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THE words of Houston Rockets NBA championship coach Rudy Tomjanovich rang out today at Oracle Arena as Golden State proved again you should never underestimate the heart of a champion.

Down 1-3 in the Western Conference Final against an aggressive and relentless Oklahoma City Thunder, and perpetually on the precipice after their record 73-win regular season, the Warriors dug deep to stay alive with a Game 5 win.

When they won Game 6 on the road to tie it at 3-3, those qualities of a champion were on display and it was OKC which needed to show something.

It did too, for a while, ahead by as many as 13 today in Oakland while Klay Thompson fought to keep GSW within reach.

Andrew Bogut was having another quiet one but when Stephen Curry drove the length of the floor for a high-looping layup to close the first half, GSW was just six in arrears.

Coach Steve Kerr started Andre Iguodala on Kevin Durant and it changed the dynamic sufficiently, Draymond Green again off-focus when he dragged OKC’s Kiwi centre Steven Adams to the floor on a rebound and banged his own head in the process.

Maybe it knocked some sense back into him as he finished with 11 points and nine rebounds but it was the infamous “Splash Brothers” who ultimately rolled the Thunder, 96-88.

Curry was magnificent, with 36 points and eight assists, stroking 7-of-12 triples.

When the game was there to be taken, he took it.

REVERSAL FOR OKC: Steph Curry with the reverse layup today. Picture: GETTY IMAGES

Thompson missed his first seven shots, then rallied to score 21 points with 6-of-11 3-pointers.

Curry tied the game midway through the third period, then his next three put the Warriors ahead and Oracle Arena was in a rapture.

Off the bench, Shaun Livingston scored a jumper, then rebounded a seriously wayward Kevin Durant 3-point attempt, taking it the length of the floor and throwing down an emphatic slam.

Fouled, he added the bonus free throw and the Warriors were leaving OKC in a wake of recrimination and ponderous decision-making.

Anderson Varejao made a great two-minute cameo, taking a charge, dishing two assists and scoring a bucket to the roar of the home fans.

Ahead 90-79, Golden State had its final challenge when Durant took it upon himself and scored seven straight points.

But Serge Ibaka fouled Curry on a 3-point attempt and from 90-86, the reigning and dual-MVP bumped it back to 93-86 from the stripe.

With 26.8 seconds left, Curry drained his last three and OKC was heading into mothballs, the defending champs preparing for Friday’s Championship-series opener against LeBron, Delly and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Again.

“This is who he is. Having a clutch performance in a Game 7, that’s Steph Curry,” Kerr said.

Durant, who many speculate may have played his last game for OKC, was left to wonder what may have been.

“It hurts losing, especially being up three games to one,” he said.

WHAT is up with the veteran NBA callers? They are sounding as if they're on "automatic", much like dinosaur Sandy Roberts on an AFL game.

In Game 6 of the Eastern Final, Mike Breen told us: “The crowd has fallen silent in Toronto” while it clearly could be heard loudly chanting: “Let’s go Raptors.”

Today, Marv Albert described a Dion Waiters drive and perfectly controlled shot attempt as “Waiters with a wild shot”…

Um, guys, please. Describe what you’re seeing (and hearing). Not what you’re dreaming.

As for Doris Burke and David Aldridge. If they can ask a straightforward question – not some convoluted, contorted, mind-numbing jumble of words – I am yet to hear it.

We need more Craig Sager.

GOT to say, I have become a big fan of Steven Adams and was thrilled from Day 1 when he got to Oklahoma, knowing finally the Thunder could phase out the space-and cap-wasting Kendrick Perkins.

He will be a monster asset to the Tall Blacks in their Olympic campaign if that's what he does next.

Meanwhile we are back again to having two Aussies in an NBA Final for the third year in succession before the Boomers' Olympic campaign gets underway.

It was officially announced today those Boomers will play two "farewell games" at Melbourne's Hisense Arena on July 12 and 14 against the Pac-12 All Stars before heading off toward Rio.

