Three things we saw in Game 3:
Veteran play Kevin Garnett (27 points, 13 rebounds) and Paul Pierce (24 points, 12 rebounds) carried the Celtics to a 107-91 victory over the Sixers for a 2-1 series lead.
Garnett was active from the opening tip and consistently drained the open jumper. Despite a sprained MCL in his left knee, Pierce was stellar throughout and kept attacking the rim. He finished 11-for-14 from the free throw line, which was a great sign for the Celtics considering he had looked ragged earlier in the series.
The general
Point guard Rajon Rondo (23 points, 14 assists) controlled the tempo and did a great job of finding open shots for his teammates.
Rondo clearly outplayed Philadelphia’s Jrue Holiday on this night as he never forced anything and everything came in the flow of the action. That’s what great point guards do in the playoffs and Rondo had his most efficient game yet.
Swagger is back
As the lead swelled in the second half, the Celtics kept playing hard. The bench was up and cheering and Garnett’s emotion was evident.
Taking back home court advantage has to be huge, even for a veteran team such as this. You could see Boston’s confidence grow with each run it made on a young Sixers team.
