BOSTON — Bodies were scattered across the parquet floor with players diving for a loose ball late in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry emerged from the pile limping.
Draymond Green came out of it with his sixth foul.
The Warriors’ last chance at pulling out a comeback victory ended with 3 1/2 minutes left on Wednesday night during a scramble that, like the game, went the Boston Celtics’ way. Marcus Smart emerged with the ball, and the Celtics held on to win 116-100 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Golden State trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half, but it was a 12-point Boston lead with about four minutes left when Jayson Tatum missed an 18-footer. The rebound was batted around and three Celtics and two Warriors went to the floor trying to secure the basketball.
After players were separated, Curry remained on the floor wincing in pain.
Celtics center Al Horford rolled up on Curry’s leg during the scrum — a play reminiscent of the one in the teams’ regular-season meetings in March, when Smart rolled over Curry’s ankle in a play that Warriors coach Steve Kerr criticized as “dangerous.”
Curry said the play was similar but “not as bad.”
“I got caught — obviously in some pain, but I’ll be all right,” Curry said. “See how it feels tomorrow and get ready for Friday.”
The struggle Wednesday night ended with Green fouling out of the game. He chewed out the referee while Curry remained on the floor. Curry remained in the game but after the teams traded baskets to leave Boston ahead by 14 points, Kerr emptied his bench.
“The injury didn’t force him out of the game, but I took him out down 14 with two minutes left because we weren’t going to catch up,” Kerr said.
Green was credited with getting the Warriors back in the series with that Game 2 at home. He came back with nine points, seven assists, five rebounds and a technical foul to set the tone in Golden State’s victory.
But he finished with just two points on Wednesday, along with the six fouls and was not a major factor.
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