Forty years. Like Moses leading his people out of the Egyptian desert, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors have finally reached the promised land after 40 years of troubled wandering. After all the ups and downs, the Dubs are heading to the 2015 NBA Finals.
With a 104-90 victory in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals Wednesday night, the Warriors advanced to their first Finals appearance since 1975. Curry led the way with 26 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals, just one game after a nasty spill had him in the locker room being tested for a concussion.
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Klay Thompson came to life with an efficient 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting (4-for-6 from downtown) and after he took a knee to the head from Trevor Ariza in the fourth quarter, Harrison Barnes took over with a personal 9-0 run to help put the Houston Rockets away. Barnes finished with 24 points on 10-of-20 shooting.
But now is not the time to revel in the events of last night. As awesome as it was for the Dubs to win the West at Oracle Arena, as exciting as it is for the Warriors to be back in the Finals, and as adorable as Riley Curry was last night, it’ll all be for naught if Golden State can’t take care of business against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As we look ahead to the Finals (an agonizing EIGHT days away), there are tons of variables to consider. Which MVP candidate will emerge victorious? Is this really a battle between a one-man show and a historic juggernaut? Who will be the X-factor? And which rookie head coach will seize the moment?
Since we have plenty of time to kill before Game 1 on Jun. 4, here’s a look at the 2015 NBA Finals with an in-depth preview of how the Golden State Warriors stack up with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Next: The Regular Season