By Mark Bacon
After some of the most dramatic and compelling basketball the NBA has seen, the Golden State Warriors found themselves 12 minutes away from a return trip to the NBA Finals, an escape from a three-games-to-one deficit in these Western Conference finals and a chance to stake a claim as one of the greatest teams in the history of the league.
They handed the ball to Stephen Curry, and the NBA’s two-time defending MVP carried his team home.
Behind 36 points and eight assists from Curry — including 15 points in the fourth quarter and 24 in the second half — Golden State emerged with an 96-88 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder in Oakland’s Oracle Arena. With the victory, the Warriors will get two days to rest and prepare for a rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the championship round, which will begin here Thursday night.
The final outcome was far from a formality, as the Thunder continued to push the Warriors much harder than anyone would have expected. It didn’t become official until Curry scored six straight points in the final 90 seconds after the Thunder had closed within four on a Kevin Durant jumper with 1 minute 40 seconds remaining.
But after Curry was fouled on a three-point attempt by Serge Ibaka with 1.8 seconds remaining on the shot clock and 1:18 remaining in the game, and made all three free throws to push Golden State’s lead to 93-86, Curry sealed the game with signature aplomb a few seconds later. Game.
When Durant missed a three-pointer with 43.8 seconds left, Curry brought the ball up on a fast break, bringing the ball out to the three-point line. After getting away from Thunder guard Andre Roberson, Curry pulled up and let fly with a three-pointer — his seventh of the game — with 26.8 seconds that dropped through the bottom of the net, giving the Warriors a 96-86 lead and ensuring that their chase for history would live on.
That this series came down to the final seconds of the seventh and final game was a testament to the resiliency the Thunder showed after giving up a fourth-quarter lead and losing at home in Game 6 Saturday night — a loss that happened only because of a pair of historic performances from Curry and Klay Thompson.
It was an equation that proved destined to end with a Warriors victory.
If you like this story look for more great content from the Main Event Sports crew on our app! Just go to the Google Play Store or iPhone App Store and search keyword "Main Event Sports Radio" and you will have tons of blogs, videos, pics, and more!
For Android users simply click on the link below to download the Main Event Sports app today! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app_maineventsports.layout
For iPhone users simply click on the link below to download the Main Event Sports app today! https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/main-event-sports-radio/id989058411?mt=8
No comments:
Post a Comment