OAKLAND, Calif., Sporting Alert – The Golden State Warriors erased a series 3-1 deficit to win the Western Conference finals, after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 96-88 in Game 7 to reach the NBA Finals for the second straight season. Complete Box Score
“Phenomenal basketball team that we just played, and we survived by the skin of our teeth,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined to score 57 points for the Warriors, who erased a 13 point deficit to come away with the victory on Monday night, as Steven Adams and Draymond Green who battled throughout the entire series, squashed their differences and hug it out at the end of a thrilling series.
"Phenomenal basketball team that we just played, and we survived by the skin of our teeth." pic.twitter.com/PPu4uX9lfu
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) May 31, 2016
Reigning MVP Curry scored 36 points and made seven 3-pointers to top the all-time chart for an NBA seven-game series with a record 32 3s, while adding eight assists and five rebounds in the win at Oracle Arena.
Thompson, the hero in Game 6, finished with 21 points and connected on six 3-pointers for Golden State, which won three straight games to close out the series.
With the win on Monday, the Warriors became only the 10th team in NBA history to recover from a 3-1 deficit in a playoffs series.
Kevin Durant scored 27 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Thunder, which got 19 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds from Russell Westbrook.
Serge Ibaka finished with 16 points for OKC.
“There were opportunities for us to close the game out in Game 5, Game 6 and Game 7 and never did,” a disappointed Thunder coach Billy Donovan said.
The Warriors advanced to face LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of last year’s NBA Finals.
Game 1 is Thursday night in Oakland.
The defending champions open up the NBA Finals odds as the favourites against the Cavaliers, according to Westgate SuperBook.
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