This week, LeBron James took to social media to criticize the NBA’s challenge rules. Specifically, James argued that teams should retain their right to challenge after successfully overturning a call.

James was watching Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, like many angry fans, when he commented. In that game, Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd made two successful challenge calls early but could not issue a third. Current NBA rules set a hard cap of two challenge calls for each team per game.

“Have to change that challenge rule!” James said in his social media post. “No way you have two successful challenges and can’t anymore for the rest of the game! Makes ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.”

Ultimately, the Mavericks avoided major officiating incidents and pulled out a 108-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves to take a 1-0 series lead. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have led the team further than many people thought possible, and Dallas is now one game closer to its first trip to the Finals since 2011.

Despite Dallas’ win, James’ comments about the league’s challenge rules encapsulate a pressing issue. All three major sports leagues besides the NBA allow coaches to keep their right to challenge after successful calls. The NHL discourages failed challenges by issuing delay-of-game penalties for failures. MLB revokes the right to challenge again in those cases. The NFL allows a third challenge following two successes but also charges a timeout to the challenging team for a failure.

In a fast-paced sport like basketball, capping the number of potential challenges, regardless of their outcome, is an attempt to prevent delays. But if teams need to overturn three or more calls in a game, especially a postseason game, James and others have argued that they must have that right.

Just ten months ago, Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant laughed off the idea that the Portland Trail Blazers could make the Western Conference Finals when CJ McCollum suggested it.

“Don’t worry about what goes on at the top of things,” the 2014 MVP said at the time. Now, Portland is right there with them, playing a best-of-seven series to represent the Western Conference. Monday night’s game in Oakland will air at 9 p.m. EST on ESPN.

Golden State enters the series as the favorites. However, this NBA season has suggested that means anything other than guaranteeing a win. With Durant out for at least the first two games of the series, the Houston Rockets pushing the Warriors for six games, and most likely, DeMarcus Cousins out for the entirety of the series, the Trail Blazers’ time to knock out coach Steve Kerr and the Hampton Five is now.

Even without Durant and Cousins, the Warriors still field a better starting lineup than the Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard and McCollum could only hope to emulate what Steph Curry and Klay Thompson have done to revolutionize the game of basketball. For the last four years, those two — the “splash brothers” — have been at the forefront of the league.

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However, since courting Durant, Golden State has lacked the depth that was prominent at the start of their dynasty. While Portland finished in the bottom third of the league in bench scoring, they still did better than Kerr’s squad.

And though Kerr is the most prominent coach in the league, that doesn’t mean that Portland’s Terry Stotts is a slouch. He’s taken the Trail Blazers to six consecutive playoff berths and even locked up the third seed this year.

While Golden State has zoomed to four straight Finals, this may be their toughest one yet. If the Warriors hope to win a fifth title, which very few groups of teams have done, they’ll have to fend off Portland at home first.

The NBA Western Conference Finals heads back to Oakland as the Rockets take on the Warriors at home for Game 6 on Saturday, and here’s everything we have to look forward to.

rockets vs warriors preview

The Western Conference Finals enters Game 6 with the Warriors on the brink of failing to defend their title as NBA champions with the Rockets grabbing a 3-2 series lead with their 98-94 Game 5 victory in Houston. Game 5 was, simply put, an ugly, ugly display of basketball, with both teams failing to capitalize on the other’s mistakes far more often than they should have. The Warriors turned the ball over a total of 19 times after averaging around 13 turnovers per game in the postseason beforehand, punctuated by Draymond Green bungling a pass from Stephen Curry with only seconds left in the game, leading to a pair of free throws sunk by Rockets guard Eric Gordon which sealed Houston’s victory. Golden State was sorely missing the playmaking abilities of Andre Iguodala, who sat out of Game 5 due to knee and leg injuries. Word has yet to be released regarding Iguodala’s status for Game 6, but it goes without saying that the Warriors would love to have him back on the floor.

The Rockets injury situation is more set in stone, and not in a good way. After serving as the focal piece of the Rockets offense in Game 5, point guard Chris Paul went down with less than a minute left following a missed runner, injuring his hamstring. While his status for Game 6 was in doubt after the game, Houston confirmed on Friday that Paul would not be able to play in Game 6. This is a huge loss for Houston, as Paul has been instrumental in their success in the postseason so far, especially with James Harden shooting so poorly as of late (5-21 from the field in Game 5, 0-11 from 3-point range). Harden will have to step up his game considerably if Houston is going to prevent Golden State from forcing a Game 7, which would be ridiculously hard to do in Oakland with Chris Paul in the lineup, let alone without him.

Game 6 will start at 9:00 pm EST, and you can check it out on TNT.

The Houston Rockets will host the Golden State Warriors for Game 5 on Thursday night, and here is what you need to know.

Rockets vs. Warriors Game 5 Preview

The Western Conference Final series is tied 2-2 after the defending NBA champion Warriors lost 95-92 at home in Game 4 on Tuesday, despite Stephen Curry putting on a stellar performance, particularly in the third quarter.

According to the Warriors’ website, the team finished with a season-low 14 assists on Tuesday night, despite leading the NBA in this category for a long time. As of late Wednesday, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala have been listed as questionable for Game 5 due to knee and leg injuries, respectively. Iguodala missed Tuesday’s loss, while Thompson headed to the locker room in the second quarter after limping for a while.

