Consider how tough the NBA’s Western Conference has been for two decades.

Back in the early 2000s, the Sacramento Kings built an all-time team around Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic. That team never made the NBA Finals, because the West also had a Lakers team with peak Shaq and a rising Kobe Bryant.

The Golden State Warriors swept the Portland Trail Blazers out of the NBA Western Conference finals on Monday, with their 119-117 overtime victory sending them to the NBA Finals for a fifth consecutive postseason.

They join the 1960s Boston Celtics (10 total) as the only groups to do so in league history, outlasting both the LeBron James-led Miami Heat (2011-14) and Cleveland Cavaliers (2015-18), along with Larry Bird's Boston Celtics (1984-87) and the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers (1982-85).

After the Raptors outlasted the Bucks in double overtime to win Game 3 and get on the board in the conference finals, there was a sense that Toronto had merely postponed the inevitable. Milwaukee had worn down the Raps in Game 1 and busted them up in Game 2; they’d pushed Toronto to two extra sessions in Game 3 despite Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Eric Bledsoe’s combined 11-for-48 shooting from the field.

Five boys and five girls were selected during the Jr. NBA Philippines 2019 presented by Alaska National Training Camp to comprise the newest batch of Jr. NBA All-Stars and represent the country at the first Jr. NBA Global Championship Asia Pacific Selection Camp in Jakarta, Indonesia in June to train with top youth players from the region.

The Golden State Warriors faced another double-digit deficit against the Blazers Monday night. The Warriors, once again calling on their championship mettle, used tough defense to rally and earn another trip to the NBA Finals.

The Warriors held the Blazers to 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to win 119-117 in Game 4 and sweep the Blazers out of the Western Conference finals at the Moda Center.

one of the bad stuff from Game 3 matters.

It doesn’t matter that whatever flow the Raptors had in Sunday’s first half was reduced to a pathetic drip in the second half. Toronto posted 58 first-half points, tallying 18 assists on 21 buckets in the first 24 minutes. They followed it up with 38 points on putrid shooting in the second half. Oh well.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- When coach Steve Kerr came up with “Strength in Numbers” as the slogan as the latest -- and one of the greatest -- NBA dynasties took root, who knew it would remain in vogue five years running? It defined the Warriors then and still does today as they prepare for this final step of yet another chase of the Larry O’Brien trophy in earnest, because it accurately captured the reality of these handicapped Warriors in the spring of 2019.

TORONTO -- Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points -- including two important field goals late in the second overtime -- and grabbed nine rebounds as the Toronto Raptors defeated the visiting Milwaukee Bucks 118-112 in double-overtime Sunday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals.

The Bucks lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 with Game 4 slated to Tuesday in Toronto.