Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors 1 win away from being 'best team' after Game 5 NBA Finals win

Andrew Wiggins remained certain Golden State had the NBA’s best team late in the regular season despite being third in the West behind Phoenix and Memphis.

“We believe we're still the best team, especially when everyone is healthy, and that's what we're going towards,” said Wiggins before a March 30 showdown against the Suns in San Francisco the Warriors lost.

Two and half months later, Wiggins had his best game of this year’s NBA Finals in leading the third-seeded Warriors to a 104-94 victory Monday night over Boston at Chase Center.

Scoring 26 points on 12-of-23 shooting, Wiggins grabbed 13 rebounds in posting a second consecutive double-double in the finals.

The top overall pick in the 2014 draft out of Kansas, Wiggins had 17 points and 16 rebounds in Game 4 Golden State won Friday in Boston to knot the series, 2-2.

“He's definitely confident,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after Game 5. “He's definitely enjoying the playoffs. He loves the challenge. He loves the competition. And he's found such a crucial role on our team, and I think that empowers him. He knows how much we need him, so he's been fantastic.”

With a 3-2 lead, Golden State can win its fourth NBA championship in eight seasons with a win Thursday in Boston.

“I’m excited,” said Wiggins during his postgame ESPN interview as he’s playing in his first finals. “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime.”

If the second-seeded Celtics take Game 6, a decisive Game 7 will be played Sunday in San Francisco.

“The message to the guys is to be confident going home, get your rest, let's get ready to bring it back here,” Celtics coach Ime Udoka said after Game 5.

“For us, it's really about consistency. That's the thing we're not having throughout a full game, is consistent efforts, sustained effort, more so offensively than anything. That’s the part where we got to have carryover not only game to game but quarter to quarter, where we saw it happened in the third but not the fourth.”

Boston is 3-0 in elimination games in this year’s playoffs.

The Celtics came back from a 3-2 deficit to beat the 2021 NBA champion Bucks in the Eastern Conference semifinals and won Game 7 of the conference finals at No. 1 seeded Miami to reach the finals for the first time since 2010.

“Obviously, we are all frustrated with tonight a little bit, but even prior, quarters and games,” Udoka continued. “Our message is to take it one at a time. We've been here before, did it against Milwaukee. Let's bring it back out to the Bay.”

Wiggins played a major role in Golden State winning Game 5 by scoring 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter on 5-of-6 shooting.

“Just attacking the rim,” said Wiggins during his postgame ESPN interview as he shot 0-of-6 from 3. “Got in that mindset to stay aggressive.”

Wiggins made more shots from the field in the fourth than Boston did as a team.

Phoenix Suns: Suns fan Mr. ORNG, Booker's baby fist bump featured in NBA 75 ad

The Celtics went 4-of-15 in the final quarter as Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting.

“I just got to not fade as much and use my legs,” Tatum said after Game 5 as he shot 1-of-5 in the fourth (1-of-2 from 3). “You’re going to be a little more tired in the fourth than you are in the first quarter, but you’ve got to get your legs a little more under you on a couple of those shots. Give yourself a chance.”

Wiggins had a say in Boston’s poor shooting in the fourth as the first-time All-Star played sound defense on Tatum, an All-NBA first-team selection this year.

“He was absolutely incredible,” said Warriors forward Draymond Green during his ESPN postgame interview. “He’s been that way this entire playoff run. He’s been guarding the other team’s best wing player and he’s giving it to us on the offensive end as well.”

Tatum finished with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-20 shooting (5-of-9 from 3) and 10 boards.

“Got to give all those guys credit,” Tatum said. “Everybody for them played well. They were the better team and you’ve got to give them credit. Get some rest and get ready for the next one.”

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

Support local journalism. Start your online subscription.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors 1 win away from being 'best team'