SAN FRANCISCO -- The NBA Finals allow for the slimmest margins of error. Opponents are too elite and opportunities too precious to squander in a seven-game series. For the Boston Celtics, sins of commission in Game 5 were too numerous to overcome a Golden State Warriors team with a championship pedigree on its home floor. The Warriors prevailed 104-94 and now stand one win away from capturing their fourth title in eight years.
With the exception of a handful of transcendent individual performances and team outbursts, the 2022 Finals have been a rugged, defensive affair.