The Rockets have not listed any injured players.

Thursday’s game will start at 9 p.m. EST and will air on TNT.

In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics lead the Final series against the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-2 after a 96-83 victory at TD Garden on Wednesday. Game 6 is set for Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Golden State Warriors will host the Houston Rockets for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday night, and here is what you need to know.

Rockets vs. Warriors Game 4 Preview

Defending NBA champions Golden State lead the series 2-1 after a 41-point blowout win in Game 3 on Sunday. Stephen Curry scored 35 points in the victory, and Kevin Durant added 25. The Warriors had eight turnovers, while the Rockets recorded 20.

Given all this, the Dubs are the projected favorite to win Game 4, a victory that would put them just one more win away from reaching their fourth straight NBA Finals. Andre Iguoadala has been listed as “questionable” for the Warriors after he suffered a knee injury in Game 3.

Tuesday’s game at Oracle Arena will begin at 9pm EST and will air on TNT.

In the Eastern Conference, the Final series is tied 2-2 after the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics 111-102 on Monday. The two teams will play again on Wednesday night at TD Garden.

After a brutal loss in Game 2, the Golden State Warriors rebounded to defeat the Houston Rockets 126-85 at home on Sunday night, thanks partly to a 35-point outburst from Stephen Curry.

Warriors Roll Past Rockets In Game 3

Curry’s 18 points in the third quarter were a team-high, and included two 3-pointers. He performed much better than in the first two playoff games, which marked his return from sitting out more than one month with a left ACL sprain.

The Rockets’ loss was their worst in franchise history. The defending champion Warriors lead the Western Conference Finals 2-1, with Game 4 set for Tuesday night in Oakland.

Backing Curry on Sunday were Kevin Durant and Draymond Greeen, who had 25 and 10 points respectively.

The Warriors’ Game 3 victory marked their biggest in postseason history, and also marked their 16th straight playoff win at Oracle Arena. This broke the record set by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in 1990 and 1991.

James Harden powered Houston’s offense with 20 points and nine assists, although he appeared to vent about what he believed was officials’ failure to call fouls on the Warriors’ defense. Chris Paul added 13 points for the Rockets, while Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker and Trevor Ariza all struggled to make significant contributions to the visitors’ offense.

Curry, 30, also told ESPN after Sunday’s game that although his mother was happy with how he played, she was not remotely pleased with a particular moment in the third quarter, when the two-time MVP ripped out his mouthpiece and yelled “This is my f—ing house!”

“She already sent me two home videos, showing me the clip and playing it back,” Curry told ESPN of his mother’s discontent with his foul language. “She was telling me how I need to wash my mouth out, saying to wash it out with soap. It’s a message I’ve heard before.”

According to the Houston Chronicle, Golden State Coach Steve Kerr praised the Rockets’ defense despite their embarrassing loss.

“Well, they do a ton of switching, like we do, and they’ve got a lot of guys who they may not be the Greek Freak [Giannis Antetokounmpo] or KD (Kevin Durant), but they’re good-sized guys with (Trevor) Ariza, (P.J.) Tucker, (Eric) Gordon, these guys are good, solid defenders, and they’ve eliminated a lot of holes in their defense from the past few years by adding more defenders, P.J. and (Luc) Mbah a Moute,” Kerr stated. “So they’ve made it tougher in the half court for sure, and they’ve done a really good job with their defense, and the stats show it.”

The Warriors are hoping to reach their fourth straight NBA Finals.

The Houston Rockets dominated in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals on Wednesday night, securing a 127-105 home victory over the Golden State Warriors to tie the series 1-1.

Rockets Tie Western Conference Finals With Game 2 Win

Eric Gordon scored 27 points in 37 minutes of play. All-Star James Harden also had 27 points and 10 rebounds, despite struggling substantially to make many of his shots. Harden went 9-for-24 from the floor and a surprisingly low 3-for-15 from 3-point range.

P.J. Tucker — who had much trouble with offensive play in Game 1 — finished with a career postseason-high 22 points, as well as four assists, seven rebounds and a major dunk over Stephen Curry.

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On the defending NBA champion Warriors’ side, Kevin Durant stood out greatly in the defeat by scoring a game-high 38 points on 13-of-22 shooting. Curry only managed 17 points on 19 shots and didn’t score a 3-pointer until early in the final period. Klay Thompson also underperformed relative to earlier in the playoffs: he had only eight points on 3-for-11 shooting.

Even the opponents praised Durant for his performance on Wednesday.

“My gosh, he’s unbelievable,” said Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni, per NBA.com. “He was incredible tonight.”

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Game 3 is set for Saturday in Oakland. Game 4 will also be held at Oracle Arena.

The Vegas Golden Knights will host the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday night for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, and here is what you need to know.

Golden Knights vs. Jets Game 3 Preview

Vegas is 4-1 at home in this year’s playoffs, which come after their first season as a franchise. The series with the Jets is tied 1-1 after the Golden Knights’ 3-1 win at Winnipeg on Monday. Jonathan Marchessault scored twice on Monday.

Knights forward David Perron, who missed Game 2, has been listed as day-to-day, according to coach Gerard Gallant.

