NBA Finals game five as it happened: Golden State Warriors v Boston Celtics

Andrew Wiggins has delivered the biggest game yet in his eight-year career with 26 points and 13 rebounds, Klay Thompson scored 21 points, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 104-94 for a 3-2 NBA Finals lead.

Stephen Curry contributed 16 points and eight assists but the all-time three-point leader’s NBA-record streak of 132 straight postseason games with at least one triple ended on Monday night, along with his NBA-best run of 233 consecutive games with a three between regular season and playoffs combined.

Exhibiting a determined confidence and grit all evening, Wiggins drove through the lane for an emphatic one-handed slam with 2:10 left to cap his brilliant performance on both ends.

The best-of-seven series resumes in Boston on Thursday night and if the Celtics can win at home they will return to the Bay Area for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday. All five games so far have been decided by 10 or more points.

For the visitors, Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 10 rebounds while Marcus Smart overcame a slow start to score 20 points.

Jordan Poole knocked down a 33-foot three from the left wing to beat the third-quarter buzzer as the Warriors took a 75-74 lead into the final 12 minutes.

After trailing 51-39 at halftime, the Celtics roared back with a 35-point outburst in the third.

Al Horford hit a go-ahead three with 6:28 left in the period as the Celtics finally found their shooting groove from deep. Grant Williams’ trey was Boston’s eighth straight made from outside after missing the initial 12.

Jaylen Brown was 2 for 11 to start the game and finished with 18 points on 5-of-18 shooting. He missed all five of his three-pointers and the Celtics were 11 of 32 from deep overall.

Golden State wound up 9 of 40 from beyond the arc - Wiggins 0 of 6.

Draymond Green had eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists before fouling out with 3:01 remaining.

Thanks for logging on to the game five NBA Finals blog. Congrats to the Warriors fans out there, particularly the small minority who have supported them longer than the past eight years of the Steph Curry era.

The Warriors are overwhelming favourites to lift the trophy for what would be the fourth time since 2015 heading into the final two games up 3-2, particularly with game seven back in the Bay if needed.

Boston have lost game five twice in the playoffs and then won series on the back of two straight wins so Celtics fans still have hope.

The series is back on the TD Garden parquet floor for game six and the team in green won’t go down without a helluva fight.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 27 points, Marcus Smart had 20 but Jaylen Brown was kept quiet with 18.

Apart from the five bench members who mopped up the garbage time minutes, all the other Celtics were in the negative in the plus-minus.

Golden State have dominated pretty much the entire 48 minutes apart from a brief Boston surge in the third quarter to win 104-94.

Andrew Wiggins was da real MVP for this game with 26 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and a couple of steals.

The series heads back to Boston for game six on Thursday morning at 11am AEST.

Steph Curry scored 16, Klay Thompson added 21, Gary Payton chipped with 16 off the bench and Jordan Poole notched 14 as the Warriors had five scorers in double figures.

The coaches have emptied the benches for the last minute. Warriors are one win away from their first championship since 2018.

This contest may be over after Andrew Wiggins drove the lane, shaking off Derrick White, to slam a dunk down with impressive force. The former No.1 draft pick is having the game of his life, now up to 26 points and 13 rebounds. Warriors 104-88 now after Klay Thompson adds a three and Gary Payton tips in a rebound. Time-out with 79 seconds to go.

Draymond Green has fouled out for the third time in the series after being called for trying to prevent a Marcus Smart lay-up. Warriors up 95-84 with 3 minutes to go

Boston are losing pace with the home side, down 91-79 with 4:40 left. They surged home big time to swamp the Warriors in San Fran in game one but appear to be fading this time around. Tatum just missed a pair of free throws to be 2/6 at the charity stripe.

Curry makes him pay by burying a floater at the other end.

Jordan Poole hits a jumper to make it a 10-0 run and the hosts are up 85-74.

Marcus Smart got a tech foul in the first play after the resumption and the Warriors went up by nine. He then was called for an offensive foul and now has four.

Marcus Smart and Jordan Poole get in a tangle.Credit: Getty