----- Draymond Green records a triple-double as the Golden State Warriors sweep the Portland Trail Blazers and advance to the NBA Finals for a fifth-consecutive year with a 119-117 overtime victory Monday night at Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
The Portland Trail Blazers went down swinging!
Trailing 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals and facing elimination against the Golden State Warriors, the Blazers gave a tremendous effort before finally succumbing in overtime 119-117 ending their magical season deepest run in the playoffs in 19-years.
For the third consecutive game, the Warriors overcame a double-digit deficit to defeat the Blazers.
Draymond Green had 18 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, and made a key 3-pointer in overtime. Stephen Curry added 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. They became the first teammates to have triple-doubles in the same playoff game.
''We've been here before. We've seen everything, every experience you can imagine. So we relied on that,'' Curry said.
With the win, the Warriors are making their fifth-consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. The last team to do this was the Boston Celtics when went to a record 10-straight NBA Finals from 1957-1966.
Meyers Leonard got the start at center for the second-straight game and had a career night to help spark the Blazers offense. Leonard scored 25 of his career-high 30 points in the first half. He connected on 12 of his 16 shots including 5-of-8 from three-point range and added 12 rebounds.
Portland Coach Terry Stotts was pleased with what he got from his big man.
“Again, he, in the first half, was outstanding, 25 points,” Stotts said. “And, he was playing with confidence. He certainly had an impact on the game, much like Game 3, and again we needed him and he played well and I’m happy for him.”
Damian Lillard, playing with separated ribs, had 28 points and 12 assists. Lillard had a three-point attempt at the end of overtime that would have won the game but he came up short and hit iron.
The Blazers stretched their lead to 17-points in the third, but the Warriors responded with a 12-0 run to cut the deficit to 95-90 early in the fourth.
The Blazers took a brief 115-114 lead late in the overtime period, but an offensive rebound and bucket by Alfonzo McKinnie followed by a Green three-pointer pushed the Warriors lead to 119-115 with 39.6 seconds remaining.
Up Next- Trail Blazers season is over. Exit interviews coming tomorrow.
Chad's Take- One of the best seasons in franchise history. The team exceeded all expectations and overcame numerous obstacles to win 53-games and reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 19-years. #RipCity