Game 3 will begin at 9pm EST and will air on NBC Sports Network.

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Game 4 (in Vegas): Friday, May 18, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, TVA Sports)

Game 5 (in Winnipeg): Sunday, May 20, 3 p.m. (NBC, TVA Sports)

Game 6 (if necessary, in Vegas): Tuesday, May 22, 9 p.m. (NBCSN, TVA Sports)

Game 7 (if necessary, in Winnipeg): Thursday, May 24, 8 p.m. (NBCSN, TVA Sports)

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On Tuesday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Washington Capitals 4-2 in Game 3 to lead the Eastern Conference Final series 2-1. Game 4 is set for Thursday night in Washington.

Jonathan Marchessault scored two goals and Marc-Andre Fleury put on a masterful performance to help lift the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-1 victory over the Jets in Winnipeg on Monday night.

Golden Knights Beat Jets In Game 2 To Tie Finals

The Western Conference Finals are now tied 1-1 after Fleury made 30 saves in Game 2. Game 3 is set for Wednesday night in Las Vegas. The Jets won 4-2 in the series opener.

Tomas Tatar opened the scoring for Vegas 6:37 into the contest in his first appearance since May 2.

Marchessault first scored on a breakaway, which came after Reilly Smith took the puck in the neutral zone and fed him. Marchessault then back-handed a shot between goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s legs with just 2:38 remaining in the first period to make it 2-0. Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots for Winnipeg.

Halfway through the final period, Kyle Connor scored on the power play to bring his team within 2-1. However, Marchessault scored his second goal just 1:28 after that to make it 3-1 in favor of the Golden Knights.

The Golden Knights have not lost consecutive playoff games thus far this year.

Stephen Curry scored 36 points and Kevin Durant added 29 points and 12 rebounds in leading the Golden State Warriors to a 129-115 road victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night to finish a four-game sweep in the Western Conference Finals.

Warriors Sweep Spurs To Reach Third NBA Finals In Three Years

Golden State, which is undefeated in this year’s playoffs, has now reached its third consecutive NBA Finals.  The Warriors are the first team in league history to begin the postseason with a 12-0 run — their last loss came on April 10, their penultimate game of the regular season. Curry emphasized after Monday’s victory, however, that his team shouldn’t become complacent.

”(Being) 12-0 is great, but it doesn’t mean anything going into the next series, and we understand that,” said the two-time MVP.

The 2015 NBA champions will face either the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers or the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, beginning June 1. The Cavs hold a 2-1 lead over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

”It’s great to be one of the last two teams standing, we’ll see how it goes,” said Durant.

Golden State led by 14 at halftime, and was ahead by double digits the rest of the night.

The Spurs’ only lead came on the opening possession when Manu Ginobili — who made his first start of the season in what may have been one of the last games of his career — scored a left-handed scoop shot. The 39-year-old Argentine guard has stated he will not decide whether he is retiring or not until after this season.

‘We started him tonight out of respect,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ”That was the whole reason for starting him. Before the game, you think it may or may not be his last game that he ever plays in, and I did not want to miss the opportunity to honor him in front of our home fans for his selflessness over the years.”

Given the uncertainty regarding Ginobili’s future with the team, the AT&T Center crowd treated the veteran to chants of “Manu, Manu” toward the end of Monday night.

Ginobili finished with 15 points in 32 minutes.

”He kind of worked us pretty good these four games,” said Draymond Green, who recorded 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Warriors. ”So, I think he’s got quite a bit left in the tank. Obviously, it’s up to him how much longer he wants to go. But one thing about it, he’s definitely not a liability on the floor.”

Kyle Anderson scored 20 points for the injury-riddled Spurs, who were missing Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and David Lee.

In the fourth quarter, Anderson dove to the floor for a loose ball that San Antonio batted away defensively. Anderson then tossed the ball up-court to Patty Mills, who assisted Ginobili for a 3-pointer that put the Spurs within 108-94 with seven minutes left.

”It’s the second time we’ve gotten swept in 15 years, and those are the easiest to digest because you’ve been overplayed,” Ginobili said. ”The opponent was better than us, and in this case, way better than us.”

The Warriors have won their last ten games with Mike Brown as interim coach. Brown took over for head coach Steve Kerr after the latter stepped away for medical reasons in the first round of the playoffs.

Kerr has been around the team in recent weeks, nevertheless, and has delivered pep talks at practices — and in the locker room at halftime — and analyzing videos.

The 51-year-old former Spurs player has said his status for this year’s NBA Finals remains uncertain. Kerr continues to deal with complications from back surgery he underwent two years ago. He took an indefinite leave of absence from the Warriors on April 23.

Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob told ESPN late Monday night that he has told Kerr to take “as long as he wants” to return to the team.

“He is a fantastic coach and a fantastic human being and a great friend,” Lacob said. “I told him the other day, ‘I don’t even want to talk about or think about anything other than winning this championship. You can contribute in any way you can, and we’ll worry about the future in the future.'”

The Warriors on Monday were missing starting center Zaza Pachulia, who sat out his second consecutive game with a bruised right heel. Pachulia drew anger from Spurs fans and Popovich — who called him “unsportsmanlike” and “dangerous” — for stepping on an already-injured Leonard in Game 1. One Spurs fan even went as far as to sue the Georgian center and the Warriors for ruining San Antonio’s competitive chances in the playoffs by hurting Leonard.

