The Golden State Warriors had the upper hand over the Boston Celtics for nearly every minute of Game 5.
From the opening tip-off, the Warriors were in command.
At times, it looked like Golden State was just playing with their food, toying with the Celtics and shutting them down from all over the court.
The Celtics had some fight in them and were able to take the lead briefly but there is no denying that the Warriors were in the driver’s seat the whole time.
Ime Udoka: "The start is hard to explain. … Our offense was stagnant, un-aggressive."
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) June 14, 2022
Things were at their worst during the first quarter when the Celtics were outscored 27-16.
It was a rough start to the game and set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Boston’s head coach, Ime Udoka, was well aware that his team has a sluggish opening period.
Following the game, he was at a loss about how things got going, saying, “The start is hard to explain. Our offense was stagnant, un-aggressive.”
He’s absolutely right and it was surprising to see his team look so limp.
Celtics’ Struggles
Even those who don’t like the Celtics admit that the team looks like a well-oiled machine at times.
They move the ball gracefully and with speed and power and they move in tandem.
The Celtics look like a cohesive unit most of the time thanks to Udoka’s expert coaching.
That’s not what was on display Monday night.
Instead, the Celtics were looking sloppy and out of sorts.
They would try plays, get shut down by the Warriors, then look panicked as they attempted to pass the ball or find another route to the bucket.
The Celtics were more than stagnant…they were downright clumsy.
NEXT: Jaylen Brown Comments On How The Celtics Will Respond