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Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson scores over Oklahoma City Thunder during a scoring rampage that set the Warriors on the way to a clutch victory. Photo: USA Today

Staying Alive: Klay Thompson’s sharp-shooting saves Golden State’s season as Warriors take it to the wire

Warriors guard makes a play-off-record 11 3-pointers and scores 41 points as the defending champions Golden State Warriors force a seventh game

Klay Thompson made a play-off-record 11 3-pointers and scored 41 points, and the defending champions Golden State Warriors forced a seventh game in the western conference finals with a 108-101 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night.

I just so proud of everybody, man. We were down almost the whole game and we never gave up
Klay Thompson

Stephen Curry bounced back from a slow start to finish with 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

The Warriors, who set the league’s regular-season record with 73 wins, will host game seven on Tuesday morning (Hong Kong time). The winner will play Cleveland in the NBA Finals.

“I just so proud of everybody, man,” Thompson said. “We were down almost the whole game and we never gave up.”

Oklahoma City dominated games three and four at home, but the Warriors made 21 of 44 3-pointers on Saturday, while Oklahoma City were 3 of 23.
Warriors guard Thompson was the hero for the defending champions. Photo: USA Today

“About time we had a stretch in this building where we imposed our will,” Curry said.

Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Russell Westbrook added 28 for the Thunder. But Durant made just 10 of 31 shots and Westbrook was 10 of 27.

Trying to become the 10th team to overcome a 3-1 deficit, the Warriors trailed much of the game and were behind by eight going to the fourth quarter.
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook talks with centre Steven Adams as Golden State Warriors begin their fightback. Photo: AP

Thompson kept them in it with four 3-pointers in just over seven minutes to start the period. Curry then hit two 3s, the second of which tied the game at 99 with 2:47 to play.

Thompson’s 3 with 1:35 to play put the Warriors up 104-101.

The Thunder, who blew a number of fourth-quarter leads during the regular season, fell apart in the final minutes after Golden State had finally gone ahead for good.
Thompson set a play-off record for 3-pointers. Photo: EPA
Westbrook lost control of the ball, and after Thompson missed a 3, Westbrook turned the ball over again. Curry’s layup with 14.3 seconds to play put the Warriors up by five, the Thunder turned it over again, and the Warriors were in the clear.
Curry found his range as the Warriors closed in on victory. Photo: AP

The Thunder led 23-20 after one quarter, then seized momentum early in the second. Steven Adams’ powerful one-handed dunk on Draymond Green drew a roar from the crowd and gave Oklahoma City a 37-28 lead. Green, who had hit Adams in the groin area twice during the series, was a constant target for the vocal Thunder fans.

Thompson opened the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Warriors a 54-53 edge, but the Thunder closed the quarter strong and led 83-75 heading into the fourth.

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