After falling to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors missed the playoffs for two straight seasons. The wait for the Warriors’ return to the NBA’s biggest stage is over.
On Thursday, the Warriors made their triumphant return to the NBA Finals with a victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.
Game 6 Klay made an appearance in a closeout opportunity in Game 5 on Thursday against the Mavericks with a game-high 32 points on 12-of-25 shooting from the floor with three assists and two boards. Thompson was red-hot from beyond the arc, drilling eight triples on 16 attempts from deep.
Behind Thompson, the Warriors pushed to a 25-point lead against the Mavericks. While it looked like the Warriors were one last haymaker away from ending the Mavericks season, Luka Doncic sparked a run to cut Golden State’s advantage to only 10 points to start the fourth quarter. However, 3-pointers from Thompson and Steph Curry paired with a strong run from Draymond Green helped the Warriors close out the Mavericks in Game 5, 120-110.
Following Thompson, six total members of the Warriors tallied double-figure scoring efforts, including Green. The Warriors’ defensive captain notched 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting from the floor with nine assists, six boards and a block.
Kevon Looney and Andrew Wiggins each recorded double-doubles against the Mavs. Looney registered 10 points with a game-high 18 boards. Wiggins finished his strong Western Conference finals performance with 18 points and 10 rebounds in Game 5.
Via @warriors on Twitter:
DUB NATION STAND UP
The Golden State Warriors are Western Conference Champions pic.twitter.com/b9AnekuRWw
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 27, 2022
With their clinching win over the Mavericks on Thursday, the Warriors will appear in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in the last eight years. The Warriors are only the fourth franchise to accomplish that feat, joining the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.
Via @NBAHistory on Twitter:
The Warriors will now make their 6th Finals appearance in the last 8 years, becoming the 4th franchise in NBA History to make at least 6 Finals appearances in an 8-year span. #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/CrDIry63wq
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) May 27, 2022
Following Game 5, Curry became the first player to ever receive the Earvin “Magic” Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP. Curry finished the series averaging 23.8 points.
After being crowned Western Conference champions, the Warriors will now wait for the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat. The Celtics hold a 3-2 lead over the Heat heading into Game 6 on Friday in Boston.
This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
