Warriors make it 5 Finals in row
The Warriors swept their way to a fifth consecutive NBA Finals, getting triple-doubles from Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in a 119-117 overtime victory over the Trail Blazers on Monday night in Portland, Oregon.
Green had 18 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists and made a key three-pointer in overtime. Curry added 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. He and Green became the first teammates to have triple-doubles in the same playoff game.
The Warriors erased another big deficit, coming back from 17 down after erasing an 18-point deficit in Game 3 and a 17-point hole in Game 2.
“We’ve been here before. We’ve seen everything, every experience you can imagine. So we relied on that,” Curry said.
Playing without Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and DeMarcus Cousins, the Warriors became the first team to reach five consecutive finals since the Celtics went to 10 in a row from 1957 to ’66.
Damian Lillard, playing with separated ribs, had 28 points and 12 assists for the Blazers. He missed a three-pointer as time ran out in the extra period.
Magic says Lakers’ GM ‘betrayed’ him
Lakers great Magic Johnson appeared on ESPN’s “First Take” and said general manager Rob Pelinka “betrayed” him, which was one of the reasons Johnson resigned as president of basketball operations.
T-wolves’ Saunders youngest NBA coach
Interim coach Ryan Saunders, 33, agreed to a multiyear deal with the Timberwolves to become the NBA’s youngest head coach.