![]() However, they got all the way back in this game in the third quarter and then completely squandered a golden opportunity to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals. This isn't to say that this game was lost in the fourth quarter, because Boston struggled mightily in the first half as well, committing nine turnovers through the first two quarters. It happened in Game 4, where the Warriors outscored the Celtics 15-0 in clutch time (last five minutes of the game), and again Monday night Boston looked out of sorts. ![]() They've struggled at times to generate offense in the fourth quarter, especially when the game is close. It's been one of the nagging issues plaguing the Celtics throughout the postseason. In the fourth quarter the Celtics turned the ball over four times, shot 26.7 percent from the field and 25 percent from deep. It gave the Warriors a one-point lead heading into the final 12 minutes of the game, and Golden State never surrendered the lead. Poole single-handily sucked the life out of the Celtics with this shot to end the third quarter. It appeared as though the Celtics had the ability to steal this win as they held a slim two-point lead with three seconds left in the third quarter. As a result, Boston used a 10-0 run to open the third quarter to grab its first lead of the night with 6:27 left. The offense was coming easy, and the defense was forcing the Warriors into low-quality looks. Though the Warriors looked like the superior team for most of this game, in the third quarter the Celtics began to look like the team that won Games 1 and 3 of this series. It was an all around team effort for the Warriors in Game 5, and it was sorely needed with Curry having an off night. Poole's massive buzzer-beating, 35-foot heave at the end of the third quarter is what sparked Golden State's dominant fourth-quarter performance. Golden State's second unit outscored Boston 31-10, as Jordan Poole and Gary Payton accounted for 29 of those points. The bench was also a massive advantage for the Warriors on Monday night. ![]() In the past two games leading up to this one it looked like he was taking baby steps toward returning to the sharpshooting forward we've come to expect from him, and in Game 5 he delivered when the Warriors needed him most. Thompson had by far his best performance of the series, going 5 of 11 from downtown, and being the only Warriors starter to connect on a 3-pointer. While Wiggins was the head of the snake in Golden State's attack in Game 5, he wasn't the only player picking up the slack in the midst of Curry's uncharacteristic game. His really came alive in the fourth quarter where he put up 10 of his 26 points to push what was a one-point lead at the end of the third quarter to a 10-point lead by the end of the game. ![]() He was the primary reason Golden State won Monday night, getting whatever he wanted on offense and being disruptive on the other end of the floor. But here we are, the Warriors are up 3-2 in this series against the Celtics and that's because of the standout performance from their role players, but especially Wiggins.Īfter being an absolute force on the glass in Game 4 to help the Warriors win, Wiggins followed that performance up with an even better showing: 26 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Given how much Golden State has relied on Curry's brilliance through the first four games of the series, no one could've predicted that it would win the game in which he put up just 16 points and failed to hit a 3-pointer for the first time in 233 games (more on that below). We were bound to get a bad Curry game at some point, and when it happened the attention would turn to which of the Warriors players would pick up the slack. With the win, Curry and the Warriors can close this series out at Boston's TD Garden on Thursday night in Game 6. Providing Curry help on the offensive end was something that all of the Warriors' supporting cast mentioned was essential in Game 5 and they did just that to help lead Golden State to a double-digit victory. While Stephen Curry had carried the team to this point, the Warriors provided him with plenty of help in Game 5 as four other players besides Curry - led by Andrew Wiggins and his 26 points - scored in double-figures for Golden State. Just two seasons ago, the Warriors finished with the worst record in the Western Conference at 15-50 and now they are on the cusp of their fourth title since 2015. Golden State leads the Boston Celtics, 3-2, in the 2022 NBA Finals after the team's 104-94 victory in Game 5 on Monday night. The Golden State Warriors are one win away from continuing their dynasty with another championship.
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