Warriors pause Game 3 warmups because hoop at TD Garden was too high
BOSTON -- Somewhere, Red Auerbach is smiling down on the TD Garden.
Not only is the home of the Celtics playing host to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years, but there appears to be some of Red's old tricks taking place ahead of Game 3 between the Celtics and the Warriors.
As they took the court before the game, Warriors players noticed something was a little off about their hoop. They felt it was too high, and following an inspection, they were proven correct. The hoop was two inches too high.
The issue was fixed long before the game's 9pm tip-off, and all is right in the world again.
Warriors players complained about the height of the basket during warmups, and it was determined the hoop was too high, per @warriorsvox
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📹 @NBCSWarriors pic.twitter.com/UwX8KwWelc
It brings back memories of Auerbach messing with opponents during his glory days on the Celtics bench, whether it was cold showers, blazing heat in the locker room, or those soft spots on the old Garden floor.
The Warriors already experienced an issue with one road hoop this postseason, saying their rim in Denver was shifted to the right for Game 3 of their opening-round series. They didn't bring that issue up until after the game, and it was fixed by Game 4 in Denver.
But this is the NBA Finals, so Golden State wasn't taking any chances on Wednesday night. Maybe the spirit of Red will conjure up something else for the Warriors for Friday night's Game 4.