For the first time since March, the Boston Celtics have lost back-to-back games, and it could not have happened at a worse time. After a 104-94 loss in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Boston finds itself down 3-2 to the Golden State Warriors and on the brink of elimination.

 

But how did it come to this? Here are three main takeaways from Game 5 that help explain why the Celtics now need to win consecutive games to win an NBA title.

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Celtics NBA Finals Game 5 takeaways vs. Warriors

Boston's self-inflicted wounds

Turnovers have plagued the Celtics throughout the playoffs, but their struggles with taking care of the ball seemed more apparent than ever on Monday night. Overall, the Celtics coughed it up 18 times while the Warriors had a mere seven turnovers, and such a differential is nearly impossible to overcome for any team.

This is a rough look:

Many of these turnovers were a result of careless passes or poor ball control, however, Golden State's aggressive defense is also a big reason why Boston had trouble holding possession.

Turnovers were not the only avoidable mistakes made by Boston, though, as dismal free-throw shooting was a major problem as well. The Celtics went 21-for-31 from the line in Game 5, and those 10 missed free throws could have made up the 10-point differential Boston lost by. Even Jayson Tatum, who has a career 84% free-throw percentage, went 2-of-6 on the night.

On top of missing free throws, Boston gifted Golden State some too via two technical fouls. Regardless of whether or not the technicals on Marcus Smart and head coach Ime Udoka were deserved, they were another example of Boston shooting itself in the foot against an opponent that requires perfection.

Not enough gas left in the tank?

The NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals are obviously grueling, and both teams are extremely tired and banged up by the end of them. Yet, this exhaustion seems to be impacting the Celtics a bit more due to their inexperience and largely seven-man rotation.

No one on the Celtics has ever played this deep into the season, and with injuries and minutes piling up, this works against them.

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For instance, Tatum, who has played more minutes than any other player in this year's playoffs, is dealing with some shoulder issues and looked fatigued down the stretch in Game 5. He was leaving shots short and even got nothing but air on a few attempts. While this does not excuse a poor performance, it is clear that the length of the playoffs is hurting Boston more than the battle-tested Warriors, especially after the Celtics went a full seven games in two physical series prior to the Finals.

Andrew Wiggins and a case for Finals MVP

It's a rare night when Stephen Curry does not hit a 3-pointer, so someone had to step up in his absence for Golden State. During Game 5, Andrew Wiggins answered the call, as he tallied 26 points and 13 rebounds all while committing zero turnovers.

Furthermore, 10 of his 26 points came in the fourth quarter and helped put the Celtics away. Withan especially emphatic dunk late in the game, Wiggins undoubtedly sealed the victory for Golden State:

Following his Game 5 performance and a Game 4 in which he had a career-high 16 rebounds, Wiggins has made a case for Finals MVP. But, first, his squad has to close out the series. The Warriors will get a chance to in Game 6 in Boston on Thursday night.