Warriors sweep Spurs, reach finals

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 NBA Finals. The Warriors await a possible third straight championship matchup with Cleveland, which leads Boston 2-1 in the East finals.

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-yearold had maintained he will not ponder whether to retire or return until after the season.

Kyle Anderson scored 20 points to lead the Spurs, who were without Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and David Lee.

Doping

RUSSIA FACES POSSIBLE PARALYMPICS BAN>> Russia faces the strong possibility of being excluded from a second Paralympics over its state-sponsored doping scheme.

The International Paralympic Committee said on Monday it remains unconvinced Russia has adopted a new anti-doping culture and implemented the changes required to prove it is cleaning up in time for the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang.

The Russian Paralympic Committee claims it has fulfilled 62 of 67 criteria on the IPC reinstatement plan. But the IPC said if Russia “does not meet its obligations in full by early September then there is a strong chance” of the team missing out on South Korea.

“This is not quite a final warning, but it is saying we are running out of time fast,” IPC President Philip Craven said. “With each day that passes there’s time to sort this one out.”

The IPC remains concerned about Russia’s “closed” cities where many athletes train but that limit access to drug testers, a matter in the control of the government rather than the Paralympic organization in Russia.

“Ultimately, Russia has to restore confidence in the wider sporting world,” Craven said. “The RPC and Russian authorities need to build trust in their actions and prove to us all that from now on sport really is about morals over medals and not the other way round.”

Racing

NICKY HAYDEN DIES AFTER COLLISION >> Former MotoGP world champion Nicky Hayden died in hospital on Monday, five days after he was hit by a car while training on his bicycle. Hayden was 35.

Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, where Hayden had been since the collision last Wednesday, made the announcement. Hayden had severe cerebral damage and multiple traumatic injuries.

“The medical team has verified the death of the patient Nicholas Patrick Hayden, who has been undergoing care since last Wednesday May 17 in the intensive care unit of the Bufalini Hospital in Cesena following a very serious polytrauma which occurred the same day,” the hospital statement said.

Hayden was training on the Rimini coast following a motorcycle race at nearby Imola. The black Peugeot car that hit Hayden had its front windshield smashed.