MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Stephen Curry scored 32 points, including a 62-footer to end the third quarter, and Golden State advanced to its first Western Conference finals since 1976 by beating Memphis 108-95 on Friday night. ADVERTISING MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Stephen
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Stephen Curry scored 32 points, including a 62-footer to end the third quarter, and Golden State advanced to its first Western Conference finals since 1976 by beating Memphis 108-95 on Friday night.
The Warriors advanced with some of the best shooting in the NBA postseason since 1985, becoming the first team since that year to hit 14 or more 3s in three consecutive playoff games. Curry was 8 of 13 from beyond the arc as the Warriors knocked down a playoff-best 15 3-pointers, closing out Memphis with their third straight win.
Curry, who had 10 assists, had the shot of the night after Andre Iguodala blocked Jeff Green’s shot near midcourt. Curry grabbed the loose ball and beat the buzzer from the Grizzlies’ 3-point line for a 76-68 lead.
Klay Thompson had 20 points for Golden State and Draymond Green added 16.
The Warriors will play the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers-Houston Rockets series in the conference finals. The conference finals will start Tuesday night at Golden State.
Marc Gasol led Memphis with 21 points and 15 rebounds.
HAWKS 94, WIZARDS 91
WASHINGTON (AP) — DeMarre Carroll scored a playoff career-high 25 points and Atlanta made it to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time.
After Al Horford went 1 of 2 from the free throw line for a three-point lead, the Wizards inbounded the ball with 6.4 seconds left. They got the ball to Paul Pierce, who won Game 3 on a banked-in buzzer-beater, then put Washington briefly ahead late in Game 5 with a 3. This time, his 3 from the corner swished through, but after a couple of anxious minutes for both teams, a replay review determined it was too late.
Once trailing 2-1 in the series, the Hawks won three straight games.
Atlanta will host Cleveland in Game 1 of the conference finals on Wednesday night.
It’s the Hawks’ first trip to a conference final since the NBA realigned into conferences in 1970-71. The team had not won two playoff series in a single year since moving to Atlanta for the 1968-69 season.
John Wall, who missed Games 2, 3 and 4 with a broken left hand, finished with 20 points, 13 assists and six rebounds. Bradley Beal scored 29 points.
