This series is between an older, shorter, more experienced, better executing team in the Warriors and a younger, longer, less experienced, often inconsistent team in the Celtics.
This ends up working to the advantage of one team or the other depending on how the game plays out.
The biggest way it avantages the Celtics, when it does, is that in playoff basketball they can just outlast teams, including Golden State. There have been a few games in this playoffss where the 4th quarter has gone to the Celtics because, by that point in the game, the Celtics just have more left in the tank.
What cuts against the Celtics is that they can be sloppy at both ends. When they are playing their offense right, they are hard to stop, but teams adjust and they look clueless and ineffective for long stretches. Similar on defense.
In game 2 they were simily too far behind to just outlast the Warriors for the win. In game 3, they weren't.
After a strong first half led by Brown's magnificent 17 point first quarter, the Celtics were up 12. Midway through the third, the Warriors had cut the lead to 8, but Jayson Tatum opened it back up to 11 by drilling a 3, Celtics 82-71. Golden State responded to that with a 12-0 run to give them an 83-82 lead with 3:45 to go. This included what ended up being a 7-point play from Curry - he drilled a three and was fouled by Horford, who got up top but also undercut his landing area resulting in a flagrant foul being called (correctly). Curry hit the free throw and Porter drilled a 3.
But, Marcus drilled a three on the next possession to put the Celtcs up 85-83 and they never looked back. From the point at which the Warriors led by 1 (3:45 of the third) to the end of the game - 15:45 of game play - Boston outscored them 34 to 17.
The Celtics missed free throws (shot only 17-24), missed layups, struggled to cover Steph and Klay at various times, and gave up a bunch of points off turnovers, though they were mostly better with the ball than they have been in some games in this run. But at the end of the day they were there at the end playing at a higher level than Golden State.
There were some gaudy scoring numbers for various Celtics: Brown, Tatum, and Smart combined for 77 points, 22 rebounds, and 19 assists. Tatum had a 26 point/9 assist/6 rebound/2 TO game that again showcased his ability to create for teammates when doubled. Brown had 27 points, 5 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 TO. I don't think he has the passing vision of Tatum, but he's figured out how to use what he has. Smart's game was more up and down. The 24 point/5 assist/5 rebound part of it looks great, and Smart both drilled a couple of key threes and found ways to get inside and score. But the 5 turnovers, at least 3 of which were on terrible forced passes similar to what he did n game 2 was worrisome. Horford also had a nice game, playing only 30 minutes and adding 11 points/8rebounds/6 assists without a turnover.
But for all of that, I will always think of this game as the Rob game, or possibly as the Williams game. Rob's stat line doesn't necessarily jump off the page: 8 points, 10 rebounds, 0 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocks in 25 minutes - at least not until you get to the steals/blocks part, but Rob took over the early part of the 4th quarter in the way that only he can - and in a way that we haven't really seen from Rob since before his injury. He's clearly still playing hurt, and he has given the Celtics some good playoff minutes during this run even with the injury. But in this game it felt like something clicked with Rob in figuring out how to play effectively despite the injury.
Again, his 4th quarter line does not jump out: 2 points on 1-1 shooting (a lob finish after the outcome was basically over), 4 rebounds, no assists, 3 steals, 1 block. But that early part of the 4th where the Celtics were rebuilding their lead felt like one of those "Rob is everywhere" quarters. He had only one block, but he changed or discouraged shots. Three big steals leading to transition, all Curry passes. Only 4 rebounds but he kept balls alive in the offensive end.
Grant had a low key strong offensive game, too. Ten points 5 rebounds in 20 minutes and did not shoot well from three but had some critical putbacks.
Edit: The reffing was more consistent in this one. Jaylen was called early for a shoulder to the defender's chest offensive foul that looked borderline to me (nothing like the way Draymond drilled Grant with the shoulder in game 2), but that play was consistently called a foul throughout.
Draymond is a little whiny POS. He jumped on top of Brown in a scrum and came up bitching about the officiating. Horford and Curry dove for a loose ball, Horford falling on Curry's legs, and Draymond, who deliberately jumps on players whenever he gets the chance, got all up in the refs fac for not calling something on Horford. Can't stand that guy. There were a couple of times when it seemed like he was getting Celtic players (Grant, Jaylen) to start responding to his antics, but luckily they mostly did not.