Through the first four games of the 2022 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics have alternated wins. The Celtics opened the series with a win, and then the Warriors responded in Game 2. Boston then claimed victory in Game 3 only for Golden State to bounce back in Game 4. Now, both teams will be looking to claw ahead in a pivotal Game 5, which is set for Monday night in San Francisco.
Game 5 in a best-of-seven series is statistically important. Teams that win Game 5 when the series is tied at 2-2 go on to win that series over 80 percent of the time. This makes sense, as whichever team wins the fifth game will have two more chances to get one win, while the losing time will sit just a single loss away from elimination. With that said, here’s everything you need to know about Game 5 between Boston and Golden State.
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Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors
When: Monday, June 13 | 9 p.m. ETWhere: Chase Center — San Francisco, California TV: ABC | Live stream: fuboTV (Get access now)
Odds: BOS +145; GS -170; O/U 212 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Featured Game | Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics
Storylines
Warriors: Steph Curry put on an absolute show in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. With the Warriors down 2-1 to the Boston Celtics, Curry put the team and his back and carried them to a 107-97 win. During his 40 minutes of action, Curry scored 43 points, snagged 10 rebounds and dropped four assists. He hit seven of his 14 attempts from long range and shot 53 percent from the floor overall. However, as good as Curry was, he’s going to need more help moving forward if the Warriors are going to win the series. Outside of Andrew Wiggins — who has been Golden State’s second-best player in the series — basically everyone else on the roster needs to step up, especially key contributors Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole. Green has had arguably the worst playoff series of his career thus far, while Poole and Thompson have been inconsistent when it comes to providing the ancillary scoring around Curry. Look for the Warriors to try to get those guys going in Game 5.
Celtics: Speaking of Curry, the Celtics are going to have to find a way to limit his production on the offensive end for the remainder of the series. Easier said than done, I know, but there are some things that Boston could try, namely trapping Curry to get the ball out of his hands. Thus far, the Celtics have largely relied on switching Curry pick-and-rolls, and though they’re adept at switching, all Curry needs is a sliver of space to get his shot off and make the defense pay, and that’s exactly what he’s done. By trapping, you force the ball out of Curry’s hands and in turn force the other players on Golden State to beat you. Given the way Curry’s teammates have performed in the series so far, that’s a gamble I’d be willing to take.
Prediction, pick
This series has been pretty tough to predict, and really any outcome for Game 5 wouldn’t surprise me. But with that said, the Celtics have been stellar coming off of a loss this postseason, as they haven’t loss two straight games all playoffs. Jayson Tatum, specifically, has stepped his game up following Boston losses, and he can be expected to do the same thing in Game 5. It’s tough to bet against Curry, given how well he has been playing in the series, but the help around him has proven tough to rely on given the inconsistency. Pick: Celtics +3.5
