Golden State have pushed San Antonio to the brink of elimination in this first-round series with three double-digit wins, the most recent a 110-97 road victory Thursday night. Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson continued to be the focal points offensively for the Warriors, scoring 26 and 19 points, respectively, while Shaun Livingston added 16 off the bench as Golden State's reserves totaled 40 for the game.
While the Warriors were not as prolific from 3-point range as they were in protecting their home court, they still made ten shots from beyond the arc while holding the Spurs to 21.2 percent shooting from deep. The reigning NBA champions have won 19 of their last 20 playoff games dating back to the start of the 2017 postseason.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 18 points and ten rebounds while Tony Parker added 16 points off the bench for the Spurs, who will be without coach Gregg Popovich for the second straight game following the death of his wife Erin on Wednesday. Assistant Ettore Messina will again take charge of the team for this contest. The 58-year-old Italian has been with the Spurs since 2014 and won four EuroLeague titles.
While the Spurs played inspired basketball without Popovich on Thursday night, their inability to find a consistent second scorer behind Aldridge has hindered their chances for victory throughout this series.
San Antonio have lost seven straight playoff games, all to Golden State as their 2017 postseason ended with a four-game sweep in the Western Conference finals. The Spurs have not been swept in the first round of the playoffs since Phoenix rolled over them in three games in 1992.