4 things to watch for in Game 3 of NBA Finals

• Complete coverage: 2022 NBA Finals

BOSTON — It’s been 12 years since this city hosted the NBA Finals and 14 since they won one. That’s not a lengthy dry spell for three-fourths of the league, but in Boston, folks are thirsty.

So this is where the series shifts for the next two games, in a building held together by banners. The Warriors have won at least one road game in 26 straight playoff series while the Celtics, coming off a Game 2 stumble, have lost back-to-back games only once since mid-January, and that came on a third game in four nights in March.

Something must give, then. Here are four things to look for in Game 3 (9 ET, ABC) of a series that suddenly is getting testy and physical, right where a certain Warriors antagonist wants it:

1. Draymond getting physical … and mental

Decades ago when the Bulls were all the rage in June, Dennis Rodman grabbed rebounds and played tight defense and also did something else that didn’t qualify statistically. Rodman was an expert in the art of annoyance. He’d do something slickly sinister — a jab to the ribs, maybe trip someone, run his mouth or just push a button — to throw someone off his game.

And now here’s Draymond Green bringing a master’s degree in distraction, trying to get under someone’s skin like a tattoo. In this series, he’s doing this with smart defense, switching, body positioning and contesting shots. It’s something to behold and underlines how good Draymond is at his craft. But there’s also the extras — working of the referees and exchanging a word or two with various Celtics — that gives the full picture.

“For me, you just go where you got to go,” he said, “and for me, that’s where I’m going.”

About the refs: They’re not inclined to give him a second technical and an automatic ejection. Twice this postseason, while carrying one technical, Green had a brief verbal exchange with a player that normally draws a harmless double tech. But, realizing Green already had one, the referees in each case — once in the West finals, then again in Game 2 of the NBA Finals — refused to make that call. It’s a fine line Green straddles, knowing the referees are unwilling to potentially impact the outcome of a game in the championship round with an ejection. Unless, of course, Green kicks someone in the groin, which he is not inclined to do again.

So that’s something to study the rest of this series. Green has the clearance to play the physical and mental game, with the referees and the Celtics caught in the crossfire. Will players such as Jaylen Brown, who took exception to Green’s foot in his face while the two became untangled in Game 2, take the bait again?

Boston has two sources of consistent scoring with Brown and Jayson Tatum. In fact, that’s been the case all season, and evidently good enough for Boston to make the Finals.

But now that they’re here — and playing a loaded Golden State team — do the Celtics need a third power source, just to keep up and increase their chances of winning? In the case of the Celtics, the identity of that third player constantly changes. Sometimes it’s Marcus Smart, or Al Horford, but those are the only other players averaging in double figures this postseason and even Smart and Horford aren’t volume shooters.

Smart and Horford also can vaporize, as they did in Game 2 when they combined for four points. None of this matters if the Celtics’ defense is so solid that there’s no urgency to engage in a scoring battle with the Warriors, which they would lose. The concern for Boston is, at some point, either Klay Thompson or Jordan Poole or both will eventually regain their shot-making, which has been sketchy so far, and force the Celtics to play catch-up.

Is Derrick White that guy? Grant Williams? Or nobody? On this journey, the Celtics played the Bucks without Khris Middleton and a Miami team with a hobbled Tyler Herro. In each case, the opponent shortchanged a 20-point scorer. Not so now; the Warriors bring four players (Steph Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Thompson and Poole) capable of getting 20 points or more on any given night.

“There are some areas where we can put ourselves in position to get better shots,” Horford said.

3. Will Steve Kerr be forced to make a choice: Klay or Poole?

This isn’t about making a starting lineup change, not at this stage. That’s far too risky and would be unprecedented and not necessary, really.

This is about the moment of truth in a tight fourth quarter and Thompson, as he has for much of this series, is unable to make peace with the hoop. Would it implore Kerr to bench Thompson for Poole if he’s unable to keep three guards on the floor?

That would be quite the gutsy move should the coach find himself on the spot. Kerr understandably has strong loyalties to Thompson, a player who helped Kerr get rings and make millions and is responsible for one day putting Kerr in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Also, as a just reward for battling back from a pair of serious leg injuries, coupled with championship experience, Thompson has a case for being involved in such a scenario should Game 3 demand it.

Kerr said Thompson is “pressing a bit” and “wants so badly to do well that he’s taken some bad (shots).”

That said: If Poole and Thompson are going in opposite directions, wouldn’t team loyalties trump anything else? Poole has proven he isn’t scared of the bright lights and is willing and able to handle the weight of fourth quarters.

Kerr admitted as much, saying: “He’s never afraid. He never shies away. I think the biggest thing with Jordan is he just has great confidence and belief in himself.”

Speaking of weight: Regarding Thompson, who’s 10-for-33 in this series, his teammates, no surprise, are throwing theirs behind him. Especially his fellow Splash Brother.

“There’s so much confidence that at any given moment he can go off,” Curry said. “History with him has shown there’s no predictor. He can just take it to another level. Regular season, playoffs, he’s always just found a way to get himself going. Especially in the playoffs, just to make an impact that’s loud. Usually, it’s really loud.”

The Celtics, too, aren’t falling for what they’ve seen from Thompson. Brown said: “We’re going to continue to make it tough for him. That player, he can get it going at any moment. We’re aware of that. We trying to prepare ourselves to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

The Celtics have collected all the flowers for being such an unflinching road team this postseason; they’re 8-3, winners of a pair of elimination games as well. But maybe this effort is out of necessity because their home stability is nothing to write home about.

They’ve fallen twice each to the Bucks and Heat at TD Garden in the previous two rounds, and other home games were closely contested wins. On one hand, should the Celtics win their three home games in this series, they’ll be champions. But what are the odds of that, given what we’ve seen from them?

The Finals do have a way of evening the playing field, so to speak. At this stage of the game, with two elite teams standing, the home court isn’t the great advantage as in previous rounds. In 2019, the last time the Warriors were in the Finals, the home team won once. Also, the Warriors lost championships twice on their floor, to the Raptors in ’19 (obviously, without Kevin Durant and Thompson getting hurt) and the Cavaliers in 2016. Plus, the Suns last year failed to hold their advantage, losing to the Bucks.

The last Finals game at the Garden was June of 2010. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett put the Celtics up 3-2 with a strong finish for the win. And they needed every bit of that energy because of the force of nature coming from the Lakers: Kobe Bryant scored 38. The players have changed, but the setting remains the same. After being closed for business in June ever since, the Garden awaits the chance to regain that winning feeling and restore some Finals glory.

“There’s a lot of history in this building, in this city. Should be an amazing atmosphere,” Curry said. “Anything is possible.”