The Boston Celtics put together a terrific third quarter, but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Golden State Warriors notched a 104-94 victory in a pivotal Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night at Chase Center.
The Warriors now hold a 3-2 series lead and are one win away from winning the NBA title.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The same problems that plagued the Celtics through the first four games of the NBA Finals, proved calamitous once again in Game 5.
Turnovers haunted the Celtics as they coughed the ball up 18 times, which led to 22 points for the Warriors. Boston clearly hasn’t learned their lesson no matter how times turnovers derail the team. The Celtics have not won a game in the postseason when they turn the ball over more than 15 times.
It wasn’t just the turnovers as the Celtics struggled at the free-throw line, which only compounded their offensive issues. Boston finished 21-for-31 from the charity stripe.
The Celtics also got caught up in the officiating in the final frame and were visibly frustrated at points as the Warriors overwhelmed them in the fourth quarter. The Warriors outscored Boston, 29-20, over the final 12 minutes.
All of this came for the Celtics with Steph Curry only scoring 16 points on 7-for-22 shooting, including missing all nine of his 3-point attempts. It was another big missed opportunity for the C’s, and they now have no more room for error.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Andrew Wiggins continued to be a factor for the Warriors. Wiggins recorded his second consecutive double-double by totaling 26 points and 13 rebounds.
— Jayson Tatum had one of his better games of the finals as the Celtics superstar netted 27 points on 10-for-20 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and four assists. Tatum sparked Boston during a 19-4 run to start the third quarter.
— Jordan Poole was the best player off the bench for either side. Poole tallied 14 points, including drilling a key 3-pointer as time expired to end the third frame.
WAGER WATCH
Tatum found his shooting stroke in this one, especially from beyond the arc. Tatum had +250 odds, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, to hit at least five 3-pointers and he did just that by knocking down 5-of-9 treys. A $100 bet on that prop would have netted a total payout of $350.
UP NEXT
The Celtics will try to hold off the Warriors from winning an NBA title on the parquet floor of the TD Garden on Thursday. Game 6 is scheduled to tip off at 9 p.m. ET.
