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Experienced Golden State Warriors pull out overtime win over Portland for sweep, trip to finals

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, puts up a shot as Portland Trail Blazers' Meyers Leonard, right, and CJ McCollum look on during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA playoffs Western Conference finals on Monday in Portland, Ore. (AP photo)

PORTLAND, Ore. — Experience bred confidence for the Golden State Warriors, even when challenged by the upstart Portland Trail Blazers.

No matter how far they were down, they’ve been through too much to ever think they’re out.

“We just really understand what we’re capable of on both sides of the basketball,” Draymond Green said. “We’re never out of the fight. That’s just always our mindset.”

The Warriors swept their way to a fifth straight NBA Finals, getting triple-doubles from Stephen Curry and Green in a 119-117 overtime victory on Monday night.

The two-time defending champions overcame a double-digit deficit for the third straight game against the Blazers, back in the conference finals for the first time since 2000.

Golden State Warriors guards Klay Thompson, left, and Quinn Cook, right, close in on Portland Trail Blazers guard Seth Curry during the first half of Game 4 of the NBA playoffs Western Conference finals on Monday in Portland, Ore. (AP photo)

Green had 18 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, and made a key 3-pointer in overtime. Curry added 37 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. They became the first teammates to have triple-doubles in the same playoff game.

The Warriors will face the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between Toronto and Milwaukee. The Bucks lead that series 2-1 with Game 4 tonight in Canada.

The Warriors came back from 17 down after erasing an 18-point deficit in Game 3 and a 17-point hole in Game 2.

“We’ve been here before. We’ve seen everything, every experience you can imagine. So we relied on that,” Curry said.

Playing without Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and DeMarcus Cousins, the Warriors became the first team to reach five straight finals since the Boston Celtics went to 10 in a row from 1957-66.

Damian Lillard, playing with separated ribs, had 28 points and 12 assists for Portland. He missed a 3-point attempt as time ran out in the extra period. Meyers Leonard added a career-high 30 points along with 12 rebounds.

The Warriors were up 114-113 in the extra period after Green missed the first of a pair of free throws. CJ McCollum’s jumper from out front briefly gave Portland the lead but Alfonzo McKinnie’s basket put Golden State back ahead and Green made a 3-pointer to push it to 119-115 with 39 seconds left.

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