THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
June 16, 2022 - June 22, 2022 • 56
Sports Celtics are on the brink heading into Game 6 of the Finals By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor The Boston Celtics’ quest to become the franchise with the most NBA titles, breaking a tie with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers, is in peril. Both have 17, but it is the Golden State Warriors who are in a favorable position to win their seventh championship and fourth in the last eight seasons when Game 6 of the Finals takes place tonight at TD Garden in Boston. After losing Game 4 at home by 107-97 last Friday, the Celtics dropped Game 5 on Monday on the Warriors’ home court at the Chase Center in San Francisco by 10 points again (104-94) to fall 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. The Celtics’ carelessness with the basketball and poor foul shooting doomed them in Game 5. They commited 18 turnovers
and missed 10 free throws (3121), and lost a game in which Warriors guard Stephen Curry, widely regarded as the greatest shooter in NBA history, was an uncharacteristic 7-22 from field including misfiring on all nine of his three-point attempts (0-9) an occurrence as rare and unbelievable as a sighting of Bigfoot. Curry had gone 233 straight games and 133 consecutive playoff games making at least one three. However, it is the Celtics’ 2022 All-NBA First Team selection Jayson Tatum’s inconsistency and haphazardness with the rock that has been problematic for his team. While Tatum’s stats in the Finals in important measures such as points (23.2) rebounds (7.6) and assists (7) are suitable, he has not elevated his game to the level of imposing his enormous talent on the Warriors.
Conversely, below the surface of the aforementioned numbers, Tatum is shooting just 23.8% (5-21) in five games in the fourth quarter heading into Game 6, and managed only three points in the last 12 minutes in Game 4 and five in Game 5. “I had a couple of shots that were short,” the 24-year-old three-time NBA All-Star said on Monday after playing 44 of the game’s 48 minutes. “I just got to not fade as much. Use my legs. I mean, you’re not going to be a little more tired in the fourth than you are in the first quarter.” Cherishing possessions is also an issue for Tatum. He is averaging 3.6 turnovers per game in the Finals and after having four in Game 5, reached his 95th in 23 playoff games this season, passing LeBron James for the most in a single postseason. James had 94 in 22 games in 2018. Tatum isn’t wholly account-
able for the Celtics facing elimination tonight and is capable of having seriesaltering performances in Games 6 and a possible Game 7 to lead the Celtics to a title. Credit the Warriors’ blanketing, physical defense—similarly the prominent characteristic of the Celtics—with causing Tatum, fellow All-Star Jaylen Brown and the Boston’s collective offense to shoot a modest 43.7% in five games and turn the ball over an average of 15.6 times per game. The Celtics’ negative trends must dramatically change for the better tonight or the Warriors will be celebrating another NBA championship victory.
Boston Celtics All-Star forward Jayson Tatum and his teammates are facing elimination from the NBA Finals by the Golden State Warriors going into Game 6 tonight (Bill Moore photo)
The Warriors look to to close out the Celtics in Game 6 By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews
Andrew Wiggins, who has been exceptional as the best two-way player in the series, had a team-high 26 points. Curry’s Game 6 of the NBA Finals tonight at TD longtime backcourt partner Klay ThompGarden in Boston could be the last game son added 21, and guards Gary Payton II AMofNEWS 01154 and Jordan Poole contributedAM the league’s 75th season. 15 NEWS and 14 AM NEWS off the bench. With a victory, the Golden State Warrespectively 04/07/22 06/02/22 04/07/22 0 the Boston Celtics 7 3-2 riors, who lead While the Warriors have been one of the 74470 22784 after a 104-94 victory in Game 5 at home NBA’s best offensive teams for the most of on Monday night, will close out the series the past 10 seasons, they have also become out and win the franchise’s fourth cham- a top defensive squad during the same pionship in the last eight seasons. period led by forward Draymond Green Game 6 comes after the first back-to- and Thompson, and it has shown versus back win of the series for either team. the Celtics. Green, who had struggled earlidominating the third quarters of the er in the series but bounced back with solid AMAfter NEWS AM NEWS series, the Warriors were outscored 3501164 to performances in Games 4 and 5, has been AM NEWS 04/14/22 06/09/22 24 by the Celtics in Game 5 and led by just a seven-time NBA All-Defensive Team se04/14/22 75-74 entering0the74470 fourth.22784 It was 7an un- lection and was the 2017 NBA Defensive usual circumstance in that Stephen Curry, Player of the Year. Thompson has been who forced the Celtics for 43 points in named to three NBA All-Defensive teams. Game 4, was ice cold. He would finish the But in this series, nobody has been game going 0-9 on three-point attempts, a better defender than Wiggins, who his first game in the last 233 dating back to played for the Minnesota Timberwolves Golden State Warriors forward Andrew 2018 without making at least one. from 2013 to 2020 before coming to the Wiggins’ stellar performances in Games “Keep shooting," said Curry after missing 2020. AM NEWS AM NEWS 01174 Warriors in a trade in February 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals against the 15 of 22 shots in a 16 point, 8 assist perfor- The former No. 1 overall AM27-year-old NEWS 04/21/22 Boston Celtics helped lift this team to mance. “I’m not pick (2013) has locked in on 06/16/22 the Celtics’ 04/21/22 0 afraid to go 0 for whatev7 a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 er, because I’m going 74470 22784 to keep shooting.” potent All-Star duo of Jayson Tatum and tonight (Photo credit: Wikipedia/Erik Drost Curry’s teammates made up for his Jaylen Brown, forcing them into tough creativecommons.org) surprisingly deficient scoring. Forward shots and limiting their impact late in
games. “He’s definitely confident, he’s definitely enjoying the playoffs,” said Warriors head coach Steve Kerr after Game 5. Along with his scoring, Wiggins had 01234 13 rebounds in Game 5 after posting a AMreNE crucial 17 points and career-high 16 06/02/ 0 7 bounds in a 107-97 Game 4 Warriors’ win. 74470 22784 “He loves the challenge,” continued Kerr, “he loves the competition. He’s found such a crucial role on this team. I think that empowers him. He knows how much we need him. He’s been fantastic.” Wiggins, who made his first NBA AllStar team this season, expressed his ap01244 to be preciation for the opportunity AM NE playing for a championship after his 06/09/ 0 7 noteworthy Game 5. “It’s something I 74470 22784 dreamt about for sure,” said Wiggins. “This is the ultimate stage. It doesn’t get bigger than this.”
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