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Warriors storm back to force Game 7

 
Klay Thompson, shooting over the Thunder’s Dion Waiters, hits an NBA playoff record 11 3-pointers and scores 41 in the Warriors’ 108-101 victory.
Klay Thompson, shooting over the Thunder’s Dion Waiters, hits an NBA playoff record 11 3-pointers and scores 41 in the Warriors’ 108-101 victory.
Published May 29, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY — Klay Thompson made a playoff-record 11 3-pointers and scored 41, and the defending champion Warriors forced a seventh game in the Western Conference final with a 108-101 victory over the Thunder on Saturday night.

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

"We were down almost the whole game and we never gave up, and our resiliency paid off in the end," Thompson said.

The Warriors, who set the league's regular-season record with 73 wins, host Game 7 on Monday. The winner plays the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

Oklahoma City dominated Games 3 and 4 at home, but the Warriors made 21 of 44 3-pointers Saturday, while Oklahoma City was 3-of-23.

"It was about time we had a stretch in this building where we imposed our will," Curry said.

Kevin Durant scored 29 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.

Thompson kept them in it with four 3-pointers in just more than seven minutes to start the quarter. Curry then hit two 3s, the second of which tied the score at 99 with 2:47 left.

Thompson's 3 with 1:35 left put the Warriors up 104-101.

The Thunder, which 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.

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.

"Now that we got this under our belt, we can't just assume because we're going home and it's Game 7, we can just show up," Curry said. "We have to bring that same energy, same focus, activity that we had tonight."

Warriors 108, Thunder 101

GOLDEN STATE (108): Barnes 3-6 1-1 9, Green 5-11 2-4 14, Bogut 2-4 1-4 5, Curry 8-21 7-9 29, Thompson 14-30 2-2 41, Iguodala 3-6 2-4 8, Varejao 0-0 0-0 0, Ezeli 1-1 0-0 2, Speights 0-4 0-0 0, Livingston 0-4 0-0 0, Barbosa 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-87 15-24 108.

OKLAHOMA CITY (101): Durant 10-31 8-10 29, Ibaka 5-10 2-5 13, Adams 3-6 3-5 9, Westbrook 10-27 8-10 28, Roberson 5-5 1-2 11, Kanter 4-5 0-0 8, Waiters 1-5 0-0 3, Morrow 0-1 0-0 0, Foye 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 38-90 22-32 101.

Golden State 20 28 27 33— 108

Oklahoma City 23 30 30 18— 101

3-Point GoalsGolden State 21-44 (Thompson 11-18, Curry 6-13, Barnes 2-3, Green 2-5, Speights 0-2, Iguodala 0-3), Oklahoma City 3-23 (Waiters 1-3, Ibaka 1-6, Durant 1-8, Morrow 0-1, Westbrook 0-5). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsGolden State 43 (Green 12), Oklahoma City 49 (Westbrook, Ibaka, Adams 9). AssistsGolden State 23 (Curry 9), Oklahoma City 16 (Westbrook 11). Total FoulsGolden State 25, Oklahoma City 22. A18,203 (18,203).

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Rookie shot to death

DALLAS — Pelicans guard Bryce Dejean-Jones was fatally shot after breaking down the door to a Dallas apartment, authorities said.

A man living at the apartment was sleeping when he heard his front door kicked open, Dallas Police Senior Cpl. DeMarquis Black said in a statement. When Dejean-Jones began kicking at the bedroom door, the man retrieved a handgun and fired.

Officers who responded found Dejean-Jones collapsed in an outdoor passageway, and he later died at a hospital. He was 23.

It is legal in Texas for someone to use deadly force to protect himself from intruders.

In Dejean-Jones' only NBA season, which ended in February because of a broken right wrist, the 6-foot-6 guard started 11 of 14 games and averaged 5.6 points and 3.4 rebounds.