The Golden State Warriors are moving on the NBA Finals, this after making quick work of the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Finals: the Dubs completed their five-game demolition of Houston with a 104-90 victory Wednesday night.
But it wasn’t all about Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson—Harrison Barnes also stepped up enormously in the clincher, scoring 24 points and pulling down seven boards.
Barnes took over for an injured Klay Thompson, who took a knee to the head from Trevor Ariza and required eight stitches.
Per the Contra Costa Times:
Harrison Barnes watched what Klay Thompson did two nights earlier when Stephen Curry went out with a head injury. […] “You take that stuff personal,” Barnes said.
For a team just a game removed from dealing with Curry’s head injury scare, it was a frightening moment. But thanks to Barnes taking over for the next 2 ½ minutes, the Warriors will have a week off for Thompson to recover before beginning the NBA Finals on June 4. […] “When he went down, I was just trying to fill in the pieces,” Barnes said.
Barnes immediately hit a pull-up jump shot to give the Warriors a 10-point lead at 80-70. He followed with a 3-pointer on the next possession. […] Then it was standout defense on Corey Brewer to force a miss and grab the rebound. For good measure, he drove and scored on a running hook shot. Finally, Barnes went to one of his signature moves. He soared through the lane to deliver a powerful dunk. In the first 2 minutes, 21 seconds after Thompson’s departure, Barnes delivered nine straight points and turned an eight-point advantage into an 87-72 lead with 7:10 left to play.