NBA PLAYOFFS
WESTERN CONFERENCE
FINAL:
G1: Golden State 102, Oklahoma 108
G2: Golden State 118, Oklahoma 91
G3: Golden State 105, Oklahoma 133
G4: Golden State 94, Oklahoma 118
G5: Golden State 120, Oklahoma 111
G6: Golden State 108, Oklahoma 101
G7: Golden State 96, Oklahoma 88
Golden State wins 4-3

SEMI FINALS:
G1: San Antonio 124, Oklahoma 92
G2: San Antonio 97, Oklahoma 98
G3: San Antonio 100, Oklahoma 96
G4: San Antonio 97, Oklahoma 111
G5: San Antonio 91, Oklahoma 95
G6: San Antonio 99, Oklahoma 113
Oklahoma advances 4-2

G1: Golden State 118, Portland 106
G2: Golden State 110, Portland 99
G3: Golden State 108, Portland 120
G4: Golden State 132, Portland 125 in o/t
G5: Golden State 125, Portland 121
Golden State advances 4-1

FIRST ROUND:
G1: Golden State 104, Houston 78
G2: Golden State 115, Houston 106
G3: Golden State 96, Houston 97
G4: Golden State 121, Houston 94
G5: Golden State 114, Houston 81
Golden State advances 4-1

G1: Oklahoma 108, Dallas 70
G2: Oklahoma 84, Dallas 85
G3: Oklahoma 131, Dallas 102
G4: Oklahoma 119, Dallas 108
G5: Oklahoma 118, Dallas 104
Oklahoma advances 4-1

G1: San Antonio 106, Memphis 74
G2: San Antonio 94, Memphis 68
G3: San Antonio 96, Memphis 87
G4: San Antonio 116, Memphis 95
San Antonio advances 4-0

G1: Los Angeles 115, Portland 95
G2: Los Angeles 102, Portland 81
G3: Los Angeles 88, Portland 96
G4: Los Angeles 84, Portland 98
G5: Los Angeles 98, Portland 108
G6: Los Angeles 103, Portland 106
Portland advances 4-2

EASTERN CONFERENCE
FINAL:
G1: Cleveland 115, Toronto 84
G2: Cleveland 108, Toronto 89
G3: Cleveland 84, Toronto 99
G4: Cleveland 99, Toronto 105
G5: Cleveland 116, Toronto 78
G6: Cleveland 113, Toronto 87
Cleveland wins 4-2

SEMI FINAL:
G1: Cleveland 104, Atlanta 93
G2: Cleveland 123, Atlanta 98
G3: Cleveland 121, Atlanta 108
G4: Cleveland 100, Atlanta 99
Cleveland advances 4-0

G1: Miami 102, Toronto 96 in o/t
G2: Miami 92, Toronto 96 in o/t
G3: Miami 91, Toronto 95
G4: Miami 94, Toronto 87 in o/t
G5: Miami 91, Toronto 99
G6: Miami 103, Toronto 91
G7: Miami 89, Toronto 116
Toronto advances 4-3

FIRST ROUND:
G1: Indiana 100, Toronto 90
G2: Indiana 87, Toronto 98
G3: Indiana 85, Toronto 101
G4: Indiana 100, Toronto 83
G5: Indiana 99, Toronto 102
G6: Indiana 101, Toronto 83
G7: Indiana 84, Toronto 89
Toronto advances 4-3

G1: Atlanta 102, Boston 101
G2: Atlanta 89, Boston 72
G3: Atlanta 103, Boston 111
G4: Atlanta 95, Boston 104
G5: Atlanta 110, Boston 84
G6: Atlanta 104, Boston 92
Atlanta advances 4-2

G1: Cleveland 106, Detroit 101
G2: Cleveland 107, Detroit 90
G3: Cleveland 101, Detroit 91
G4: Cleveland 100, Detroit 98
Cleveland advances, 4-0

G1: Miami 123, Charlotte 91
G2: Miami 115, Charlotte 103
G3: Miami 80, Charlotte 96
G4: Miami 85, Charlotte 89
G5: Miami 88, Charlotte 90
G6: Miami 97, Charlotte 90
G7: Miami 106, Charlotte 73
Miami advances 4-3