The Warriors’ third-quarter pyrotechnics from downtown — including Jordan Poole’s halfcourt buzzer-beater — electrified Chase Center during Sunday’s Game 2 blowout of the Celtics, but it was their defense that evened the NBA Finals at a game apiece.

Golden State held Boston to just 88 points in Game 2, its lowest point total since Dec. 29, a defensive masterclass that allowed Poole and Steph Curry to hit five threes each — sometimes from way downtown.

Led by anchor Draymond Green — who was relatively quiet in Game 1 — the Warriors defensive forced an avalanche of Boston mistakes to set up their long-bomb barrage.

• The Celtics had 15 live-ball turnovers — their third-most this entire campaign — and 19 overall.
• The Warriors scored 22 points on the ensuing possessions — with 33 overall off TOs.
• The Dubs recorded an 89.7 defensive rating for the evening — their best this postseason.

Green might not have lit up the stat sheet, but there’s a reason he has the fourth-highest cap hit on the team behind Golden State’s sharpshooters. He has a year remaining on his four-year, $100 million deal — a player option for $27.6 million.

The 32-year-old remains a lynchpin for Golden State, and not just on defense: He’s a key facilitator for the Warrior’s fast-paced offense — and as he proved in Game 2, he’s always willing to bait opponents and officials.

Green got away with three moving screens on one play, then managed to avoid an ejection after what could have been a second technical.

The Lightning are vying for a third straight Stanley Cup with the same core group of stars, and the limelight usually avoids veteran Ondrej Palat — until he comes up big.

On Sunday, the 31-year-old winger scored his 10th career postseason game-winning goal with 42 seconds left to seal Tampa’s 3-2 victory over the Rangers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, cutting the series deficit to 2-1. 

But despite his clutch track record, Palat could still wind up a roster casualty for a team that’s currently over next season’s cap — he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer when his five-year, $26.5 million deal ($5.3M AAV) expires.

• Palat is fifth among active NHLers in postseason game-winning goals, and his +147 plus-minus is tied with Victor Hedman for tops in team history.
• Tampa is projected to be over the cap by almost $2M next season, with 23% allocated for stars Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Steven Stamkos. 
• Palat would likely be an attractive option for a team at around $6M per season.

It won’t be an easy decision for Tampa: Palat’s sixth goal of these playoffs notched the Lightning’s ninth multi-goal postseason comeback and put them back on track to win three Stanley Cups in a row for the first time since the 1980-83 Islanders.

With Tuesday’s Game 4 at home (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), the Lightning (+120) have improved odds to beat the Rangers (-140) in the series, and sit at third to win it all (+500) behind Colorado (-220) and New York (+380).

Minjee Lee’s record-setting run to the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open title should finally put the 26-year-old on the international radar.

The Australian fired an even-par 71 at Southern Pines, North Carolina, on Sunday to claim a five-shot victory and her second career major — a win that catapulted her into the top 20 on the LPGA’s all-time money list.

Lee took home $1.8 million — the biggest payout in women’s golf history — from an LPGA-record $10 million purse, continuing her rise as a next-gen star.

• Lee’s set U.S. Women’s Open records for fewest strokes through 54 holes (200) and 72 holes (271).
• She leads this season’s money list with $2.6M and ranks 18th all-time at $11M.
• Lee moved up to third in the world rankings.

Lee’s second victory in 2022 also represents her second in her last three starts, as well as her fourth consecutive top-12 finish.

A victory next month at Washington, D.C.’s Women’s PGA Championship would make Lee the first to win back-to-back majors since Inbee Park won three in a row in 2013. 

In addition to her two major titles — her first was the Evian Championship in July 2021 — Lee has third-place major finishes at the 2017 Ana Inspiration and 2020 British Open.