The Golden State Warriors had a few scares in Game 5 of their 2022 NBA Finals clash against the Boston Celtics but still managed to walk away with a 104-94 win. The Dubs now have a 3-2 lead in the series and are just one game away from winning their seventh NBA championship in franchise history and fourth since 2015.
The Warriors had a furious start to the game, taking a 27-16 lead to wrap up the first quarter. The second quarter saw a more balanced contest before the Celtics crawled their way back into the game in the third. At one point, Boston thought they would finish the period with a lead before Jordan Poole made a 33-foot buzzer-beater to swing momentum in Golden State’s favor. This set the stage for another dominant spell by the Warriors in the fourth quarter that eventually sealed the win.
An unexpected hero for Golden State was forward Andrew Wiggins, who scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds on the night. Wiggins stepping up was key for the Warriors, considering that their star guard Stephen Curry had an off night. Curry had 16 points while missing all of his nine three-point attempts. This marked the end of a 233-game streak in which the two-time NBA MVP scored at least one three-pointer.
On the other hand, the Celtics saw Jayson Tatum finish the night with 27 points and 10 boards but ended up being let down by their bench. Boston’s reserves contributed with only 10 points combined, while no bench player scored more than three points.
The Celtics and the Warriors will meet again in Boston on Thursday night for what-could-be deciding Game 6.
