Wiggins 'can't wait' to seal title

SAN FRANCISCO • Andrew Wiggins could not identify whether he was most impressed with his scoring, his rebounding or his shooting on Monday night. It was a rare occasion when three things were equally brilliant.

The forward ignited a 10-0 burst at the start of the fourth quarter with a coast-to-coast lay-up as part of a team-high, 26-point effort. It propelled the Golden State Warriors to a 104-94 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the National Basketball Association Finals in San Francisco and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

After winning for the 11th time in 12 games on their home floor in the post-season, they have an opportunity to claim their fourth title in the eight-year Steve Kerr era when the clubs meet in Boston for Game 6 tomorrow.

"It's an opportunity of a lifetime," Wiggins said after putting his team on the doorstep of a seventh championship. "It's something I've worked hard for, something the team has worked hard for. So I'm excited. I can't wait."

Both teams survived long droughts from beyond the three-point arc, only to be separated by just one point through three periods. The Warriors then took the lead for good after Wiggins grabbed a defensive rebound, drove the length of the floor and dropped in a lay-up 37 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Jordan Poole did most of the rest of the damage in the 10-point burst, contributing three free throws and a jumper. Klay Thompson bombed in a three-pointer, helping Golden State go up 85-74 with 9min 5sec to play.

The Celtics, coming off a Game 4 loss at home and not having dropped consecutive contests previously in the play-offs, never got closer than seven after that.

"I feel like we're almost playing right into their hands, doing the things they want us to do," said Celtics forward Al Horford, whose team missed their first five shots of the fourth period while mixing in two turnovers.

"We're taking contested mid-range shots, probably playing too fast at times... The offence isn't clicking like we need it to be."

Wiggins' 26-point display was one fewer than his play-off career high, set in a Game 3 win at Dallas in the Western Conference Finals.

He shot 12-for-23 on Monday and found time for a game-high 13 rebounds, completing his second consecutive double-double despite missing all six of his three-point attempts.

Missed three-pointers were the story of the night, as the Warriors took advantage of Boston misfiring on their first 12 attempts to build as much as a 16-point lead in the first half.

However, the hosts then went cold from deep, missing 14 in a row as the Celtics stormed into a five-point lead in the third period.

A buzzer-beating three-pointer by Poole allowed the Warriors to reclaim a 75-74 lead entering the final 12 minutes, setting up the difference-making flurry.

"We did a really good job of protecting the basket," the guard said after the Warriors forced the Celtics into 18 turnovers - a problem that has plagued the visitors throughout the play-offs.

"It allows us to press up, play with physicality, rotate. Playing team defence is huge."

His team won despite Stephen Curry missing all nine of his three-point attempts on a 16-point night.

The guard had never previously gone without a three-pointer in his 133-game play-off career, but his teammates made up for an uncharacteristically poor shooting night - Thompson had 21 points, Gary Payton II 15 and Poole 14.

"We're here and we're hungry," Wiggins said. "We want this. The team that wants it the most is going to get it, and we want it."

Jayson Tatum paced the Celtics with a game-high 27 points, completing a double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds.

However, Boston now find themselves in the same position they were in the Eastern semi-finals, where they needed two straight wins to rally and overcome the Milwaukee Bucks.

"It's tough," Horford said. "Our backs are against the wall. We've to see what we're made of. The challenge starts on Thursday."

REUTERS