Leonard missed his third straight game with a sprained left ankle. Popovich announced his All-Star forward would not play about two hours prior to tipoff.

Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge capped a disappointing series with his second eight-point performance against Golden State.

Aldridge entered Game 4 averaging 18 points, but was held to 4-for-11 shooting in 22 minutes in the last contest of the Western Conference Finals.

”No excuses but a lot of unfortunate things happened, but we still tried to compete and do the best we could do,” Aldridge said. ”They’ve been the best team in the west for the last few years and they proved it again. (Warriors) came out and competed, they had a good game plan for the guys that we had out there, we just came out and did everything we could do.”

Brown said it was challenging to face the Spurs, and said that he had an enjoyable phone conversation with longtime friend and mentor Popovich before the series began.

”He called, we talked, we laughed,” Brown said. ”He said, `Hey, I love you. I told him I loved him and he said, `But you know once this starts, we’re going to try to kick your (butt). I said, `Ok, it’s on.”’

SAN ANTONIO, TX – MAY 22: Manu Ginobili #20 of the San Antonio Spurs and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors battle for the ball in the second half during Game Four of the 2017 NBA Western Conference Finals at AT&T Center on May 22, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas.

San Antonio Spurs fans are justified in being angry with Zaza Pachulia following his Game 1 closeout on Kawhi Leonard. One supporter, however, took that anger to a whole new level.

Spurs fan sues Zaza Pachulia, Warriors for Close-out on Kawhi Leonard

The “devoted, lifelong” fan filed a lawsuit against Pachulia and the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, alleging the center’s aggressiveness against Leonard in San Antonio’s Game 1 loss in Oakland on Sunday “devastated the quality of the Spurs’ chances of being competitive” and decreased “the value of the tickets purchased by plaintiff subsequent to their purchase.”

According to the San Antonio Express-News, the fan — whose name is Juan Vasquez — is seeking up to $73,000 in damages, but is primarily hoping Pachulia can stop his closeouts on the Spurs.

“All we are asking from the court is that this type of behavior, that can and does cause serious injury to our team and those that love it, not be allowed in San Antonio,” Alfonso Kennard Jr., lead attorney for the plaintiffs, told the Express-News.

The lawsuit — which was filed in Bexar County district court in Texas and names Juan Vasquez and a local memorabilia store as co-plaintiffs — claims Pachulia behaved “without excuse or justification, intentionally and maliciously invaded the landing zone of an opposing athlete, Kawhi Leonard.”

District Judge Norma Gonzales on Wednesday rejected the request for a temporary restraining order, per local reports. The 14-day restraining order issues requires the defendants refrain from the behavior described and other relief the plaintiffs are determined to be justly entitled to.

The Warriors center insisted following his team’s victory on Sunday that he is a fair player and that he was simply attempting to play his best.

“My approach to this game for 14 years that I’ve been in the league is to play hard and [give] 100 percent of whatever I have,” Pachulia stated Monday after practice. “So I don’t agree with the calls that I’m a dirty player. I’m not a dirty player. I love this game, and I’m playing hard. That’s what I was taught since day one.”

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich heavily criticized the Georgian, however, calling Pachulia’s actions “unsportsmanlike” and “dangerous.”

“It’s just not what anybody does to anybody else,” Popovich said.

The NBA has not disciplined Pachulia in any way, and stood by its decision that the play stood as called. During Sunday’s opener of the Western Conference Finals at Oracle Arena, Pachulia rotated over to block a long shot from Leonard near San Antonio’s bench, and ended up landing on the Spurs forward’s feet. Leonard rolled his left ankle — which he had already sprained— and lay on the court in pain for several moments.

Leonard missed the Spurs’ Game 2 loss on Tuesday and remains questionable for Game 3 in San Antonio on Saturday.

“The important part is the temporary injunction,” Kennard said, according to CBS affiliate KENS5, with regards to the next possible step of the lawsuit. “It sets the parameters of what parties must abide by pending resolution of the underlying lawsuit.”

OAKLAND, CA – MAY 02: Zaza Pachulia #27 of the Golden State Warriors lays in a basket against the Utah Jazz during Game One of the NBA Western Conference Semi-Finals at ORACLE Arena on May 2, 2017 in Oakland, California.

Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg scored in the third period to lift the Nashville Predators to a 2-1 home victory over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 3 of the NHL Western Conference Final series on Tuesday.

Roman Josi, filip forsberg Score In Predators’ 2-1 Game 3 Win vs Ducks

Josi netted the game-winner on a power play with 2:43 left by shooting into a nearly wide-open goal after Anaheim goalie John Gibson seemed to momentarily lose track of the puck and shifted to his right.

Josi took the shot after the puck bounced off Viktor Arvidsson’s leg and fortuitously landed right in his path.

The Predators have won six straight home playoff games this year, and lead the best-of-seven Western Conference Final series 2-1.

“To have our fans standing up the whole third period, cheering us on, gave us a lot of energy,” Nashville defenseman Mattias Ekholm said.

Ducks winger Chris Wagner landed in the penalty box for high-sticking Ryan Ellis when Josi scored.

