home, Golden State non-stars like Jordan Poole keep fighting and Steph Curry’s individual excellence isn’t enough to regain the lead on the local court. Third: Boston -3.5 | Celtics 111, Warriors 101
Brad Botkin: I’ll keep picking the Celtics because I think they’re the best team, even if it’s a little bit. The return of Gary Payton II gives Boston less defense to score, but Jordan Poole will still have about 20 minutes and Boston will chase him with his scorers. I prefer the individual creation of Boston. I prefer the Boston defense. There’s a lot of load on Stephen Curry’s shoulders as the Warriors have been getting heavy and Klay Thompson isn’t proving close to the support he once did. If Poole loses minutes for defensive reasons, this load for Curry becomes even heavier. No matter the local audience, it will be crazy in Boston. Give me the green. Third: Boston -3.5 | Celtics 111, Warriors 105
James Herbert: How are you supposed to know when the Celtics attack will sink? Just when you think they’ve left their billing issues behind, they seem to be neglected again. If you’re partial to Boston, though, there’s good news: this team hasn’t lost two games in a row during the playoffs, and after some of its best offensive performances, some of the worst have followed. I hope the Celtics have better space and make better decisions against the Warriors midfield defense. Third: Boston -3.5 | Celtics 116, Warriors 108
Sam Quinn: Part of me wants to take Golden State as a tribute to Boston’s poor home performance this postseason. The Celtics are 3-4 in Boston in the last two rounds and have survived thanks to their eight road victories so far this postseason. If you expect the local track lead to turn the series in the direction of Boston, you might disappoint me. But if you’re looking for basketball grounds to catch the Celtics? You will find a lot of them. Let’s start with one obvious thing: Boston lost seven minutes to Daniel Theis by 12 stunning points in Game 2. He only scored four points from Al Horford and Marcus Smart, and Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined more than half of your total points. . Expect Boston to enter Game 3 with a tighter rotation and an updated game plan for Golden State’s pick-and-roll offensive. Third: Boston -3.5 | Celtics 99, Warriors 92
Jasmyn Wimbish: Both teams are responding very well after the losses. The Celtics are 6-0 this postseason after a loss and the Warriors are not far behind with a 5-0 lead in the playoffs. These teams not only excel in bounce games, but dominate their opponents in the process. Golden State outscored the team by 15.4 points after a loss, while Boston outscored the team by a margin of 15.5 points after the loss. I say all this to say that I chose the Celtics to recover from that break in the second game and take a 2-1 lead in the series. Third: Boston -3.5 | Celtics 116, Warriors 103
Jack Maloney: Choosing the Celtics for all the reasons everyone has already explained here. This team can be difficult to understand at times, but this has become clear: they always respond to adversity. They will be ready to play game 3. Choose: Boston -3.5 | Celtics 114, Warriors 100
Colin Ward-Henninger: The Warriors have punched the Celtics with the trademark of the third quarter in each of the first two games of the series, but I’m a little skeptical that they can do it again in the first game of the final at home in Boston for over a decade. The return of Gary Payton II provides a crucial card for Steve Kerr to play, but ultimately, if the Celtics reduce their staff losses and occasionally a headless offense, I think they will prevail. Let the confrontation continue. Third: Boston -3.5 | Celtics 99, Warriors 92
Michael Kaskey-Blomain: If the Warriors hadn’t completely collapsed in the fourth quarter of Game 1, chances are this series would be 2-0 right now and it would feel very different. Of course, you could say that Boston’s role-playing players will play better at home in Game 3 than in Game 2, but the Warriors also have several key contributors who could play better, and they also have the best player in the series in Steph Curry. . I don’t think playing on the road in front of a hostile audience doesn’t favor this team. In fact, I believe that silencing the crowd could even serve as additional motivation for experienced warriors. Selection: Golden State +3.5 | Warriors 105, Celtics 98