NBA Conference Finals | Game 5 Recap

Cavaliers vs Celtics
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics to a win after scoring 24 points in front of his home crowd. After another well-organized scoring attack and a tireless defense that shook the Cavaliers, the Celtics are now one win away from a shot at the NBA Finals. They now hold a 3-2 series lead and are seeking to make history once again. Should they make it to the FInals, this will be their first trip to the main stage since 2010.
After dropping a pair of games on the road, the Celtics flipped the switch once again to claim a 96-83 win against the 2016 NBA champions. Some of the notable performances in the game include a 24-point game by Jayson Tatum and an additional 17 points courtesy of Jaylen Brown. Without question, these two players stepped up for their team and continue to do so by producing numbers worthy for the Eastern Conference Finals trophy.
A visibly drained LeBron James continued to do the heavy lifting for the Cavaliers after scoring 26 points and claiming 10 rebounds while Kevin Love added 14 points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, the remaining starters combined for only 10 points.
Now, the Celtics are on a hot streak and are about to force the Cavs out of contention for an NBA Finals spot. But can the Cavaliers soldier on and force a Game 7?
Rockets vs Warriors
At the other end of the spectrum, the Rockets are now one win away from their ultimate goal: a trip to the NBA Finals. Should they outclass the Warriors in Game 6 and close the series, we may be looking at surprising NBA Finals line-up as the Celtics are threatening to take the crown away from the Cavaliers.
Game 5 was another gritty match between the two NBA giants, with both trading heavy blows almost the entire game. Three of the “Hamptons 5”, Curry, Durant, and Thompson lit the scoreboard up for a combined 74 points. In the end, though, it wasn’t enough. A crucial turnover from Draymond Green ended their hopes of winning the game.
The spotlight was on Eric Gordon and Chris Paul after recording 24 points for the Rockets and 20 points, respectively. The two filled the gaps left by James Harden, who was having a hard time with 0-11 from three and just 5-21 from the field.
Although Houston is now a game away from winning the Western Conference Finals, everyone is eager to see if Paul will play the next game after suffering a hamstring injury late in the 4th quarter.
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