Wiggins propels Warriors to pivotal lead over Celtics in NBA Finals

WASHINGTON -- While Stephen Curry struggled from beyond the arc, Andrew Wiggins stepped up on both ends, helping the Golden State Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 104-94 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, taking a 3-2 series lead.

The Warriors are now just one win away from claiming their fourth NBA title in eight years.

Wiggins led the way with 26 points and 13 rebounds, while Klay Thompson contributed 21 points to the key victory. Curry was held in check by the Celtics, only scoring 16 points and missing all nine of his 3-point attempts.

Wiggins was a huge factor in keeping the Warriors alive on both the offensive and defensive ends, and the first-time All-Star ignited a 10-0 run at the start of the fourth quarter with a coast-to-coast layup.

The Warriors controlled the rhythm with their furious pace in the early minutes, and the Celtics had long droughts from beyond the 3-point range, misfiring on their first 12 attempts in the first half.

They found their magic and regrouped in the third quarter after trailing 51-39 at the break, charging back with a 35-point outburst. But Jordan Poole banked in a deep buzzer-beating 3-pointer to put his team up one point into the last period, creating great momentum for the Warriors to show aggressiveness afterwards.

Jayson Tatum finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds, and Marcus Smart overcame a slow start to add 20 points, as the Celtics lost their consecutive games for the first time in this postseason.

The Warriors have the chance to win the NBA title in Boston on Thursday.