The Boston Celtics recaptured the upper hand in their NBA Finals series against the Golden State Warriors on June 8 courtesy of a 116-100 victory in front of their home crowd.
Yet, despite his immeasurable impact in game two on June 5, Draymond Green was virtually invisible throughout the contest and struggled to motivate his team as they fell victim to Boston’s intensity and physicality. Green ended the game with two points, four rebounds, and three assists, while his usual mind-games also failed to pay dividends.
Speaking on a post-game show following Boston’s victory, former Celtics champion Kendrick Perkins questioned Draymond’s level of play, noting how he was ‘nonexistent’ for the majority of the contest.
Perk didn’t mince words about Draymond being “nonexistent” in Game 3 @KendrickPerkins
“How can Draymond Green do all the things he did in game two, talk all the noise he talked upcoming to this game, and not do a damn thing in the game. To me, he was preparing more for his post-game podcast than he was actually ready for the game. I’m not afraid of Draymond Green, I’m going to speak my mind when it comes to him, and he was nonexistent. He poked the bear in Jaylen Brown, and then he didn’t help his team fight the bear, that was the key tonight,” Perkins said following Boston’s game three victory.
Jaylen Brown Focused on Championships
A lot has been said about how Green got into Brown’s head on June 5, and that Steve Kerr had won the adjustment battle by matching the pair up on defense. However, on June 8, Brown came out of the gates hot, dropping 17 points in the first 12 minutes while also grabbing five rebounds, and dishing out three assists.
Brown ended the game as the Celtics’ top scorer with 27 points, and fell one rebound short of a double-double, grabbing nine in total. Still, Brown’s performance was the perfect way to retaliate after Green had one the mental battle in their previous meeting, especially since Boston now holds the momentum heading into game four.
Speaking to the media following Boston’s victory, Brown explained how the opportunity to win a championship is what’s driving him to raise his game to new levels.
“Our team obviously is in a position to win some games and do something special. Coming out each and every night, and putting our best foot forward is what we’ve got to do. When we win as a team, it feels even better. Tonight was a great team win for us,” Brown said.
Draymond Green Admits to Having a Bad Game
Nobody expects Green to be a scoring threat, that’s not his game. Instead, the three-time champion is known for his ability to read the game and quarterback an offense, while also being one of the best defenders in the league – arguably, a generational defensive talent.
Yet, Ime Udoka’s game plan sought to nullify Green, and it worked perfectly. And as most people know, if you can limit the Warriors’ ability to play through Green, you’re limiting their ability to generate easy offense for Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Speaking to the media following the game on June 8, Green was honest about his struggles and took the blame for his team not meeting Boston’s intensity.
“I just think I never found a rhythm, really on both ends of the floor. Not enough force. But just got to find a rhythm quicker,” Green said, “I think it’s just my approach to the game. If I approach the game differently, there’s no big X’s and O’s adjustment in the NBA Finals. You know what they do. They know what you do. They played with more force in the game tonight, and we have to come out and do that on Friday.”
Boston and Golden State will face off in game four of the NBA Finals on Friday, June 10 before heading back to San Francisco for game five on Monday, June 13.
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Former Celtic Sends Strong Message to Draymond Green