The Golden State Warriors are headed to their fourth straight NBA Finals, but advancing to the championship round was far from the cakewalk many expected it would be before the season. The Houston Rockets claimed a 3-2 lead on the Warriors and took them right to the brink in the Western Conference Finals. Kevin Durant and company, however, staved off elimination twice.
Durant was excellent in Game 7. He totaled 34 points, five assists, and five rebounds and shot 5 of 11 from downtown. He also added three blocks and a steal. Durant looked completely in command, particularly in the second half.
Nothing’s more dangerous than Kevin Durant with a lead and no pressure.
— Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) May 29, 2018
Kevin Durant scored 213 points versus the Rockets, a new Western Conference finals record. The previous mark of 212 points was held by Hakeem Olajuwon (1995) and Shaquille O’Neal (2002).
— Justin Kubatko (@jkubatko) May 29, 2018
After the showdown had wrapped up, Durant said his team will “probably never forget” the epic series. The star forward was pensive as he reflected on his team’s battle with Houston.
Kevin Durant on beating the Rockets: “It’s a series that we’ll probably never forget as we get older.” https://t.co/8sNgoLB62j pic.twitter.com/RR72B7McKe
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) May 29, 2018
“It’s just another step, another step in your journey that I can pinpoint, once I’m done playing and say, ‘Well, I went through this, too,’” Durant told Yahoo Sports as he exited the Toyota Center. “When I’m talking to a younger player or — who knows? — if I’m coaching in a couple years, 10 to 12 years from now, I’ll have an opportunity to look back and say, ‘The second year I was with the Warriors, we tried to get to a back-to-back championship, going Game 7 in the Western Conference and we won on the road.’ I can say that now. And give back my experience to someone else. It was cool to see us figure it out as a team and break through as a team.”
Warriors Take on Cavs
Golden State will be the popular pick to claim the Larry O’Brien Trophy. It would be the Warriors’ third title in four years.
Do not, however, write off Cleveland just yet. The Cavs, who outlasted Boston in a seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals, have ridden on LeBron James’ shoulders to this point. Could this generation’s G.O.A.T. fuel his team to one more unbelievable upset?
The NBA playoffs continue on Thursday with Game 1 at Golden State at 9 p.m. EST. The game will air on ABC.
