OAKLAND –- Stephen Curry suddenly doesn’t look so injured.
Facing elimination in the Western Conference Finals, the Warriors in Game 5 Thursday rode Curry and a wave of emotion to a 120-111 victory over Oklahoma City that keeps alive their chances to repeat as NBA champions.
The win, before a relentless raucous sellout crowd at Oracle Arena, narrows the deficit to 3-2 OKC in the best-of-seven series.
[RATTO: Thanks to the East, America needs Warriors-Thunder best-of-13]
Five Warriors scored in double figures, Curry putting in 31 points to lead the way. Klay Thompson totaled 27 points, Andrew Bogut had 15, Marreese Speights (off the bench) had 14 and Draymond Green finished with 11.
The Warriors matched the Thunder in rebounds, 45-45, outscored them 28-15 on fast-break points and clobbered them 48-30 on points in the paint. The Warriors also forced 17 OKC turnovers, off which they scored 20 points.
Curry, who is sore but continues to downplay discussion of injuries, scored 12 points in the fourth quarter.
Thunder forward Kevin Durant led all scorers with 40 points, while point guard Russell Westbrook finished with 31.
STANDOUT PERFORMER
Contributions came from across the board, but Curry, Bogut, Iguodala and Speights led the way.
Curry’s line: 31 points (9-of-20 shooting, 3-of-8 from beyond the arc), seven rebounds, six assists and five steals. He played 37 minutes and finished plus-6 for the game.
Bogut’s line: 15 points (7-of-9), a game-high 14 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots. He played 30 minutes and finished plus-2.
Iguodala’s line: 8 points (3-of-5, 1-of-2), a team-high eight assists, one steal and steady defense. He played 34 minutes and posted a plus-7.
Speights’ line: 14 points (4-of-7, 1-of-1). He was plus-7 over nine minutes.
TURNING POINT
The 13-point lead was the biggest of the night for the Warriors.
The Thunder got within five (103-98, 4:34 remaining) before the Warriors closed it out in the final minutes.
INJURY UPDATE
Warriors: F Kevon Looney (L hip surgery) was listed as out and placed in the inactive list with Brandon Rush (healthy).
Thunder: No injuries listed. F Josh Huestis and F Mitch McGary were placed on the inactive list.
WHAT’S NEXT
Game 6 is set for Saturday at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. PDT.
