Avery Bradley Leads Balanced Celtics Scoring in Game 5 Win vs. Wizards

Avery Bradley was so quiet in Games 3 and 4 you sometimes wondered if he made the trip to Washington at all.

Bradley's effect was loud and clear early and often in Game 5.

The Celtics guard scored 29 points, Al Horford had another brilliant all-around performance, and the duo spearheaded Boston's charge to a 123-101 win over the Washington Wizards to get within a game of a conference finals berth. The Celtics hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Bradley, who was limited to 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting in Boston's pair of losses in Washington, scored 25 of his 29 points in the first half. It marked a playoff career high for Bradley, who'd been held under the 20-point barrier in eight of the team's first 10 playoff games.

The Ringer's Twitter feed made a salient point about Bradley's salary:

Jordan Schultz of HuffPost hit us with an NBA Jam classic GIF:

The Celtics shot 58.1 percent in the first half and 52.9 percent overall. They hit 16 threes in what was a dispiriting defensive no-show from Washington, which has dropped each of the first three games in Boston. Thirty-three of Boston's 46 field goals came via an assist. 

Horford continued his brilliant postseason, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds and seven assists. Often criticized during the regular season for not "living up" to his max contract, Horford has proved without a doubt why the Celtics signed him in this series. He's made more than 60 percent of his shots in four of the first five games, including an 8-of-9 performance Wednesday.

CelticsBlog put it in proper context:

Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas, who scored 18 points apiece, rounded out the four Boston starters in double figures despite off shooting nights. Thomas has been held under the 20-point mark in three straight games—a statistical anomaly in a campaign where he set the franchise record for most consecutive 20-point games.

Michael Wilbon of ESPN provided a snapshot of the Celtics sideline in the fourth quarter:

Marcus Smart was Boston's top performer off the bench with nine points, 11 rebounds and six assists. 

Meanwhile, just about every Wizard had a night he would rather forget.

John Wall finished with 21 points, but those came on 17 shots. He also tied a career playoff low with four assists, struggling to facilitate as his teammates' shots went clanging off the rim. Bradley Beal had an inefficient 16 points on 7-of-19 shooting. 

The Wizards shot 38.5 percent and 7-of-29 from beyond the arc. They had scored at least 110 points in each of their last five games.

Kelly Oubre Jr., returning after being suspended for Game 4 after an altercation with Kelly Olynyk, had 13 points off the bench. Boston fans relentlessly booed the second-year forward every time he touched the ball and responded with cheers for Olynyk whenever he entered.

While close in terms of wins and losses, this series has been anything but a barnburner from an excitement standpoint. Every game has been decided by at least 10 points, and each of the last three have featured garbage-time fourth quarters.

As the Cleveland Cavaliers sit waiting in the wings, neither team has proved consistent enough to threaten the defending NBA champions.