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 a NBA game since November 8, 2018.
“Even for the best shooter in the world [have] 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.
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)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) goes up for a basket past Boston Celtics’ Robert Williams (44) in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June 13, 2022. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics 104-94. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Kevon Looney (5) and Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) block against Boston Celtics’ Robert Williams (44) in the fourth 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)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson (11) shoots and makes a 3-point basket past Boston Celtics’ Marcus Smart (36) in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June 13, 2022. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics 104-94. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins (22) and Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) block Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (0) 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)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) fights for the ball against Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (7) 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’ Stephen Curry #30 shoots a 3-point basket and misses as he’s guarded by Boston Celtics’ Grant Williams #12 in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June 13, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) celebrates with the coaching staff as the final seconds wind down in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June 13, 2022. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics 104-94. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) shoots a basket against the Boston Celtics in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June 13, 2022. The Golden State Warriors defeated the Boston Celtics 104-94. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson (11) celebrates after making a basket against Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (0) and Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (7) 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)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Andrew Wiggins #22 shoots past Boston Celtics’ Robert Williams III #44 in the fourth quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals at the Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Monday, June 13, 2022. (Jane Tyska/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green (23) and Golden State Warriors’ Otto Porter Jr. (32) block Boston Celtics’s Derrick White (8) in the first 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)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 13: Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry (30) makes a layup against Boston Celtics in the first 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.
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.”