Anaheim led 1-0 after right winger Corey Perry scored on a power play with 4:25 remaining in the second period to celebrate his 32nd birthday. Perry took a wrist shot from a terrible angle (below the right face-off circle) that ricocheted off of Predators goalie Pekka Rinne and into the net.

Nashville held Anaheim without a shot for the first 11:43 of the second period.

Forsberg tied it 1-1 at 3:54 of the third with a wrist shot from the left face-off circle.

The Ducks, who outshot the Predators 40-20, had a goal discounted at 8:18 of the second period. Rinne made a skate-save on Brandon Montour’s shot, but Ekholm hit the puck into his own net. Officials waived off the goal since the net came off the moorings.

Former NHL referee Kerry Fraser agreed with the decision.

Fraser also defended the officials’ avoiding a delay of game penalty since Rinne didn’t intentionally touch the net, but merely used his hands in a “defensive posture to protect his face and head from contacting the post.”

Nashville had two of its own goals disallowed in the final period after Forsberg scored.

Harry Zolnierczyk was in the crease and fell on Gibson before Colton Sissons scored. The goal was waived off on the ice.

Ekholm was then called goaltender interference at 6:33 after charging at Gibson and knocking him over before Ryan Johansen netted.

“I thought that was just fruit of whatever we put in throughout the 40 minutes before,” Forsberg said. “Obviously we wanted those goals to be counted, but at the same time we just kept playing. I don’t think anyone said anything negatively or anything. Just kept playing, kept being focused and then obviously that power play came up huge.”

Ducks coach Randy Carlyle lamented his team’s effort, both defensively and offensively.

“We didn’t do a very good job in front of [Gibson] as far as managing the puck and then managing the people that were inside,” Carlyle said. “Through the comparison we look at, they worked harder to get inside than we did tonight.”

Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals is Thursday at 8 pm EST in Nashville.

NASHVILLE, TN – MAY 16: Filip Forsberg #9 of the Nashville Predators skates during the third period in Game Three of the Western Conference Final against the Anaheim Ducks during the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 16, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors extended their dream season by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 96-88 in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals at Oracle Arena on Monday night.

Warriors Overcome 3-1 Series Deficit, Beat Thunder 96-88 In Game 7

The defending champions, who won a historical league-record 73 games last regular season, will now advance to the NBA Finals, where they will face the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second consecutive year.

“You appreciate how tough it is to get back here,” said MVP Stephen Curry, who led the Warriors with 36 points, including seven 3-pointers. “That’s the one thing I’ve learned. You can’t take anything for granted because it’s such a grind, it’s such a battle against a great Thunder team that pushed us to the brink. So you’ve got to be appreciative of this accomplishment. And I look forward to getting four more wins.”

Golden State had been trailing the series 3-1, but rallied back to secure their place in the final round.

Curry shot 13 of 24 from the field, and added eight assists and five rebounds. Klay Thompson scored 21 points, including six 3-pointers. The Warriors shot 17 of 37 from the three-point line, and also set an NBA record for 3-pointers in a seven-game series with 90. Curry broke the individual record with 32.

Despite trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half and 48-42 at halftime, Golden State eventually overtook the Thunder in the third quarter. Curry’s rainbow 3-pointer put the Warriors ahead by 10 in the final minute of Game 7. After having scored 41 points in Game 6, Thompson missed his first seven field-goal attempts in Game 7.

Kevin Durant scored 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting for the Thunder, and Russell Westbrook added 19 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. Both played for about 45 minutes in total.

A short jumper from Durant late in the fourth reduced the Warriors’ lead to four. However, Curry quickly emerged, selling Serge Ibaka, his 6-foot-10 defender, on a pump fake and drawing a foul as he launched a 3-pointer. The MVP then made all three free throws.

“That kind of hurt us,” Durant said, adding: “But hey, it’s a lot of what-ifs. We could have said a lot what-ifs throughout the whole playoffs.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who won last year’s NBA Coach of the Year Award, made one major change for Monday night’s game by starting Andre Iguodala at small forward instead of Harrison Barnes. Iguoadala also replaced Barnes in the second half of Game 6.

At the beginning of the playoffs, the Warriors seemed to be heading for disaster. Curry sprained his right ankle in the first game of their first-round series against the Houston Rockets, then sprained his right knee just three games later. After sitting out for about two weeks, Curry helped lead the Warriors past the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round.

As the final buzzer sounded on Monday night and confetti fell all around, the MVP cradled the ball with his left arm and pumped his right fist.

“I think anytime you go through a long postseason, you grow,” Kerr said. “The experience is incredibly valuable.”

The loss also opened the door to several questions regarding Durant, who is due for free agency at the beginning of July.

“I mean, we just lost, like, 30 minutes ago, so I haven’t even though about it,” Durant said. “I’m just embracing my teammates and just reflecting on the season.”

Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set for Thursday night at Oracle Arena.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RdLmnNXhKg

OAKLAND, CA – MAY 30: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors goes up for a shot against Serge Ibaka #9 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 30, 2016 in Oakland, California.

The Golden State Warriors staved off elimination by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-11 at Oracle Arena on Thursday night in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Warriors Avoid Elimination, Beat Thunder 120-111 In Game 5

“We’re not going home! We’re not going home!” MVP Stephen Curry screamed at the top of his lungs.

