CURRY SPURS VITAL WIN

STEPHEN Curry scored 32 points as the Golden State Warriors survived a scare to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 101-98 and move to the brink of the western conference playoff finals on Monday.

Curry poured in 18 points in the final quarter as an outof-sorts Warriors reeled in the Grizzlies with less than a minute left to close out victory and take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Memphis, who suffered a 142-112 mauling in game three on Saturday, had looked poised to punish one of the worst Golden State offensive displays in years to seize victory at San Francisco’s Chase Center.

But after leading from the opening quarter until the final minute of the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies, without the injured Ja Morant, were unable to hold on.

And as Memphis tightened down the stretch, it was Curry who kept his cool to reel off a string of free throws that allowed Golden State to edge home.

In Milwaukee, Al Horford scored 30 points as the Boston Celtics produced a devastating late scoring burst to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 116-108 and knot their best-of-seven series at 2-2.

The defending champion Bucks looked to be heading towards a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series after stretching into an 11-point lead late in the third quarter, with Giannis Antetokounmpo in commanding form.

But a devastating fourthquarter shooting display from the Celtics – with Horford scoring 16 points as Boston outscored Milwaukee 43-28 – transformed the contest.

The Celtics head home to Boston for game five on Thursday (AEDT).