With the victory over the Portland Trailblazers, the Golden State Warriors are only the second franchise in NBA history to reach five consecutive NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics hold the NBA record with 10 consecutive NBA Finals appearances: 1957-66.
Stephen Curry and Draymond Green both posted triple-doubles to power the Golden State Warriors to a 119-117 overtime victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday and into a fifth straight NBA Finals.
The two-time defending NBA champions swept the Blazers in four games in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.
Elite Company; With the victory over the @trailblazers, the @Warriors are only the second franchise in NBA history to reach five consecutive NBA Finals. The @Celtics hold the NBA record with 10 consecutive NBA Finals appearances: 1957-66. pic.twitter.com/YI0MSs9Q71
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 21, 2019
“I hope it doesn’t go unnoticed or underrated — five straight finals hasn’t been done since the 60s,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “It hasn’t been done for a reason, it’s really, really difficult and so I just can’t say enough about the competitive desire of the group of guys that we have here.”
The Dubs swept the Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals, earning them their fifth-consecutive #NBAFinals appearance.@verizon has it all in tonight's Game Rewind βͺ pic.twitter.com/BD6JTemu7y
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 21, 2019
The Warriors will battle for the title starting on May 30 against either the Milwaukee Bucks or Toronto Raptors, aiming to become the first team since the Los Angeles Lakers of 2000, 2001 and 2002 to three-peat as champions.
Steph and Draymond become the first pair of teammates in #NBAPlayoffs history to each record a triple-double in the same game. pic.twitter.com/dFvxagjbdu
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 21, 2019
Curry and Green became the first teammates in league history to have triple-doubles in the same post-season game, according to theΒ Sports Bureau. Curry finished with 37 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, while Green had his second straight triple-double — posting double digits in three key statistical categories – with 18 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.
20 PTS | 13 REB | 12 AST
18 PTS | 14 REB | 11 ASTThe BEST PLAYS from @Money23Green's back-to-back triple-doubles in the @warriors Game 3 and Game 4 victories! #StrengthInNumbers #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/vkb4og48cU
— NBA (@NBA) May 21, 2019
Fittingly, Curry and Green combined on the game-winning basket in overtime, Curry feeding Green for a three-pointer that pushed Golden State to a 119-115 lead with 39.6 seconds left in overtime.
Yessir, DrayβοΈ pic.twitter.com/BAOINdVEXZ
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 21, 2019
“Obviously in that situation we want Steph to have the ball, we want Steph or Klay (Thompson) to take the shot,” Green said.
“But they were swarming them. So I was just talking to them ‘Watch out, watch out.’
“When he passed me the ball, I just let it go. When I shot it, it felt good.”
The Trail Blazers had led 69-65 at halftime, and built the lead to 17 in the third quarter – the third straight game in which Portland led by as many as 17 only to come up short.
With veteran Andre Iguodala having joined superstar Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins on the injured list, the Warriors produced a total team effort to rally again.
Thompson scored 17 points while reserve Kevon Looney added 12 points and 14 rebounds and Alfonzo McKinnie chipped in 12 points.
“Being without Kevin these last five games has put us in a really tough spot and our guys stepped up in a big way,” Kerr said. “The group has a fiber to them – when (these) guys go down they find a way to come together and compete and win.”
The Warriors scored the last nine points of the third period to close within 95-87 and knotted the score at 104-104 on Curry’s layup with 4:34 left in regulation.
#StrengthInNumbers @money23green (18/14/11) reacts to a 5th straight #NBAFinals appearance with the @warriors! pic.twitter.com/wrp02OaOME
— NBA (@NBA) May 21, 2019
“We know we can cover 17 points in a matter of three or four minutes,” Green said. “So we always try to keep that mindset — that we’re never out of the game.”
Both teams had a chance to win in regulation, but Curry traveled before draining a three-pointer that didn’t count and Lillard was unable to get through in traffic as time expired with the score tied 111-111.
The @warriors advance as @StephenCurry30 (37 PTS, 13 REB, 11 AST) and @Money23Green (18 PTS, 14 REB, 11 AST) become the first teammates in #NBAPlayoffs history to both record a triple-double in the same game! #DubNation pic.twitter.com/LO9QVGfktU
— NBA (@NBA) May 21, 2019
Portland star Lillard, playing with painful separated ribs, finished with 28 points while unheralded Meyers Leonard led the Trail Blazers with a career-high 30 points and 12 rebounds.
MEYERS LEONARD DIDN'T CARE FOR HIS DEFENDER π€
(π @ATT) pic.twitter.com/wWW3pz6QV8
— ESPN (@espn) May 21, 2019
MEYERS LEONARD IS ON ONE! π€
His 25 pts are his career high. pic.twitter.com/WnxuwxDX5Y
— ESPN (@espn) May 21, 2019
π the best buckets down the stretch as the @warriors top POR to advance to their 5th consecutive #NBAFinals presented by YouTube TV! #StrengthInNumbers #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Ryr28HYA3L
— NBA (@NBA) May 21, 2019
CJ McCollum added 26 for the Trail Blazers, but it wasn’t enough for a team that had fended off elimination twice in their second-round series against the Denver Nuggets.
Meyers Leonard has a message for anyone who thinks that Dame could have been more productive in the #NBAPlayoffs! π pic.twitter.com/PoGOoUCgrS
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 21, 2019
“We couldn’t get over the hump,” Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts said. “I think it was a demonstration of how good they are and how good they have been over the years – they find a way to win.”
The @warriors are presented their 5th straight Western Conference Finals trophy! #StrengthInNumbers #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/VdcBrIetpf
— NBA (@NBA) May 21, 2019
π the best buckets down the stretch as the @warriors top POR to advance to their 5th consecutive #NBAFinals presented by YouTube TV! #StrengthInNumbers #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Ryr28HYA3L
— NBA (@NBA) May 21, 2019