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Golden State Beats Houston, Will Face Cleveland For NBA Title

Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors drives on James Harden of the Houston Rockets in the second half of the Warrior's series-clinching win Wednesday night in Oakland, Calif.
Ezra Shaw
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Getty Images
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors drives on James Harden of the Houston Rockets in the second half of the Warrior's series-clinching win Wednesday night in Oakland, Calif.

The Golden State Warriors managed to dominate a stacked Western Conference all season long; with Wednesday night's 104-90 win over the Houston Rockets, they'll get a chance to finish the job in the NBA Finals.

The Warriors got a team-leading 26 points from star point guard Stephen Curry, who had struck his head in a fall in the previous game on Monday. Curry's shot wasn't as accurate as usual, but he made up for it with steals, rebounds and free throws. Harrison Barnes added 24 points for Golden State and Klay Thompson added 20.

Thompson left the game in the fourth quarter after getting kneed in the side of his head by Houston's Trevor Ariza. The Warriors said later that Thompson developed concussion symptoms after the game. Thompson must pass the NBA's concussion protocol before he will be permitted to play in the Finals.

The Houston Rockets had balanced scoring, with six players netting between 11 and 18 points, but shot poorly overall and had 20 fewer rebounds than Golden State. Guard James Harden, who lost the league's MVP award to Curry, had 13 turnovers.

Curry averaged 26 points and five assists per game in the series, and made nearly half his three-point shots.

The Warriors will face LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals, which start on June 4 and will air on ABC.

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