Indeed the Warriors aren’t. Despite still trailing 3-2 in the series, the defending NBA champions will now move on to Game 6 in Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Curry scored 31 points on 20 shots as well as six assists and five steals, while Klay Thompson added 27 points and recorded his 11th 20-point game for the second consecutive postseason despite shooting 2 for 9 from 3-point range. Draymond Green chipped in 11 points and 13 rebounds.

“None of us want to go home,” Thompson said. “We’re having too much fun out there.”

After suffering two losses at Oklahoma City by a combined 52 points, the record-setting, 73-win Warriors bounced back with some impressive shooting on their home court.

Curry scored seven points in a 58-second stretch during the second quarter.

“I thought he looked like 91 percent,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said of the MVP, who recently suffered an ankle injury as well as a sore knee and elbow . “He came out and played a really good game. That’s all I can tell you. He’s going to compete every night. He had an excellent night and helped us get it done.”

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 40 points, while Russell Westbrook added 31 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals.

“He’s a tornado,” Kerr said of Westbrook.

After the Warriors led 58-50 at halftime, Oklahoma City opened the second half with a 9-2 run. Westbrook hit a 3-pointer with 6:06 remaining in the third quarter to put the Thunder up 68-67 for its first lead of the night. However, Golden State regained a 81-77 lead going into the fourth and began the final quarter with an 8-0 burst.

“We didn’t shoot a particularly good percentage when we got into the lane and got into the deep paint,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. “We had our opportunities.”

Warriors center Andrew Bogut finished with a playoff career-high 15 points and 14 rebounds for his second double-double this postseason and seventh of his career.

After scoring his 1,248th career postseason point in the third, Curry passed Wilt Chamberlain (1,246) for second place on the franchise’s playoff scoring list.

Warriors center/power forward Marreese Speights had nine points in four minutes during the second quarter and 14 points overall for his fifth double-digit scoring game this postseason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EI5qkGMgI4

OAKLAND, CA – MAY 26: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors drives with the ball against Dion Waiters #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game Five of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at ORACLE Arena on May 26, 2016 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Captain Joe Pavelski scored an early goal, Joel Ward netted two more and the San Jose Sharks defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-2 at home on Wednesday night in Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals.

Sharks Defeat Blues 5-2 In Game 6 To Advance To First Stanley Cup Final

After their victory at the SAP Center, the Sharks have now won the series 4-2 and will advance to their first Stanley Cup Final in franchise history, two years after their most devastating postseason loss.

“You try to learn from experiences,” Pavelski said. “You like to not have to. But that’s the course we’ve taken. Now that we’re here, again, this was a great step for us. It was another step. … But we realize there’s more out there. That’s what we’re going to turn our attention to.”

San Jose blew the 3-0 series lead in a crushing playoff loss to the rival Los Angeles Kings in 2014. The Sharks missed the playoffs entirely last season.

“That was as low as you can get as a professional athlete, individually and team wise,” center Logan Couture said. “Then last year obviously tough time missing the playoffs and going through some stuff as a team. I really think everything we’ve gone through has made us a lot stronger as a group.”

Couture finished with a goal and two assists on Wednesday to give him an NHL-best 24 points this postseason.

Goaltender Martin Jones, 26, made 24 saves, while Ward scored two goals for the second straight game and rookie Joonas Donskoi also scored for the Sharks, who received several contributions from some of the newcomers general manager Doug Wilson brought in over the last year.

San Jose’s team has struggled in recent years despite reaching the playoffs 16 times in 18 seasons and winning the second-most games in the league since the beginning of the 2003-04 season.

However, after being led by first-year coach Peter DeBoer, a familiar core and added depth, the Sharks recovered this year and are now only four wins away from a championship title.

“It’s a pretty cool feeling,” said center Joe Thornton, who set up Pavelski for the first goal. “Obviously it’s our first time. It was pretty neat to get this done at home. The fans here have waited so long, 25 years. We’ve waited 18 years or so. So it’s a great feeling.”

The atmosphere at the SAP Center, nicknamed the ‘Shark Tank,’ was vibrant, with fans chanting “Let’s Go Sharks!” soon after the puck dropped, a chant which soon turned into “We Want The Cup! We Want The Cup!” in the third period after San Jose took a 4-0 lead.

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final will be Monday night. The Sharks will either host the Tampa Bay Lightning or visit the Pittsburgh Penguins, depending on which team wins Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Thursday.

Pavelski opened scoring 3:57 into the game by forcing a backhand past Blues goalie Brian Elliott to earn his 13th goal of the playoffs.

Vladimir Tarasenko, who scored 40 goals in the regular season, got his first points of the series when he scored twice in the third period, but by then it was already too late.

The Sharks capped off the win thanks to an empty-net goal from Couture with 20 seconds remaining.

The Blues are seeking their first-ever championship, and have not reached the Stanley Cup final since 1970. Coach Ken Hitchcock’s second goalie change of the series did not work as Elliott allowed four goals on 26 shots in his return to the net.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhvBhngFLus

SAN JOSE, CA – MAY 25: Brian Elliott #1 of the St. Louis Blues makes a save against Patrick Marleau #12 of the San Jose Sharks in Game Six of the Western Conference Final during the 2016 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on May 25, 2016 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past the Golden State Warriors for the second straight time with a 118-94 home victory in Game 4 on Tuesday night to gain a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals and push the defending NBA champions closer to the brink of elimination.

