Warriors one win away from title after Andrew Wiggins seizes spotlight
in Game 5 victory
The Warriors returned home to defend their home court at Chase Center
against the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the NBA Finals
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Draymond
Green (23) high-fives Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) after a
play against the Boston Celtics in the second quarter of Game 5 of the
NBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June
13, 2022. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Draymond
Green (23) high-fives Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) after a
play against the Boston Celtics in the second quarter of Game 5 of the
NBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June
13, 2022. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
By MADELINE KENNEY | mkenney@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: June 13, 2022 at 8:37 p.m. | UPDATED: June 14, 2022 at 7:35 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/06/13/nba-finals-game-5-warriors-vs-celtics-at-chase-center-steph-curry/

SAN FRANCISCO – Stephen Curry didn’t turn in another legendary
performance like his 43-point, 10-rebound effort in the Warriors’ Game 4
victory on Friday.

But Golden State didn’t need that from Curry as a supporting cast led by
Andrew Wiggins stepped up in major ways in a 104-94 win over the Celtics
that gave the Warriors a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven NBA Finals.

Wiggins recorded his fifth postseason double-double, Klay Thompson made
five 3-pointers and scored 21 points and Gary Payton II and Jordan Poole
combined for 29 points off the bench to move the Warriors one win away
from their fourth title in eight seasons.

Curry scored 16 points on Monday, but went 0-for-9 from beyond the arc
and didn’t make a 3-pointer for the first time in his playoff career and
the first time in an NBA game since Nov 8, 2018.

“Even for the best shooter in the world games like this happen. And
fortunately they don’t happen too often,” coach Steve Kerr said. “I like
Steph coming off of a game like this, too. I like his ability to bounce
back. So to be able to win the game with our defense, with our depth, is
a great team effort.”

Golden State held a 12-point halftime lead, but squandered it in the
third quarter before Poole launched a 38-foot heave before the buzzer to
put the Warriors ahead 75-74 entering the fourth quarter. Poole’s
3-pointer spurred a 10-0 start to the fourth quarter for Golden State,
which outscored Boston 29-20 in the final 12 minutes.

The Warriors owned the first half of Game 5, doing most of their damage
in the paint. Meanwhile, the Celtics struggled to get anything going
offensively. Boston missed its first 12 shots from deep, shooting a poor
39% from the field and 20% from 3-point range.

While Golden State has built a strong reputation on outplaying its
opponents in the third quarter, the Celtics flipped the script in Game 5.

The Celtics outscored the Warriors 35-24 in the third, making 6-of-14
attempts from deep, as Al Horford put Boston ahead 58-55 with a
wide-open look from 3-point range to give his team its first lead.

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>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Jordan
Poole (3) celebrates after making a three pointer on the buzzer against
Boston Celtics in the third quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the
Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June 13, 2022. (Shae
Hammond/Bay Area News Group)

Poole’s prayer at the buzzer off an outlet pass from Wiggins swung
momentum back in the Warriors’ favor, and the 22-year-old celebrated the
38-footer by wagging his tongue and yelling before high-fiving some
lucky fans sitting courtside.

“The response to Boston’s run to me was the key to the game,” Kerr said.

Poole helped key the hot start to the fourth quarter, but the spotlight
on Monday belonged to Wiggins, who put together one of his best playoff
performances yet. He finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds.

After getting called out by his mother on Twitter following a rough
showing in Game 4, Draymond Green promised to “figure it out” in Game 5.
He did with one of his best performances of the series.

In the first quarter, he faked a handoff to Curry before driving to the
rim for a dunk. He glared at the Celtics bench following the basket.

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Green finished with 8 points, doubling the number he scored in the two
previous games (4), and grabbed eight rebounds and dished out seven
assists, though his intangible impacts go beyond the box score.

“I felt more like myself, aggressive on both ends of the ball,” said
Green, who built off a solid fourth-quarter showing in Game 4. “Tonight
is a great start, and I look forward to going into Game 6 with the same
energy and effort.”

The series returns to Boston for Game 6 on Thursday where the Warriors
will have an opportunity to clinch a title and avoid a winner-take-all
Game 7 at Chase Center on Sunday.

“It’s so exciting to be part of the Finals again,” Kerr said. “This
whole season has kind of led to this, a lot of individual stories, guys
getting better, guys getting healthy. Here we are, we have a chance. We
have two cracks at getting one win, but we also know how difficult it’s
going to be.

“Nobody’s celebrating, but we are excited to be in this spot, and we
want to take advantage of it.”