Warriors overtake Celtics to move within one win of NBA title

Andrew Wiggins inspired the Golden State Warriors to a 104-94 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of the NBA Finals and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Wiggins ignited a 10-0 burst at the start of the fourth quarter with a coast-to-coast layup as part of a team-high, 26-point effort Monday in San Francisco.

After winning for the 11th time in 12 games at home in the postseason, the Warriors will have an opportunity to claim their fourth title in the eight-year Steve Kerr era when the clubs meet in Boston for Game 6 on Thursday.

Both teams survived long droughts from beyond the 3-point arc only to be separated by just one point through three periods. The Warriors took command for good after Wiggins grabbed a defensive rebound, drove the length of the floor and dropped in a layup 37 seconds into the fourth quarter.

Jordan Poole did most of the rest of the damage in the 10-point burst, contributing three free throws and a jumper, while Klay Thompson bombed in a3-pointer, helping Golden State go up 85-74 with 9:05 to play.

The Celtics, coming off a Game 4 loss at home and not having dropped consecutive games previously in the postseason, never got closer than seven after that.

Wiggins' 26 points were one fewer than his playoff career high, set in a Game3 win at Dallas in the Western Conference finals. He shot 12-for-23 on Monday and found time for a game-high 13 rebounds, completing his second consecutive double-double despite missing all six of his 3-point attempts.

Missed 3-pointers were the story of the night, as the Warriors took advantage of Boston misfiring on its first 12 attempts to build as much as a 16-point lead in the first half.

However, Golden State then went cold from deep, missing 14 in a row as the