AROUND THE LEAGUE: Curry headed the All-NBA first team, the only player named on all 129 ballots in voting by a panel of writers and broadcasters.
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If the Oklahoma City point guard wore outfits twice, he could repeat the look of a backward baseball cap and short-sleeved leather shirt because there will be a Game 6 in the Western Conference finals after the Thunder failed to put away the Warriors. They stared down Michael Jordan’s most prestigious regular-season record and made it their objective to topple it, to claim their own comfortable perch above every other team in National Basketball Association history.
Stephen Curry and the Warriors stay alive.
Instead, Coach Steve Kerr opted to open the fourth period with a lineup that did not include any of his three All-Stars. Did that have anything to do with Stephen Curry’s defense? “We need our crowd behind us”, Kerr said beforehand.
Shaun Livingston buried a pull-up jump shot and Andre Iguodala hit a 3-pointer. The Thunder called a timeout.
Kevin Durant took the question with Westbrook laughing and covering his face after they were asked whether the two-time MVP was an underrated defender.
“The one thing I can control is the way I go out there and fight and battle”, Green said.
They played as if Game 5 was their last breath, and they earned themselves another game; and the Warriors have to treat that one like it’s the last one, too.
Russell Westbrook added to Durant’s big night by adding 31 points and eight assists.
The Warriors won despite making just nine of their 24 3-point attempts. After an inconsistent start to the series, they could be at risk of being rechristened the Splat Brothers.
Andrew Bogut had 15 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, and Draymond Green had an 11-point, 13-rebound double-double for the Warriors. Speights provided much needed instant offense off the bench for Golden State, scoring 14 points in just 9 minutes of action.
“We’ve got to play the same way we played the two home games we’ve had so far”, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. The playoff version managed to avoid matching that total in the span of 10 days. Curry had 31 points in the 120-111 win and Green played with his more typical fire and emotion. “It’s tough to win the West”. For now, Durant is in the more enviable position in the Western Conference finals with a 3-2 series lead and an opportunity to close out on Saturday at home.
“We play better when we’re having fun and enjoying the moment”, Curry said. “When they’re going in, you won’t say anything”.
The Oklahoma City Thunder advance to their second NBA Finals with a solid home victory here. And I thought the Thunder played extremely hard and very well.
He had 31 points on 11-of-28 shooting with eight assists and seven turnovers in the Thunder’s Game 5 loss.
“I’ve got a great teammate that’s obviously a better defender on the perimeter”, said Curry, who received 13 points in voting for the league’s all-defensive team, including three first-place votes.
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“I didn’t want the season to end tonight”.