Thunder Crush Warriors 118-94 In Game 4 To Push Golden State Closer To Elimination

The Thunder jumped to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, and for the second consecutive game had 72 points by halftime, when the score marked 72-53. Klay Thompson attempted to bring the Warriors back into the game in the third quarter by scoring 19 points in just a few minutes, but Golden State was unable to come back. Thompson led the Warriors with 26 points. Before Game 4, the Warriors were 12-0 in bounce-back games this season.

Russell Westbrook helped lead the way for Oklahoma City, and earned his fifth career post-season triple-double, as well as 36 points (on 12-of-27 shooting), 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Kevin Durant chipped in 26 points and 11 rebounds.

“He just plays with incredible passion,” Thunder Coach Billy Donovan said of Westbrook. “He’s got such great force and great will, and he’s also a really, really high basketball I.Q. player.”

Shooting guard Andre Roberson, whom the Warriors have struggled to guard, scored a career-high 17 points and added 12 rebounds for the Thunder. Serge Ibaka also finished with 17 points, 15 of which came in the first half. Oklahoma City finished the first half on a 28-13 run, all while becoming the first team to score at least 72 points in a half during a playoff game since 1987 (the Los Angeles Lakers did it against the Denver Nuggets on April 23 and April 25).

On Golden State’s side, two of their strongest players, Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, both struggled. Curry had 19 points on 6-of-20 shooting and six turnovers, while Green scored six points 1-of-7 shooting and had two assists, 11 rebounds and six turnovers in 38 minutes. Curray missed 10 of his first 11 shots. In the last two games, Green is a combined minus-73. Green kicked Thunder center Steven Adams in the groin in Game 3 on Sunday and received no suspension for it, a story that has been all the talk for the last three days.

The Thunder also out-rebounded the Warriors 56-40.

This was the first time this season that Golden State lost consecutive games. The Warriors must win Game 5 on Thursday at Oracle Arena in Oakland in order to remain in the playoffs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJrwoxhZx1E

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MAY 24: Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder drives against Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors in the second half in game four of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena on May 24, 2016 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past once-dominant the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night in a 133-105 Game 3 home victory to gain a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference final series.

Thunder Destroy Warriors 133-105 In Game 3 To Take 2-1 Series Lead

From the very beginning, the Warriors looked shaky. Stephen Curry picked up an early foul due to his biting on a pump fake from Russell Westbrook. From there, Oklahoma City jumped out to a 13-point lead just 4:33 into the game. Anderson Varejao also strangely fouled Westbrook about 90 feet from Oklahoma City’s basket.

Midway through the second quarter, Draymond Green hit Thunder center Steven Adams hard with a kick straight to the groin shortly after Adams fouled him on his way up in the paint and with Oklahoma City leading 48-42. The hit, which left Adams writhing in pain on the floor for several moments, was called by officials as a Flagrant One foul, but there’s a chance the league office could upgrade it to a Flagrant Two and perhaps even levy a suspension.

As the referees reviewed the play, the crowd at Oklahoma City’s Chesapeake Energy Arena yelled “Kick him out! Kick him out!” while Green attempted to defend himself with referee Tony Brothers, insisting the kick was unintentional. Ultimately, Green stayed on and the Thunder finished the first half on a 24-5 run to put the score at 72-47.

“I thought it would probably get rescinded (the Flagrant One call). It was a follow through on a shot,” Green said. “I’m not trying to kick somebody … in the midsection. I’m sure he would want to have kids some day and I’m not trying to end that on the basketball court. That don’t make sense.”

In the second half, the Thunder held the Warriors to 34.5% shooting, including a 2-of-23 stretch in the final 8:37 of play. Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with 33 points in total (23 of which came in the second half) and eight rebounds (on 10 of 15 shooting overall, 12 of 12 from the free throw line), while Westbrook added 30 total points (16 in the second half), 12 assists and eight rebounds. The Thunder led by as much as 41 points in the third quarter.

“Kevin is a great player and is a student of the game and he’s always trying to evolve and get better,” Thunder coach Billy Donovan said of Durant. “I give him credit for how he responded and passed the ball and the decisions and things he did. He was real efficient tonight.”

The Warriors shot just  41.3 percent overall. Only Curry (24 points) and Klay Thompson (18 points) scored in double digits.

Game 4 is set for Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi-Q9_htfNg

PHOTO: OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MAY 22: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors drives against Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in game three of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena on May 22, 2016 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Following their Game 1 loss to Oklahoma City on Monday, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors returned to their usual selves and secured a 118-91 home victory over the Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals Wednesday night.

Stephen Curry Leads Warriors To 118-91 Game 2 Win Over Thunder To Tie Series

Curry led the Warriors with 28 points, 15 of which he scored in a little under two minutes in the middle of the third quarter. It was his best performance since his 17-point overtime explosion against the Trail Blazers in Portland in the second round, a night during which he finished with 40 points.

Kevin Durant finished with 29 points for the Thunder, 25 of which came in the first half. Up until there was 7:10 left in the third quarter, Durant was actually playing significantly better than Curry, earning 23 points on 13 shots against Curry’s 11 points on nine shots. Two minutes later, however, Curry had the 2014 MVP one-upped with 26 points on 13 shots, after not having scored since the first quarter.

