Warriors sweep Spurs to reach Finals, become 1st team to start playoffs 12-0

In the spring of domination by the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors are the first one to the NBA Finals.

The Warriors are on their way to their third straight championship round after completing the sweep of the San Antonio Spurs with a 129-115 win in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals Monday. In doing so, the Warriors become the first team in NBA history to start a postseason 12-0.

In another game which the Warriors exercised their superiority over the second-best team in the West, Golden State shot 56 percent in the contest - including an unconscious 74 percent in the second quarter.

Stephen Curry led the way with 36 points, passing Kobe Bryant for fifth all time in playoff 3-pointers. Kevin Durant added 29 points and 12 rebounds.

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The Warriors finished the series with a point differential of plus-64; the only contest they didn't win by double digits was Game 1, when the Spurs' Kawhi Leonard exited for the remainder of the series with an ankle injury.

The 12-0 start to a postseason surpasses the previous NBA record held by the 1989 and 2001 editions of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors also become the first Western Conference franchise other than the Lakers to reach three consecutive Finals.

Regardless of what transpires in the East between the Cavs and Boston Celtics, the Warriors will now have nine days off before the NBA Finals begin June 1.

Manu Ginobili got his first start for the Spurs in more than three years in Game 4 amid speculation that the 15-season veteran will retire this summer.