Canada's Wiggins delivers on both ends as Warriors push Celtics to brink in NBA Finals

Exhibiting a determined confidence and grit all game, Andrew Wiggins single-handedly took the pressure off Stephen Curry and delivered the best game yet of his eight-year career.

Now, the first-time all-star from Thornhill, Ont., is on the cusp of becoming a first-time NBA champion — and helping Curry capture yet another title.

"It's something I dreamt about for sure, being in the league, and this is the ultimate stage," Wiggins said. "It doesn't get bigger than this."

"Coming into this year, he was an all-star starter for a reason," Draymond Green said. "... The bigger the challenge has been that we've thrown in front of him, the bigger he's responded. You want a guy like that. When the stage gets big, they respond and play their best basketball, and that's what he's been doing."

One game after his 43-point performance, Curry contributed 16 points and eight assists but was zero for nine from three-point range. The career three-point leader's NBA-record streak of 132 straight post-season games with at least one three-pointer ended, along with his NBA-best run of 233 consecutive games with a three between regular season and playoffs combined.

"Uh, keep shooting, very simple," Curry said, grinning. "I'm not afraid to go 0-fer or whatever because I'm going to keep shooting."

Green knows how Curry will respond: "He's going to be livid going into Game 6. That's exactly what we need."

Capping his brilliant performance on both ends, Wiggins drove through the lane for an emphatic one-handed slam with 2:10 left.

"Bottom line is he's just having fun playing basketball," Curry said.

The Warriors can win their fourth title in eight years when the series resumes in Boston on Thursday night. If the Celtics can win at home, the series 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.

Jayson Tatum had 27 points and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who lost consecutive games for the first time in the post-season. Marcus Smart was whistled for a technical foul then an offensive foul in a one-second span early in the fourth. He 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 the Celtics roared back in the third.

The Celtics found their own third-quarter magic that has long defined Golden State's success in the second half. Boston trailed 51-39 at the break before charging back with a 35-point outburst in the third.

Al Horford hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 6:28 left in the period that made it 58-55 as the Celtics finally found their shooting groove from deep. Boston made eight straight made three after missing the initial 12.

Jaylen Brown was two for 11 to start the game and finished with 18 points on five-of-18 shooting and missed all five of his three-point tries.

Tatum gave Boston its first three-pointer on the night 4:34 before halftime and the Celtics wound up 11 of 32 from deep overall. The Celtics were sloppy in stretches, committing 18 turnovers.

"When we're at our best, it's simple ball movement. I think the third quarter showed that. The drive and kick was beautiful, was working, getting guys wide-open shots," coach Ime Udoka said.

Golden State wound up nine of 40 from beyond the arc — Wiggins zero of six. Curry didn't make a three-pointer for the first time since going zero for four in a 134-111 loss to the Bucks on Nov. 18, 2018.

"A night that he didn't have it going we found offence elsewhere," said Green, who had eight points, eight rebounds and seven assists before fouling out with 3:01 remaining.

Klay's day

Thompson shot seven for 14 with five three-pointers in another shining playoff moment.

Monday marked exactly three years since Thompson tore the ACL in his left knee and had surgery before later tearing his right Achilles tendon while working back from the first injury — forcing him to miss more than 2 1/2 years.

Thompson was hurt in the deciding Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals as Toronto clinched the franchise's first championship playing on the Warriors' previous home floor in Oracle Arena.

Entering Game 5, Thompson's 35.8 per cent shooting was the lowest for any NBA Finals he has played, and he is making just 34.2 per cent from deep — down from 58.5 per cent on threes in the 2019 finals.

Silver enters league's health, safety protocols

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver missed the game, entering the league's health and safety protocols.

The NBA didn't offer further details, such as specifying whether Silver tested positive for COVID-19 or was a close contact with someone who had.