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The Golden State Warriors were crowned as the 2022 NBA Western Conference champions following Thursday's Game 5 win over the Dallas Mavericks. It will be their sixth NBA Finals appearance in eight years.
Meanwhile, Steph Curry won the inaugural Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP award for his remarkable effort in leading the Warriors to a 4-1 series win over Dallas. Akin to these intriguing storylines, plenty has happened in and around the NBA.
Let's look at these stories in more depth below:
Golden State Warriors clinch NBA Finals berth
The Golden State Warriors are the 2022 NBA Western Conference champions. Steve Kerr's men registered a 120-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks in their closeout Game 5 contest.
Klay Thompson was the best player of the match for the Dubs. He scored a game-high 32 points, shooting 48% from the floor, including eight of 16 from 3-point land. The Warriors took control early on, leading by as many as 25 points at one stage.
They didn't allow the Dallas Mavericks to tie the game and fought hard to keep their lead above ten late in the third quarter when the Mavs went on a 12-0 run. Six players scored in double-digits as Golden State rounded off yet another brilliant team effort.
Steph Curry wins first-ever Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals MVP
The NBA introduced two new individual trophies to recognize the best players in the Conference Finals. The Eastern Conference MVP award was named after Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird, while the Western Conference MVP award was named after Bird's long-time rival and LA Lakers great Magic Johnson.
Steph Curry became the first player to win the Western Conference Finals MVP award. He averaged a team-high 23.8 points per game, shooting 44% from the floor, including 43% from the 3-point range.
Curry won the Kobe Bryant All-Star game MVP award earlier this year and now has a golden opportunity to win the Finals MVP award if the Warriors win the title this year.
Golden State create history, becoming the fourth team in the NBA to make 6 NBA Finals in 8 years
The Golden State Warriors are back at the top of the NBA after missing the playoffs for two years in a row. It was a tough road for the Warriors, but they proved they still possess championship DNA they had during their dynasty days.
With their Conference Finals series win over Dallas, Golden State will be making their sixth trip to the NBA Finals in eight years. They became the fourth team after the Chicago Bulls (1990s), LA Lakers (1980s) and Boston Celtics (1950s and 1960s) to achieve the feat.
Golden State will face either the Boston Celtics or Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Steph Curry and Co. are regarded as the hot favorites, owing to their dominating form in the playoffs so far.
Charles Barkley picks LA Clippers to win the title next season
The LA Clippers were one of the worst-affected teams by injuries during the 2021-22 NBA season. They started the year without Kawhi Leonard and had to deal with the absence of Paul George in the early stages.
They still managed to finish with the eighth-best record in the Western Conference and nearly made the playoffs on the back of their role players. The Clippers have added players like Robert Covington and Norman Powell to their group, who will likely make a difference when Kawhi and George return next campaign.
Former MVP and current TNT analyst Charles Barkley thinks of the Clippers as the favorites because of the roster they boast for next year. Here's what he said on-air on 'Inside The NBA' (via Tomer Azarly):
""My favorite next year is gonna be the Clippers. When they get Kawhi and Paul George back, with all the trades they made."
Rich Eisen gives brilliant take on Boston Celtics' tandem Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
Boston Celtics have two young and incredibly talented wing players at their disposal in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who are considered the franchise's cornerstones. The two stars have struck great chemistry under new head coach Ime Udoka during the 2021-22 campaign.
The C's finished second in the Eastern Conference, and they are now one win away from making a Finals appearance. Tatum and Brown have worked well in tandem to be effective for their side. TV journalist Rich Eisen gave the Celtics' stars their flowers for their approach to the game as teammates. He said (via The Rich Eisen Show):
"I don't know of another combination in this league, they're obviously others that are two superstar players, but it seems to me that the combination of Tatum and Brown, one night one guy's Batman the other guy's Robin, and then the next night Robin becomes Batman and Batman becomes Robin. Or, that can happen in various possessions or, that happens in various quarters and neither guy seems to have the ego that might create a problem."
Guess the Lakers players!
