The West has been clinched and it's the Golden State of mind. After two years disappointing seasons filled with injuries to the Splash Brothers, the Golden State Warriors are back as if they never left. Putting the finishing touches to the Western Conference Finals in Game 5 over the Dallas Mavericks, the Warriors make their sixth NBA Finals appearances in eight years.
Game 5 was the Klay Thompson game and a great sighting for the NBA and the fans as a whole. Coming off two catastrophic injuries, torn ACL in 2019 Finals and the torn Achilles in 2021, Klay Thompson had his best performance since his return. 32 points on 12 of 25 shooting including eight 3-pointers. Kevon Looney held down the inside with 10 points and 18 rebounds. That's correct 18 rebounds with seven of them on the offensive end. Andrew Wiggins also had a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards.
Fellow Splash Brother, Steph Curry did not have a great game. Only scored 15 points on 5 of 17 shooting with nine assists. Despite the performance, Curry was named the Western Conference Finals MVP, a new award to acknowledge the best conference finals player named after Laker great, Magic Johnson.
All starters for the Warriors scored in double-figures.
For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic struggled in the first half and the Mavs fell behind big, 52-69 at the break. Nevertheless, Doncic finished with 28 points, nine rebounds, and six assists including 16 points in the third quarter. The only other Mav to show up in Game 5 was Spencer Dinwiddie, who played good in the first half when Luka struggled. Dinwiddie finished with 26 points.
The Mavs were 3-0 in elimination game before Game 5.
The Golden State Warriors are back in the NBA Finals and will wait for the winner of the East Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat.
The NBA Finals will begin Thursday, June 2nd in San Francisco.
Comments