The Warriors see a ring sparkle in the distance. Carried by the duo Andrew Wiggins-Klay Thompson, they won at the expense of the Celtics (104-94) the crucial 5th game of the NBA Finals, to lead 3-2.
So here is Golden State one victory away from a 7th league title, which would be the 4th for its sixth final in eight years, after 2015, 2017 and 2018. Enough to revive a golden dynasty that we thought was buried in 2019, after the failure against Toronto, during a final marked in particular by the serious injuries of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.
It was also three years ago to the day that Thompson ruptured the cruciate ligaments of the left knee, and the one who was removed from the parquet floors for two and a half years, after having also ruptured the Achilles tendon right, has done everything not to be overwhelmed by emotion.
His 21 points attest to this, with five baskets behind the arc, two of which stopped a big Californian bleeding in the third quarter, when the Celtics reversed the situation after lamenting 16 lengths behind in the first quarter. His last banderilla, less than two minutes from time, to bring the score to 102-86, was lethal.
Victory despite Curry’s first ‘fanny’
It took at least that to compensate for the small form of his “Splash Brother” Stephen Curry, 72 hours after his “masterclass” of match 4, finished with 43 points. This Monday evening, he was the victim of the special treatment of the entire opposing defense. So much so that for the first time in his career, the 2015 and 2016 double MVP, who had seven on Friday, did not make a single three-point basket in a play-off game. He remained out of 132 meetings with at least one registered…
The best shooter in history, however, was able to report 16 points (8 assists) from his forays into the racket. “His 0/9? is good for us. He’s going to be livid until the next game and that’s exactly what we need,” noted Draymond Green (8 pts, 8 rebounds, 6 assists). It was therefore necessary that rises a third man to guide the Warriors to victory. And it was Andrew Wiggins, formidable efficiency at mid-distance and in the attack of the opposing circle (12/17), author of 26 points and 13 rebounds.
Celtics back to the wall Thursday
In the wake of Jayson Tatum (27 pts, 10 rebounds), irresistible for a long time before dropping off after 45 minutes played, the C’s who had started with a 0/12 at long distance, caught fire (9/10) between the end of the first period and the start of the second. But they could not confirm this burst, despite the efforts of Marcus Smart (20 pts) and Jaylen Brown (18 pts), weighed down by 18 loss of balls, their not very cute sin in this final, who offered 22 points to their opponents.
And here are the Celtics, who had not yet lost two consecutive games in these play-offs, with their backs to the wall. In search of a record 18th title, they will have to react Thursday in their TD Garden, to snatch a seventh decisive match, scheduled in this case for Sunday, again in San Francisco.
