NBA Finals, 5 match, preview The score in the series is 2-2 | MVP Sports Consulting

NBA Finals, 5 match, preview

The score in the series is 2-2, the final returns to San Francisco. What are the layouts for the 5th match?

Quotes: Warriors is the 4.5-point favorite. Total is 211.5.

Injury

As always, the status of Rob Williams is unclear, while he played in every match, but he was removed from the last game ahead of time, and it is not clear how ready he is. If Rob doesn't play, or doesn't play enough, Boston has 2 exits:

- To give minutes to Tyce, who cannot cope with athleticism either in defense or in attack, but gives formal dimensions and a very formal three-piece;
- To produce smaller fives, respectively, to play more in exchange, but it is likely to fly in on the protection of the ring and the rebound.

The second option looks nominally preferable, but Udoka, according to the distance of this playoff, was more inclined to the first option. Anyway. But for now, the coach prefers to believe that Rob will be ready for the 5th match.

And there are also questions about Porter's health. He is chronically injured, he didn't run much in the last match. Although it looked more like a game replacement - Otto, who was transferred to the start, could not cope with the task of opening the platform in front, and Warriors returned to more defensive combinations. There is no current news on Otto's health right now, we assume that he will play.

What's going on in Celtics' half

Boston in defense tries not to let Warriors rock the movement. A minimum of doubling, insurance only at the expense of those who will not be able to punish, and to whom you do not need to rush headlong back. The pick-and-rolls come out like and high, but they are given to throw from the lead. For this, in the 4th match, Stef awarded them 43 points, Pool added a little, plus Thompson went out on similar throws, although already passing the barrier without the ball.

Are Celtics ready to continue playing like this, believing that Warriors will smear jumpers? In the end, Golden State hit only 35% from beyond the arc in the previous match, and still took the match. If Celtics continue, Warriors will throw out a bunch of 3 again. If not, there will probably be a ball movement, or a hunt for Horford.

Boston will also have to think about something with the work on the shields and defense against an early attack. Warriors' attack isn't exactly scary, but when you let them run away and get second chance points, that attack is already good enough for Warriors' defense to win the match. Actually, the need to work on shields partly keeps Boston from throwing its "big ones" even further into the field. But this is not always enough. In the fourth game, they were hit both from behind the arc and on the shields. And in the next match, Draymond is likely to be even more active on the shields, because this is almost the only thing he can offer in attack. And yes, Green can also drive the pace.

Draymond failed the previous match (as well as the one before him), and of course he needs to somehow rehabilitate himself. In theory, you can expect a powerful charge and good numbers on rebounds.