Golden State Warriors oust stubborn Grizzlies to book return to West finals

Klay Thompson knocked down eight three-pointers on the way to 30 points, Stephen Curry scored 29 with six threes, and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the Western Conference finals by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 110-96 in Game 6 on Friday night.

Curry found his shooting touch late and made two straight baskets late in the third for a 78-77 lead entering the final 12 minutes. Draymond Green contributed 14 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists. Kevon Looney grabbed 22 rebounds and Andrew Wiggins scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth with a pair of timely threes.

Golden State – eliminated by Memphis in the play-in tournament last year – withstood a testy series to advance to the conference finals for the first time since 2019, when the franchise reached its fifth straight NBA finals before losing to Toronto in the deciding Game 6.

The third-seeded Warriors will face the Phoenix-Dallas winner in the conference finals. Game 7 of that series is Sunday in Phoenix.

“Whoop that trick!” the delighted, raucous home crowd chanted in the waning moments, the fans’ steal away from Memphis.

Dillon Brooks scored 30 points with a career-best seven three-pointers but picked up his second flagrant foul of the series. Desmond Bane added 25.

Curry checked back in for the final 8:21 and delivered a three with 5:45 remaining off a beautiful bounce pass by Green. Looney found Green for an easy dunk the next time down, capping a decisive 10-0 run.

After Wednesday’s 134-95 debacle on the Grizzlies’ home floor in which they trailed by as many as 55 , the Warriors were determined to do everything better, especially cutting down on the 22 turnovers leading to 29 points.

The Warriors outrebounded the Grizzlies 70-44, becoming the first team