SAN FRANCISCO – The NBA Finals Allow for the smallest margins of error. In a seven-game series, opponents are too powerful and the opportunities too valuable to waste. For the Boston CelticsGame 5 was a game too full of sins for us to overlook. Golden State Warriors The team that has a championship pedigree in its home area. The Warriors prevailed 104-94 They are now just one win away of capturing their fourth title after eight years.
The 2022 Finals were a tough, defensive affair, with the exception of some exceptional individual performances and team outbursts. Both teams executed their defensive strategies well, if not flawlessly. Golden State was sold and relied upon its excellent help defense. The Celtics attempted to make the Warriors’ shooters drivers by offering long-range contested shots when they settled for it.
After blowing a lead in the fourth quarter in Game 4, and an opportunity to take a 3-1 series lead, Celtics gave up possession 18 times. This was the margin of error in Game 5, in which both teams struggled with consistent offense. The Celtics fans have been longing for their star player, a resounding victory. Jayson Tatum game.
With 27 points, the All-NBA star from the first team led all scorers in his best performance of the series. Further exacerbated the misery was Stephen Curry Turned in one his less impressive performances, opening another window for the Celtics.
The maturation of the Warriors is important to them. Andrew Wiggins On a night where Curry missed 15 of 22 field goals, Wiggins was one of few offensive bright spots. This included a painful 0-for-9 night behind the 3-point line. Golden State’s Wiggins is still a shining star. The Warriors have limited shot creation off of the dribble despite their appealing offensive style. This is especially true since the departure from Kevin Durant After the 2018-19 Season.
Although it is unreasonable to think Wiggins can fill the Durant’s shoes, it is thrilling for the Warriors watching him smash the boards into the boards. Wiggins scored 26 points after shooting 12-for-24 from the field, and had zero turnovers. He was also a key player for the Warriors, scoring a game-high thirteen rebounds.
In the postseason, he was assigned as primary defender Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies) and Luka Doncic (Dallas MavericksWiggins, one of the outstanding individual defenders in the postseason, can now claim another stamp to his passport. Again, he was the one who carried the most weight against Tatum, forcing the Celtics star into a string of difficult attempts.
Midway through the fourth period, Wiggins pulled off a unique sequence. Tatum took an air ball from him and he drove to his left for a floater. Al Horford That extended the Warriors’ lead up to 11. Wiggins, who had just under two minutes to go before the Warriors’ lead was extended to 11, produced the dagger. It featured an emphatic driving-dunk that swept the Celtics’. Derrick White.
While he was in an emotional spiral throughout the series, he also played some of the most ineffective basketball of his postseason career. Draymond Green He returned to his best as one of the most creative and impactful players in the game. With a few buckets in the opening five minutes, he got over his offensive woes. Green continued his duties as an offensive facilitator and defense back-line general.
Green’s podcast will provide more detailed analysis for interested parties. Green was able to focus on the task at-hand for several hours during live action and achieved sterling results. Green was the Celtics’ contesting defender and they went 1-for-10. He was fouled in the closing minutes of the game with 8 points, 8 rebound and 7 assists in just 35 minutes.
The Warriors have stressed that their team is not like the ones that won three titles in Curry’s youth. In this series’ tractor pull, that has been proven true. This Warriors team shares a commonality, despite its aesthetic flaws and offensive failures: the ability to win high-stakes matches in any way.
You can win one more time in any fashion Thursday night, and all differences are irrelevant.