180 winners and 39 losers

"Teams that win Game 5 of a 2-2 best-of-7 playoff series go on to win the series 82.2 percent of the time (180-39)." - NBCS Boston

The NBA Finals continue between the Golden State Warriors and the Boston Celtics. Games 3 & 4 were played on Wednesday and Friday in Boston. Boston took advantage of home court and beat the Warriors 116-100. Curry and Thompson combined for 56 points (31 and 25 respectively), but it was not enough as their paint defense was almost non-existent. The Celtics outscored the Warriors 52-26 in the paint and grabbed 15 offensive rebounds which ended up being the two most contributing factors to the game 3 win. The Warriors lacked energy and outside of Steph and Klay, there were no other reliable scoring options. It seemed almost certain of a repeat performance game 4 at home.

But as the official Warriors Twitter account likes to say #StephGonnaSteph. The superstar guard exploded for 43 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists to make sure his team did not go down the dreaded 3-1. He was nothing short of extraordinary and many are calling this performance, the best Finals game of his career. Curry is playing for more than just a championship, he's playing for a Finals MVP, an award he has missed out on the 3 previous times he's won a championship in his career. He has made it known that he wants that award and if the Warriors can win the Finals, he is expected to get his first.

This will be no easy task as the Celtics are a defensive powerhouse with dominant offensive weapons as well. They went through the beasts of the east to get to the finals and will be no easy task, even with the Warriors having home court advantage. Jayson Tatum has struggled in this series shooting an abysmal 34% from the field which is heavily inflated by his 3 point makes. Tatum is shooting 27.5% on 2 point baskets this series and has only made 14 shots inside the arch. Fortunately for Celtics fans, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart, Al Horford, and Derrick White have helped put points on the board in Tatum's offensive absence. This is not a trend that is expected to continue. Tatum is an extremely talented offensive player that does not stay cold for long. He lives for big moments and constantly comes through for his team.  Even if he does continue to struggle, his teammates have been stellar at scoring whenever it has been needed. 

Things to look out for in Game 5: 

• Jayson Tatum to break out of his slump - He has had a very difficult series up to this point but it is crucial he starts scoring with better efficiency. Can Jaylen Brown become a 1B and win the series for the Celtics if this continues or will Tatum's struggles be the story of the series. 

• Draymond Green & Klay Thompson becoming Draymond Green & Klay Thompson again - The Warriors' Green and Thompson are having their fair share of struggles as well. Thompson as the number 2 option has not really shown up as many expected him to show up. His shot selection has been questionable at best. As the Celtics attempt to cool down Steph Curry, the burden will be put on everyone else to hit open shots. For the Warriors to win, Klay must lead the team in field goal makes and scoring. There is not a lot to say about Draymond Green besides he has not looked like himself. Missing wide open shots, fouling out of games, overall just not really doing anything on the court. He needs to be better if the Warriors want to win. 

• A Poole Party is needed - Jordan Poole cemented himself as one of the up and coming young players in the league this season with his play BUT his Finals have absolutely not reflected that. He has had a significant drop off in minutes going from 36 minutes per game at the end of the season to 23 minutes per game in the Finals. As the playoffs progressed, he has been playing less and less minutes and barely played 20 minutes in game 4. Warriors need scoring and he is a professional scorer but he needs to be better defensively. He is being hunted nearly every possession which makes it impossible for him to stay on the floor if he is also struggling offensively.

• Robert Williams Health - The Celtics need to do everything they can do win if not for them, for their center Robert Williams. He was rushed back to the court after suffering a meniscus tear near the end of the regular season and it is more than evident he is hurting. He is risking his career playing in these Finals on a knee that will probably require a second surgery. When healthy, he is an absolute game changer. He is anchor of the Boston defense and uses his 7'6 wingspan on both ends of the floor. Despite his injury, he is still dominating around the rim, totalling 12 blocks through 4 games. 

Jules' Game 5 Predictions

1.  Jayson Tatum will break out of slump.
2.  Draymond Green breaks out of his slump but Klay continues to struggle.
3.  Jordan Poole's minutes will continue to get reduced -- he may completely fall out of the rotation.
4. Robert Williams will maintain his current production and his minutes will increase.