The Warriors star point guard also had a right elbow that was swollen to what he called the size of a tennis ball after he fell on one of the metal plates that ring the court at Oracle Arena while chasing a loose ball into the stands in the first half. He wore a soft white sleeve on the elbow afterward, and at the end of the post-game news conference, he claimed he only felt a little pressure in it while he was shooting. With Golden State up 64-57 midway through the third quarter, he put up 15 in less than two minutes to extend the lead to 79-59, including a three-pointer from 27 feet out.

Golden State out-rebounded Oklahoma City 45-36. The Thunder shot just 44.9 percent from the field overall, and had 16 turnovers (half of them from Durant) that led to 23 points. A Durant alley-oop from Russell Westbrook tied it at 49 with 1:35 left in the first half. However, the Warriors then finished off the half with an 8-0 run.

Game 3 is set for Sunday in Oklahoma City.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw30udKvm_E

PHOTO: OAKLAND, CA – MAY 16: Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder takes a shot over Andrew Bogut #12 of the Golden State Warriors during game one of the NBA Western Conference Final at ORACLE Arena on May 16, 2016 in Oakland, California.

First-year Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan was greeted by a series of hugs and handshakes on Monday night after the Thunder did something no other NBA team has this postseason: they defeated the Golden State Warriors, the defending champions, at their own Oracle Arena.

Kevin Durant And Russell Westbrook Lead Thunder Past Warriors 108-102 In Game 1

After trailing 60-47 at the half and by as many as 14 points early in the third quarter, the Thunder stormed back and, led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, raced to a 108-102 victory over the Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

”You have to have a mindset coming into these kinds of venues. Our guys, I think they understand what they’re walking into,” Donovan said. ”You don’t just walk in here say, `Oh, everything’s going to be OK.’ You have to have a mindset to understand. The first thing is to embrace the fact it’s going to be hard.”

Durant scored 26 points and made a key 17-foot jumper over Andre Iguodala with 30.7 seconds left to put the Thunder up 105-100, while Westbrook finished with a game-high 27 points,– 24 of which came in the second half– 12 assists, seven steals and six rebounds. The opener marked the Thunder’s fourth West finals in six years. Thanks to Westbrook’s star turn, the Thunder has now beaten both the Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs three times on their home courts in the past two weeks– as many home losses as those two teams combined for the entire regular season.

”We just stayed with it on the defensive end and when we got the shots late in the game we were able to focus in and knock them down,” Durant said. ”We’re just a resilient group and keep fighting `til the end.”

After putting up just 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting in the first half, Durant went just 5-of-19 in the second, including an 0-of-8 streak in the fourth quarter. He also had five turnovers.

Steven Adams, who finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots, scored a pair of free throws for Oklahoma City with 1:01 remaining.

Stephen Curry had 26 points and a playoff career-high 10 rebounds, as well as seven turnovers and seven assists. The Warriors scored 42 points in the second half and 14 in the fourth quarter, both lows for this postseason. He hit a 3-pointer in his 45th straight playoff game, breaking Reggie Miller’s record set from 1995-2000.

”We got rushed and tried to go for the home-run plays. Sometimes it works,” Curry said. ”Defensively we were getting enough stops and rebounds. We got out of character a little bit. It’s something we’ll learn from going forward.”

The Warriors, who had an NBA record-setting 73 wins in the regular season, did not look like that same team on Monday night. They did not play like the team that made fourth-quarter comebacks.

With Golden State down 105-102, head coach Steve Kerr, who was named NBA Coach of the Year, begged for a traveling call on Westbrook at mid-court with 17.2 seconds left, signaling with his arms before going into a squat. The Thunder received a timeout instead, and then Westbrook made a free throw with 14.5 seconds left.

”I do think we lost our poise a little bit,” Kerr said. ”And that had a lot to do with the quick shots.”

The Warriors’ Klay Thompson scored 19 of his 25 points in the first half, but shot 3 for 10 over the last two quarters. Curry’s 3-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer gave Golden State a 60-47 lead at the half.

Westbrook missed nine of his first 10 shots before finding a groove and scoring 19 points in Oklahoma City’s 38-point third quarter. His jumper with 5:03 left pulled the Thunder to 73-68 before Thompson answered two possessions later. Westbrook stole the ball from Draymond Green and ran the length of the court for a dunk at 3:07 of the third.

Westbrook also took a hard hit to the face from Andrew Bogut for a foul ruled a Flagrant 1 after a review at the 5:37 mark of the first quarter. Trainers checked Westbrook’s mouth.

”Time of the year you’re going to get hit but you’ve got to find a way to get back up,” Westbrook said.

The game marked MVP Curry’s second straight start since coming off the bench in Game 4 against the Portland Trail Blazers, after nursing a right knee sprain that still hasn’t fully healed yet. He said he can manage just fine, it’s just about ”pain tolerance” going forward.

PHOTO: OAKLAND, CA – MAY 16: Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder takes a shot over Andrew Bogut #12 of the Golden State Warriors during game one of the NBA Western Conference Final at ORACLE Arena on May 16, 2016 in Oakland, California.