Four-Point Play: Game 4s matter more for Celtics, Thunder (USA TODAY)

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By Adi Joseph, USA TODAY

Updated 9h 32m ago

Four key points in the aftermath of the Boston Celtics' 101-91 win Friday in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat:

Only eight teams in NBA playoff history have come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a series. Keep that in mind as you watch two Game 4s this weekend.

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By Greg M. Cooper, US Presswire

Momentum is a tricky thing in the playoffs, especially this deep in the playoffs. The Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder didn't get this far without being very good teams built for playoff basketball. But the Heat and San Antonio Spurs were favored for good reason, too.

Game 3 is a chance for the underdog to come out guns blazing and reclaim a stake in a series. A lower-seeded team need win only once on the opponents' home court, so opening with a 2-0 deficit means those teams still have three home games and two road games to win the series.

There are plenty of reasons to think the Celtics and Thunder can reach the NBA Finals. The Thunder were dominant Thursday in a 102-82 victory that snapped the Spurs' 20-game winning streak. And the Celtics found a new contributor and a renewed star Friday.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is too good a coach to allow Thunder coach Scott Brooks to handle him so deftly in consecutive games. He'll work with point guard Tony Parker on a strategy against bigger defenders, and he'll find easier shots for slumping center Tim Duncan.

The Celtics' dominance was even less sustainable.

Marquis Daniels had played 10 minutes in the Celtics' previous 11 games combined before going for nine points and five rebounds and providing crucial energy off the bench in 17 minutes in Game 3. Daniels worked perfectly with Rajon Rondo and answered the question of who would replace injured Avery Bradley among Celtics wings.

Kevin Garnett, as wonderful as he has been in these playoffs for Boston, hasn't banged in the paint so ferociously since 2008. He was a monster underneath, finishing with 24 points on 10-for-16 shooting and 11 rebounds. He even did push-ups, which obviously were intended to intimidate the opposition, even if he was cheating. While he was on the court, being guarded by every Heat player from Ronny Turiaf to LeBron James, the Celtics were plus 27.

There are a lot of lessons to be learned from each Game 3, for both teams. The Thunder will be more aggressive defensively, and the Celtics will use smaller lineups to match the Heat. The Spurs will look for new ways to open up passing lanes, and the Heat will continue to do anything they can to get Dwyane Wade playing consistently again.

But the Game 4s will be the turning point. Stay tuned.

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By Greg M. Cooper, US Presswire

James carried the Heat; then, they started playing well.The NBA's best player had 30 points through three quarters but slowed his individual production in the fourth, as Mike Miller, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers found their comfort zones. He finished with 34 points, eight rebounds and five assists, but he wasn't always scoring in the flow of the game. The Heat are at their best when the kick-out passes are flying and the transition game is running. James was in rhythm in the first and third quarters, but his teammates weren't on either end of the court. James is the best player on the court always and has dominated the playoffs, but his jump shooting, good as it was, may have hurt the Heat as they tried to settle into the flow of the game.

Rondo has Miami's defense on tilt. A game after hitting 11 of 13 jump shots and finishing with 44 points, the Celtics point guard had 21 points, 10 assists and six rebounds, ho-hum numbers by his standards. But he did it in about the most stylish way possible. There was his ridiculous steal on a pass from James. Then, there was the absurdist pass fake to get an open layup. Then, there was the right-down-the-middle-unchallenged layup that helped seal the win. No one on the Heat can guard him, so they've apparently stopped trying.

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By Kevin Jairaj, US Presswire

Kevin Durant hasn't had a monster game yet.He hasn't topped 31 points in a playoff game after doing so 19 times in 66 regular-season games. It's not so much that he's been held in check, either: He's averaging 26.7 points a game in the playoffs. Durant played a lot in the compressed regular season, not missing a game, so fatigue could be an issue. More likely, teams in the postseason devote more attention to stars than normal. But after the Thunder spread the ball around so well in Game 3, Durant could see better chances in Game 4. Look for a big game, win or lose, from Velvet Hoop.

See photos of: LeBron James, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics,Kevin Garnett, Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo