Ime Udoka Told Celtics to 'Stop Playing Like Assh--es' in Game 3 Win vs. Warriors
June 9, 2022
Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka had a simple message to get his team back on track Wednesday after it allowed the Golden State Warriors to erase a double-digit deficit in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Per Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com, Udoka told the Celtics to "stop playing like assh--es" during a timeout after the team committed a series of turnovers against the Warriors.
With the series shifting to TD Garden for the first time Wednesday, the Celtics looked comfortable out of the gate in front of their home crowd. They led by as many as 18 points midway through the second quarter before going on to a 116-100 win.
As has been the case throughout the series, the Warriors went on a big run in the third quarter. The Celtics went scoreless for three minutes after Jayson Tatum's three with 6:14 left in the third gave them an 82-71 lead.
The Warriors took the lead thanks to a 12-0 run during that span, including a seven-point possession after Al Horford's Flagrant 1 foul on Stephen Curry.
Boston responded by dominating the fourth quarter, particularly on the defensive end. The Warriors were held to 11 points over the final 12 minutes. It's the second time in the series that Golden State has scored fewer than 20 points in the fourth quarter (16 in Game 1).
Tatum, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown each scored at least 24 points. They combined to go 10-of-24 from behind the arc with 19 assists. The Celtics had 12 turnovers in the game but just one in the fourth quarter.
Curry had an excellent night with 31 points on 12-of-22 shooting, but the two-time MVP didn't have help from his co-stars. Andrew Wiggins was 1-of-6 from behind the arc. Klay Thompson had 25 points, but he was held scoreless in the fourth quarter.
The Celtics will look to take a 3-1 series lead when they host the Warriors in Game 4 on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.