Will the Celtics strike back again?
The Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics face off in Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals. The hosts regained the home court advantage they lost in the interim thanks to a win in their last away game.
Now they will also be banking on the home bonus: Only one of the eleven home games at the Chase Center so far in the postseason was lost. On the other hand, Boston are not one of the home side’s favourites, as they have prevailed away from home by a majority in the recent past.
Golden State Warriors – Statistics & current form
The Californians could thank Stephen Curry once again. The three-time champion once again delivered the best scoring output of all players on the court with 43 points in the fourth game of the Finals.
The veteran was convincing as usual with his throws from downtown, of which he successfully sent seven through the net.
Less than half a dozen threes from Curry?
In light of that, the odds on more than five threes by the “Chef” in the duel between Golden State and the Celtics are also worth considering. A limit that Curry has surpassed in three of the four Finals games so far, and his average value is 6.25.
Furthermore, the 34-year-old is averaging the most threes per game in the postseason so far. Furthermore, there was no sign of his foot injury from the third game.
Only Andrew Wiggins was on the court longer than Curry, who played an impressive 41 minutes.
Head Coach Steve Kerr was also pleased with his team’s rebounding. 13 more boards than the opponent showed an upswing in this area. The Warriors countered the Celtics’ strong physicality more this time and held a key to their recent success.
Wiggins stepped up in rebounds
In this context, Andrew Wiggins must be mentioned positively. The forward increased his average value of rebounds by almost three boards compared to the regular season. Against Boston he is particularly efficient under the boards with an average of more than eight rebounds.
In light of this, Game 5 between the Warriors and Celtics offers additional tips on more than 6.5 rebounds by the Canadian.
Predicted line-up of Golden State Warriors:
Wiggins – Green – Curry – Thompson – Looney
Boston Celtics – Statistics & current form
The record champions let themselves be outplayed in the second half and especially in the last quarter.
It was noticeable that the opponents simply have more experience with old warhorses like Curry or Green and seem to cope better with the extra pressure of the finals.
In the crunch time, the Celtics had to admit defeat in the last game with 3:17 in terms of the last 20 points of the game.
Celtics have always countered immediately so far
Head coach Ime Udoka, however, will now rely on the resilience of his team. Seven times already, the Bostonians showed an immediate positive reaction after a defeat with a win in the current playoffs!
On top of that, they feel at home with the Warriors, winning five of the past six games on the West Coast.
Guests fear for Williams III
In terms of personnel, the franchise from the Bean City, on the other hand, enters the fifth matchup with worries. The in-form centre Robert Williams III seems to have problems with his knee again. An injury that already prevented him from playing at the start of the 2022 postseason.
He did not play in the last game and it is questionable whether he will be fit for the next tip-off in Frisco.
Especially as an efficient shot blocker in the zone he would be sorely missed by his team: Judging by the very high average of three blocks in the NBA Finals!
Predicted line-up of Boston Celtics:
Tatum – Horford – Williams III – Smart – Brown
Golden State Warriors – Boston Celtics Head-to-head comparison / H2H record
The series is tied 2-2 and both teams have won and lost one of their two home games respectively.
In addition, as mentioned, Boston has been very strong away from home in the recent past in this pairing, as the Celtics have lost recently but previously had five straight wins on the West Coast.
Golden State Warriors – Boston Celtics Tip
In the duel between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Finals, betting on a win for the home side in the first quarter after the break with at least a two-point gap seems promising.
The fact that the Warriors usually return to the court very well from the stoppage of play is a traditional feature of the San Francisco franchise. However, they are now particularly convincing in the third quarter in the 2022 NBA Finals.
So far, they have always won this part of the game against Boston and the lead was not infrequently significant – more than twelve points on average! The probably upcoming Finals MVP Stephen Curry also feels particularly comfortable in the third quarter.
In the last game, for example, he made four of his seven three-pointers in these twelve minutes alone. In the coming game, in which the home side are the favourites anyway, the series of successful third quarters should continue from the Warriors’ point of view.
