Adams stands out as Thunder oust Clippers
New Zealand centre Steven Adams stood tall as his Oklahoma City Thunder reached the last four in the NBA playoffs, having dispatched the Los Angeles Clippers 4-2 in their Western Conference semi-final.
The Thunder secured the series with a 104-98 defeat of the Clippers in Los Angeles, booking a place in the best-of-seven Western Conference final against the San Antonio Spurs.
Adams produced easily his most influential performance of the playoffs, taking advantage of 39 minutes 52 seconds of court time - the second-longest stint of any player on Thursday behind NBA star Kevin Durant.
It was the most court time Adams has received in 94 games this season.
The rookie 20-year-old pulled down 11 rebounds, second only to Durant, and scored 10 points. He also produced a block and a steal.
He stayed largely out of foul trouble, helping the Thunder fight back from a 30-16 deficit after the first quarter. They were down 50-42 at halftime but had levelled the scores 72-72 with a quarter to play.
League MVP Durant scored 39 points and tallied 16 rebounds to be the game's standout performer.
As Western Conference top qualifiers, San Antonio will host the first game of the series in Texas on Tuesday (NZT).
The Eastern Conference final pits the NBA defending champion Miami Heat against the Indiana Pacers.
