The NBA conference semi-final series between the Celtics-Sixers and Nuggets-Suns are now 2-1 following today’s NBA 2023 results.
After losing Game 1 at home, the Celtics have won back-to-back games against the Sixers, while the Suns finally defeated the Nuggets for the first time in their series.
Because of this, the Celtics have their home court advantage back, while the Suns are not going to be swept, and they can even the series against the Nuggets in Game 4 on Sunday at home.
Without further ado, continue to read below as SBOTOP shares the four things we learned – two from each Game 3 of these two conference semi-final series.
James Harden’s struggles
James Harden reminded us of who he was back in Game 1 of the Celtics-Sixers series, when he dropped 45 points, but he has come back to earth over the last two matches.
The Beard only had 12 points on 2-for-14 shooting in Game 2 and went 0-for-6 on three-pointers. His shooting woes continued in Game 3, where he finished with 16 points but went 3-for-14 from the field and 2-for-7 on three-pointers, and he also coughed the ball up five times.
In Game 3, Harden was particularly passive in the second half, regularly turning down shots that he would make, especially back in the day when he was a star for the Rockets. The Celtics guards have done a great job of shadowing Harden all game long so that he couldn’t get into rhythm.
With Harden not offering much on the offencive end, this leaves Joel Embiid to shoulder much of the scoring load. The current league MVP looked rusty in Game 2, recording only 15 points, and that’s one of the reasons why they were blown out.
He did much better in Game 3 by scoring 30 points, and he shot 11-for-12 from the free throw line, but relying on him alone on offence moving forward won’t be enough against a stacked Celtics squad.
Jaylen Brown setting the tone on both ends
The biggest adjustment that the Celtics made was to have Jaylen Brown guard James Harden. It’s safe to say that it has worked, and the Celtics are back in the driver’s seat.
Starting in Game 2, Brown would guard Harden full court regardless of whether Boston made a shot or not, making it more difficult for him to bring the ball up. Harden may have gotten past Brown multiple times, but Boston’s big men stopped him at the basket.
On the other side of the court, Brown has been the Celtics’ most reliable player. In the first three games of this series, the 26-year-old guard averaged 23.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists while shooting 56-per cent from the field and 43-per cent on three-pointers.
His co-star Jayson Tatum has also been solid this series, although he had a clunker in Game 2, notching only seven points on 1-for-7 shooting from the field.
Another Celtic that deserves a shoutout is Malcolm Brogdon. He has justified why he won Sixth Man of the Year by averaging 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists off the bench so far in this series.
Booker and Durant came to play
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant put on a show in Phoenix on Friday night, as the pair combined for 86 points, accounting for around 71-per cent of the Suns’ total of 121 points in their victory over the Nuggets.
Booker had 47 points on 20-for-25 shooting from the field with five three-pointers, while Kevin Durant added 39 points and went 14-for-16 from the charity stripe. These two were the only Suns players who scored in double digits.
Especially with Chris Paul out with a strained groin, the Suns need performances like this from both Booker and Durant, as they are so short on bodies that can match the Nuggets’ depth.
The NBA 2023 odds are still in favour of the Nuggets advancing, but Booker and Durant can extend the series if they continue to be special.
Jokic still dominant
Nikola Jokic may have missed out on his third straight MVP, but he’s still playing like one, as he’s averaging nearly a triple-double so far against the Suns in the second round. In the first three games, Jokic has averaged 31 points, 17.3 rebounds, and nine assists per game.
In Game 3, he had 30 points, 17 rebounds, and 17 assists, which is his ninth playoff triple-double, matching the late Wilt Chamberlain for having the most triple-doubles by a center in NBA playoff history.
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