The juggernaut that is the Golden State Warriors continued their historic run towards an NBA championship by taking out the Memphis Grizzlies to book a place in the western conference finals.
Australian centre Andrew Bogut was a fortress for the Warriors, guarding the rim on the defensive end and using his 213cm frame to set screens for free-scoring guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
The Warriors won game six 108-95.
It is the first time the Warriors have made the western conference finals since 1976.
The team has a history of bowing out of the playoffs early, losing their previous six semi-final series, but on the Grizzlies' home court on Friday (Saturday AEST) were too strong and took the series 4-2.
"It's been 39 years since we have been in the conference finals," Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said.
"It's a testament to all of the work that has been put in the last three or four years building this team, developing players, developing an identity."
The Warriors had the best record in the regular season with 67 wins, 15 losses and the pressure was on the team with their history of faltering in the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Clippers play the Houston Rockets in LA on Sunday, with the winner taking on the Warriors in game one of the seven-game conference finals series on Wednesday in Oakland.
Bogut's statistical line of six rebounds, four points and three blocks does not appear impressive, but his worth to the team was clear when he picked up his fourth foul with 8:23 left in the third quarter and was sent to the bench with the Warriors leading 61-54.
Without Bogut on the court the Grizzlies went on a run and trailed by just one point four minutes later.
In the fourth quarter, with Bogut back on the court, recently crowned NBA most valuable player Curry was at his devastating best, hitting three three-pointers in two minutes to snuff out the Grizzlies.
Curry had 32 points for the game, including 8-13 three-pointers, and 10 assists while Thompson had 20 points and eight rebounds.
Curry is renowned for spectacular shots but impressed himself when, with one second left in the third quarter and 21 metres from the basket, he tossed up a shot and it went in.
"I haven't made one since college," Curry said of the buzzer-beater.
"It was cool."
The Cleveland Cavaliers, with Australian point guard Matthew Dellavedova emerging as the team's X-factor, will take on the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday in game one of the eastern conference finals.
The winner will play the western conference champion for the NBA championship.
The Cavaliers knocked the Chicago Bulls out of the playoffs on Thursday and on Friday the Hawks extinguished the Washington Wizards in a thriller.
Wizards veteran and buzzer-beater specialist Paul Pierce hit a three-pointer at the end of the game, but after a video review the referees ruled he was a fraction of a second late.
The Hawks won 94-91 and took the best-of-seven series 4-2.
It's the Hawks' first trip to a conference final since the NBA realigned into conferences in 1970-71.
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