Golden State Warriors one win from NBA Finals glory after Game 5 victory over Boston Celtics

Jason SoutarJason Soutar14 June 2022
NBA Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors

NBA Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors

Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins stepped up for the Warriors as they beat the Celtics 104-94 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

Seven years on from their first NBA Championship, the Warriors big three of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry are one win away from claiming their fourth ring. Monday's win against Boston was their 20th Finals win, which is the most by a trio in the last 30 years.

It was a big night for Andrew Wiggins, however, who had 26 points and 13 rebounds, on top of two steals and a block. Curry struggled for the first time in this series. The two-time MVP had 16 points but did dish out eight assists. He shot 31.8 per cent from the field and missed all nine of his 3-point attempts.

Golden State struggled from deep all night. Out of their five starters, Thompson was the only one to make a shot from beyond the arc. He had five, with Gary Payton II chipping in with one and Jordan Poole three.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both played over 44 minutes as they tried to push Ime Udoka's side to victory. Tatum had 27 points and 10 rebounds, meanwhile, Brown had 18 points and nine rebounds. Marcus Smart had a solid night, dropping 20.
The Celtics' bench let them down on the night, contributing to 10 points overall, in comparison to the Warriors' 31. Derrick White, who has been excellent since joining Boston, only had one point, missing all four of his shots.
The Warriors were up 12 at the half after a great start, but the C's gnawed away and eventually took the lead in the third, however, Jordan Poole's insane 38-foot buzzer beater to end the third gave his side the lead again and definitely gave them a second wind to go on and win the game.
"I don't think I've ever been happier after a 0-for-whatever type of night", Curry told reporters after the game.

"I knew there were going to be some adjustments in the way they were trying to guard the pick-and-roll because I got a lot of clean looks, and they were a little bit more aggressive, a little higher-up on their pick-up points," he added. "So, I didn't get as many attempts up. Obviously, I didn't make any. But the rest of the time, it's just using that aggression against them."

Warriors coach Steve Kerr: "Even for the best shooter in the world, you know, games like this happen. And fortunately, they don't happen too often. I like Steph coming off of a game like this, too. I like his ability to bounce back."
On Wiggins, Kerr added: "He's just been fantastic, not just in this series but throughout the playoffs."
Game 6 take place at the TD Garden on Thursday evening.
READ MORE: The five greatest single-game performances in NBA Finals history...

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