Thunder rally to eliminate Spurs, advance to NBA Finals
Oklahoma City, OK (Sports Network) - 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.
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.
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 the NBA Finals.
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.
