:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63870905/1094809136.jpg.0.jpg)
Death, taxes, and the Warriors winning the West.
The Golden State Warriors staved off the Trail Blazers 119-117 in overtime on Monday to sweep Portland and capture their fifth straight Western Conference championship, despite trailing by 17 at one point.
The NHL’s New York Islanders (1980-1984) are the only other major sports team in the last 50 years to make the finals five straight seasons.
Former Arizona Wildcats Steve Kerr (head coach), Bruce Fraser (assistant coach) and Andre Iguodala (do-it-all forward) have been a part of all five conference championships.
Golden State will face the Toronto Raptors or Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals, where the Warriors will be looking to claim their third straight NBA championship.
Steve Kerr puts getting into a fifth straight Finals in context pic.twitter.com/GVvywOI7uJ
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) May 21, 2019
Iguodala missed Game 4 against the Blazers with a calf injury, but is averaging 10.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists in the postseason. The 35-year-old is expected to return for the NBA Finals.
The Warriors were already without starters Kevin Durant (strained right calf) and DeMarcus Cousins (torn left quad), but they just keep chugging along.
The Warriors, on a six-game winning streak, are 12-4 in the postseason. They dispatched the Clippers and Rockets before steamrolling Portland.