Draymond Green upped his defensive intensity and overall physicality in Game 2 of the 2022 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, and the Golden State Warriors benefitted.
Right from the opening tip, Green got into it with the Celtics in any way possible, whether that included trash talking, hard fouls or being aggressive on defense.
Green's antics didn't totally swing the matchup in the Warriors' favor -- the Celtics' 19 turnovers and horrendous third quarter did that -- but they definitely were a factor in Golden State's 107-88 victory.
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How will the Celtics respond to Green when the series shifts to TD Garden in Boston for Wednesday night's pivotal Game 3?
"I mean, you respond to fire with fire, right? We've just got to turn around and do the same thing," Celtics guard Marcus Smart said at a press conference Tuesday. "If he's going to come in here and try to be physical, this is our house and we've got to protect it."
We should expect the Celtics to increase their physicality and play with more energy in Game 3. Don't be surprised if Smart leads the way on that front.
"I mean, as any competitor would tell you, when you get hit in the mouth like that, there's only one way to respond, and if you're not really ready to do that, then you don't need to be on this stage," Smart explained.
"This is a stage where we've got to be willing to risk it all out there for your team and for the victory. By all means necessary. That's the mindset that they have. It's the mindset we have. But we've got to go out there and execute it."
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Smart has plenty of motivation entering Wednesday night. After a pretty good Game 1 performance with 18 points in a Celtics' win, Smart mostly was a non-factor in Game 2. He scored just two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 25 minutes.
The Celtics need a better all-around effort from Smart to protect home court and take back the series lead.
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