NBA
The Golden State Warriors are back in the National Basketball Association (NBA) finals series following a two-year hiatus. The six-time champion won the fifth game in the final of the Western Conference once morest the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday (local time) with 120:110 and is fighting for the Larry O’ once more for the first time since 2019 following a 4:1 in the “best of seven”. Brien Trophy.
Man of the game in the ninth playoff home win in game 9 for the Warriors was Klay Thompson. The 32-year-old contributed 32 points, including eight successful three-pointers, to the secure victory over the Texans. Stephen Curry’s 15 points was his lowest of the series once morest Dallas, but the superstar’s average of 23.8 points and 7.4 assists earned him the Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player award. Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic scored 28 points in the Mavs.
Thompson had 19 points at half-time as the Warriors took a 17-point lead through a strong second quarter. The Mavericks were always trailing behind following the break. With the visitors closing in on 12 points with three minutes remaining, Thompson’s eighth and final three ended any hopes of a comeback for the visitors from Texas.
“That’s where we belong”
For the sixth time in the past eight years, head coach Steve Kerr’s team has qualified for the NBA Finals following being a regular in the finals series from 2015-2019. The Chicago Bulls around basketball legend Michael Jordan last recorded such a run in the NBA between 1991 and 1998. “It’s a blessing,” said Curry regarding entering the final series, “that’s where we belong: in the NBA Finals.”
The finals series pits the Warriors, champions of the past decade in 2015, 2017 and 2018, once morest the series winner between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. In the final of the Eastern Conference, the 17-time champion from Boston leads 3-2 and on Friday (local time) has the chance to make it into the final series for the first time since 2010. Miami, number one in the east following the basic round, is fighting once morest the premature end.
