Warriors sweep straight to Finals
SAN ANTONIO — Stephen Curry scored 36 points and the Golden State Warriors closed out the Western Conference Finals against the injury-ravaged San Antonio Spurs with a 129-115 victory Monday night, becoming the first team in league history to start the playoffs 12-0.
Golden State led by as many as 22 points in cruising to its third straight Finals. The Warriors await a possible third straight championship matchup with Cleveland, which leads Boston 2-1 in the East finals.
“It’s great to be one of the last two teams standing, we’ll see how it goes,” said Kevin Durant, who notched 29 points and 12 rebounds.
San Antonio’s only lead came on the opening possession, when Manu Ginobili tossed in a left-handed scoop shot. The Spurs started Ginobili in what could be his final game with the team. The 39-year-old had maintained he will not ponder whether to retire or return until after the season. Unsure if the beloved veteran will return, the crowd serenaded Ginobili with “Manu, Manu” chants as the game came to a close.
“An amazing competitor, even more fun playing against him,” Durant said of Ginobili. “He was phenomenal this series.” Kyle Anderson scored 20 points to lead the Spurs, who were without Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and David Lee. San Antonio didn’t let up despite the injuries. Anderson dove on the court for a loose ball that the Spurs had tipped away defensively, pushing the ball upcourt to Mills who fed Ginobili for a 3-pointer that pulled San Antonio to 108-94 with 7 minutes remaining. The effort made Spurs coach Gregg Popovich smile and clap at times, but the Warriors’ depth and talent proved too much for short-handed San Antonio. Golden State shot 56% and was 14 for 39 on 3-pointers. Draymond Green collected 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Warriors. Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge closed out a disappointing series with his second eight-point effort against the Warriors. Ginobili finished with 15 points in 32 minutes Golden State has won five straight games over San Antonio, including the regular season, which is the team’s longest against the Spurs. Warriors starting center Zaza Pachulia missed his second straight game with a bruised right heel. His absence allowed him to escape the ire of the Spurs fans, who blame him for Leonard’s absence after his controversial close-out on a 3-pointer that Popovich called “dangerous” and “unsportsmanlike.”