Golden State finishes off San Antonio in a 4-0 sweep
The Golden State Warriors won again in dominant fashion. They took the series in San Antonio with a combination of great offense and defense. They are now 12-0 in the playoffs and heading to the NBA Finals after winning game four, 129-115.
Golden State Warriors 129 – San Antonio Spurs 115
Golden State dominating an NBA playoff game is nothing but ordinary for this team. They’ve rolled through every opponent in the Western Conference which is no easy task. Their run might go down as one of the most dominant performances in the history of the Western Conference playoffs. Only two other teams have gone undefeated through the Western Conference, 2001 and 1989 Los Angles Lakers. This Warriors team managed to outscore their opponents by an average of 16.2 ppg which marks an NBA record for a team entering the NBA Finals.
The Warriors’ incredible scoring continued in their final game with Steph Curry recording 36 points while shooting 14-of-24 from the field. Kevin Durant also contributed how he typically does with 29 points and leading the team in rebounds with 12 boards. The combination of Durant and Curry has been dynamite this playoff which no team in the West could match. Durant also played a huge role on the defensive end and on the glass for his team throughout the playoffs.
The Warriors are forced to play Durant more in the post due to the team’s lack of front-court depth. This looked to be an issue against bigger teams like San Antonio. However, the big man came up big with two double-digit rebound games and a block in each game the series against the Spurs. He’s never been asked to play this role much on his former teams due to his skinny frame. However, his length is that of a center, so the potential of a strong post defender was always there in Durant’s game. Golden State asked him to be a difference maker down low and he proved he can bang in the paint with the best of them.
Now, Golden State heads to their third consecutive championship series. These finals are unlike any other of the three they’ve been to. Last year, Golden State blew a 3-1 lead against the Cleveland Cavaliers to kill their dreams of winning two-straight titles. Due to this, there is work left to be done in the eyes of the Warriors.
“Our goal coming into the season was to win the championship”, said Draymond Green after the game.
Their postgame celebration was not exactly a huge party which makes it clear that sweeping the Spurs, and going undefeated, is just a consolation prize at this point. Golden State wants to the win the title, and they urge to go through Cleveland to get it. They might get their wish as Cleveland is just two wins away from meeting Golden State in the third straight Finals. Game one gets underway June 1 in Oakland.