Thunder win fourth straight, advance to NBA Finals
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As improbable as it sounds, Oklahoma City just beat a team four times in seven days that hadn't lost in the previous 50.
And the reward is a trip to the NBA Finals.
Kevin Durant scored 34 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Russell Westbrook added 25 points, as the Thunder rallied from an 18-point deficit to win the Western Conference title with a 107-99 victory over San Antonio.
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"(An) amazing moment for him to play like this in this moment, in this setting. I wasn't going to take him out," Oklahoma City head coach Scott Brooks said of Durant's sensational 48-minute night.
For the entire first half, it appeared Game 6 was a formality for forcing a deciding Game 7, as San Antonio looked poised and precise. It all changed in the second 24 minutes, a momentum swing that mimicked a stunning turnaround from where this series stood at the end of May.
San Antonio hadn't lost a game since April 11 before dropping Game 3 in Oklahoma City. That loss not only halted a 20-game winning streak, but started a tidal wave the Spurs couldn't stop.
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James Harden added 16 points off the bench and Serge Ibaka chipped in with 10 for Oklahoma City, which will face either Boston or Miami in Game 1 of the NBA finals starting next Tuesday night. Boston holds a 3-2 series lead heading into Game 6 on Thursday.
This marks the Thunder's first NBA finals berth since they were based in Seattle as the then-SuperSonics in 1996.
Tony Parker scored a team-best 29 points with 12 assists, although he made just 4-of-13 shots with two assists in the second half. Tim Duncan added 25 points and 14 rebounds, while Stephen Jackson piled up 23 points with six three-pointers for the Spurs.
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"In many ways this group may have even overachieved. I couldn't be more satisfied with their effort and what they have done this season," said Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.
A Jackson three-pointer pushed the margin to 40-23 in the early moments of the second stanza and his third and fourth threes helped maintain a comfortable edge at 56-40 with just over 3 1/2 minutes to go in the half. The Spurs pushed back against every Thunder threat and took a 63-48 lead into the locker room.
Then everything changed in the third, as the Thunder's youth and energy flipped the game around. Ibaka's slam capped a faster-than-you-could-blink 11-2 stretch for a 65-59 contest, and the home team rode the crowd to a two- point deficit, 74-72, on Thabo Sefolosha's three-pointer with just under four minutes to go in the period.
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Oklahoma City then scored seven straight capped by Durant's three, a long ball that brought the fans to their feet, completely erased an 18-point deficit and put the home team in front, 79-77.
San Antonio temporarily reclaimed the advantage, but it couldn't withstand the Thunder's momentum and Durant's offensive showcase in the second half. His two free throws opened an 88-84 lead, and he continued to live at the line moments later. His fifth and sixth free throws of the period maintained the four-point edge, 93-89, and a few of the other pieces made key shots down the stretch.
First, veteran Derek Fisher connected on a three for a 96-91 game and Harden buried a trey for a 99-93 lead. The Spurs hung around and had the ball with a four-point deficit, but missed three successive shots, including two threes, on the same possession. Kendrick Perkins' subsequent slam with 24.3 ticks to go put an exclamation point on the rally.
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San Antonio came out on a mission from the tip, demonstrating its guile and sharpshooting ability in a clinic of a first period. Manu Ginobili's trey and Duncan's jumper started the period, and the Spurs really put a hold on the quarter with a 10-2 stretch capped by six straight points from Parker for a 15-8 advantage.
Parker continued his assault on the Thunder defense with a wide array of scoring styles, burying a dead-on three-pointer, driving to the rim for a layup and connecting on a free throw for a 25-14 lead. His three-point play gave him 17 of San Antonio's first 28 points and opened a 12-point edge nearing the three-minute mark.
Kawhi Leonard connected on a three and Jackson started his torrid display from downtown with a triple for a 34-16 advantage. The Spurs converted on four three-pointers in the period, nine in the half, and Jackson's three was the first of his four in the first 24 minutes.
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Game Notes
The Spurs didn't have a three-game losing streak all season before dropping four straight to end their campaign...Durant made 12-of-15 free throws as part of Oklahoma City's 25-of-31 effort from the charity stripe...San Antonio shot 54.5 percent in the first half, but finished the game at only 44 percent shooting...Oklahoma City made exactly half of its shots (36-of-72)...Jackson didn't made a two-point basket. He drained 6-of-7 threes and 5-of-6 free throws...Greg Willard was initially slated to officiate Game 6, but he was replaced by Rodney Mott due to illness.