The Golden State Warriors are headed to the NBA finals for the first time in 40 years, eliminating the Houston Rockets on Wednesday to set up a title clash with Cleveland.
The Warriors, the best team in the regular season with 67 victories and 15 defeats, pulled away late to beat the Rockets 104-90 and seal a 4-1 series victory in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.
They face a Cavaliers team led by four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James who swept the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference finals.
Photo: EPA
The Warriors are back in the championship series for the first time since 1975, when they swept the Washington Bullets in four games to win the title.
The Warriors are to host Game 1 in Oakland on Thursday next week.
“We’re four wins away from the goal,” reigning MVP Stephen Curry told the crowd after Wednesday’s win, his words almost drowned out by the cheering of the Warriors faithful.
Curry, playing with a protective sleeve on his right arm after a frightening fall in Game 4 in which he also hit his head on the court, led the Warriors with 26 points.
Forward Harrison Barnes played a key role, helping Golden State break open a close contest with four straight baskets to cap an 11-2 scoring run that turned a six-point lead into an 87-72 Warriors advantage with 7 minutes, 7 seconds to play.
Barnes scored nine straight points on a jump shot, a three-pointer, a running basket and a dunk.
“I was just trying to be aggressive,” said Barnes, who stepped up after teammate Klay Thompson left the game with an ear laceration that had to be stitched up.
Thompson scored 20 points before he took a knee in the ear from Rockets forward Trevor Ariza.
“Obviously they were putting a lot of attention on Steph,” Barnes said. “When [Thompson] went down, I was just trying to fill in the pieces.”
Golden State’s rookie coach Steve Kerr, who won five NBA titles as a player, said it was a different feeling to coach a team to the finals.
“It’s maybe even more rewarding, because you feel responsible for a lot of people’s welfare,” he said.
As for getting there for the first time in 40 years, Kerr said: “It’s a joy.”
The Warriors defense harried Rockets star guard James Harden into a dismal two-for-11 shooting performance. He missed all three of his three-point attempts and finished with an NBA playoff record 13 turnovers.
Harden, runner-up to Curry in MVP voting, had scored a spectacular 45 points as the Rockets fended off elimination in Game 4, but was held to just 14 in this one.
Dwight Howard led Houston with 18 points and 16 rebounds, but the Rockets shot poorly, making just 35.1 percent from the field.
“We were extraordinarily bad at finishing at the rim,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. “We didn’t finish very well at the rim. They got too many offensive rebounds and we had too many live ball turnovers at the top of the floor. Those three things really doomed us.”
Houston had cut the Warriors’ lead to eight points with 4 minutes, 19 seconds remaining when Barnes hit two free-throws and came up with another dunk.
The Rockets could not get the deficit below nine points the rest of the way in an end to a season in which they battled injuries, but notched the third-best record in the regular season.
“This isn’t where we wanted to end at,” Harden said. “It’s a really good season for us. Next year we want to be better, and we will.”
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely