NBA: Klay Thompson, Warriors close out Mavs, seal Finals bid

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MAY 26: Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after a three point basket during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals at Chase Center on May 26, 2022 in San Francisco, California. The Golden State Warriors won 120-110 to advance to the NBA Finals. (Getty Images via AFP)

Klay Thompson matched his season playoff-high with 32 points as the Golden
State captured the Western Conference crown and earned their sixth trip to the
NBA Finals in the last eight years with a 120-110 victory over the Dallas
Mavericks in Game 5 on Thursday in San Francisco.

The 2015, 2017 and 2018 NBA champs thus earned the right to go for a another
title in the best-of-seven NBA Finals, which will open in San Francisco on
June 2.

Kevon Looney dominated the boards with a game-high 18 rebounds to help the
Warriors, in their second opportunity, close out the Mavericks with a 4-1
triumph in the best-of-seven Western Conference finals.

Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins chipped in with 18 points, Draymond Green 17,
Jordan Poole 16 and series Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry 15 in a balanced
effort.

Luka Doncic had 28 points and Spencer Dinwiddie 26 for the Mavericks, who used
a 15-0 run late in the third quarter to give themselves a chance after falling
behind by as many as 25 points.

Poole ended the flurry and closed the third period with a layup that gave
Golden State a 94-84 lead. When Wiggins and Green opened the final quarter
with consecutive hoops, the Warriors began printing tickets to their first NBA
Finals appearance since a loss to the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

Thompson, who blew out his knee in that Raptors series and missed the entire
2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, bombed in eight of his 16 3-point attempts and
shot 12-for-25 overall in nearly doubling his previous high in the series,
which had been 19 in Game 3.

Looney’s rebound total included seven at the offensive end, helping Golden
State to a commanding 51-34 edge overall and a 14-6 advantage in offensive
boards.

Looney also found time for 10 points, his second double-double of the series.

Wiggins also recorded a double-double with 10 rebounds to complement his 18
points, while Curry collected nine assists to go with his 15 points. Green had
nine assists and six rebounds complement his 2022 postseason-high point total.

With Green hitting six of his seven shots, Poole six of his eight and Looney
five of his eight, the Warriors outshot the Mavericks 51.1 percent to 45.1
percent.

Dallas had the edge in 3-point scoring, thanks in large part to Dinwiddie’s
5-for-7 success from beyond the arc. The Mavericks shot 17-for-42 on 3-point
tries, outscoring Golden State 51-42 from deep.

Doncic was harassed into just 10-for-28 shooting overall and 3-for-13 on
3-point attempts en route to his team-high point total. He added a team-high
nine rebounds and six assists.

Dorian Finney-Smith had 13 points and Jalen Brunson 10 for Dallas, which lost
all three games at Golden State in the series.

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