ROSSBURG, Ohio – There was no one even close to Tyler Courtney’s zip code during Friday night’s AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series feature at Eldora Speedway.

Courtney, the defending USAC national sprint car champion, threw a massive turn-one slide job on early leader Kevin Thomas Jr. to take command of the race on the seventh round and never looked back.

Following a lap-10 yellow for a slowing Robert Ballou, the Indiana native drove out to a whopping 8.704-second lead over the final 20 green-flag laps, cruising to the checkered flag over C.J. Leary in the end.

Courtney’s victory was his first series win of the year, and he becomes the fifth different winner in five completed USAC national sprint car features so far.

“Any time you can win here (at Eldora), it’s special,” said Courtney in victory lane. “We got behind the 8-ball a bit there with starting seventh, but I knew I just had to get to the front as early as I could, and I was fortunate to have a really good piece that I could do that with.

Rizzy (crew chief Tyler Ransbottom) gave me one spot-on race car and made my job pretty easy.”

Though Justin Grant started on the pole, he never led a lap all night, as both Thomas and Carson Short overhauled Grant on the initial start, dropping Grant back to third in a hurry before a red flag with two laps scored for a violent flip by Dave Darland in the fourth turn.

Darland climbed from his car uninjured and acknowledged the crowd, but his night was over.

On the restart, Courtney – who started seventh but had climbed to fourth before the stoppage – made a quick move to go to third and then wrestled his way to second by lap four, quickly setting his sights on Thomas for the top spot.

Courtney’s winning move came just three laps later, with a feverish pitch to the inside of the first turn as Thomas tried to keep his own momentum up around the outside groove of the half-mile dirt track.

Once he was clear, Courtney kept his foot on the gas pedal and never looked back, navigating traffic effortlessly and expanding his lead consistently throughout the remaining 24 laps.

A wild exchange for the runner-up spot ensued past the halfway point, with Leary eventually coming out on top of a frenetic scramble with Thomas, Brady Bacon and Chris Windom to secure runner-up honors.

Leary grabbed second from Thomas with 12 to go and held the position to the finish, but by that juncture, Courtney was long gone out front – and Leary admitted as much afterward.

“I’m frustrated. I really felt like we had a car that could have won this deal, but Courtney got us early when we were messing with Brady (Bacon) and Carson Short, and after I finally got to second he was just gone,” lamented Leary. “KT (Kevin Thomas Jr.) blocked every move I made for about 10 laps, and it just let Courtney run away from us.”

Bacon completed the podium in the first USAC race since the passing of his car owner, Richard Hoffman.

“This means a lot,” noted Bacon. “Eldora’s a hard place to run well at. I’ve won here and I’ve come back (the next time) and run 10th) here. You have a lot of pressure on you here, because it’s a high-risk place, but it was one of Richard’s favorite places and it feels good to get a strong result tonight for this group.”

Windom and Short crossed fourth and fifth, respectively, with Thomas fading to sixth in the final results.

Grant was never a factor and finished eighth, the first car one lap down at the checkered flag.

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Lance Dewease assailed the field on Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway to win the World of Outlaws Tune Up event for 410 sprint cars, worth $4,180.

It was the first race at the track since late March thanks to continuous rainouts.

The 358 sprints made their season debut at the track on Friday night and Glenndon Forsythe picked up a $1,500 victory.

A rain delay of more than an hour hampered the event, but it also made for scorching speeds as the night wore on.

Dewease started fourth in the 25-lap sprint car field, but fell back a spot on the first lap thanks to Robbie Kendall. Meanwhile, polesitter Chad Trout streaked away with the lead over Anthony Macri and Freddie Rahmer.

However Rahmer was racing wounded, thanks to a missing inside front wing panel stemming from an opening lap mishap on the initial start that also ended up claiming Danny Dietrich.

The only caution flag of the race unfurled for Dietrich on the third lap, thanks to a collapsed front end, likely due to the initial start mishap.

Rahmer began slipping as the laps strung together and Dewease was able to get around him for fourth on the seventh tour, before taking third with nine away.

But the pace was quick on the soft, moistened clay and it took all that Dewease had to run down the front duo of Macri and Trout.

Steadily, he honed in on Macri for the second spot and using surges of speed at the end of the backstretch to blast across turns three and four, he overtook Macri with seven to go before going to work on Trout.

Upon taking second spot, Dewease trailed the leader by 1.5 seconds and it would take him another five laps to catch Trout and get command before then pulling out to a 1.2 second victory.

Track conditions forced Dewease to use all the muscle in his car and in the cockpit to get the victory as he stated in victory lane, seemingly worn thin from the grueling speed.

The win was the 94th of Dewease’s illustrious career at the Williams Grove oval.

Trout rode home second, followed by Macri, Kendall and Rahmer.

Sixth through 10th went to Lucas Wolfe, Brian Montieth, Cory Haas, Rick Lafferty and TJ Stutts.

Heats went to Dewease and Dietrich, with the dash win going to Trout. Dewease set fast time with a lap of 16.634 seconds.

Forsythe wired the field for the 20-lap win in the 358 sprint feature.

He raced ahead of Matt Findley the entire way, but while holding a healthy lead most of the race, his advantage slipped away during the final five laps as his mount struggled to get off of the corners with speed.

Troy Wagaman Jr. rode home third followed by Doug Hammaker and Kevin Nouse.

Sixth through 10th went to Rodney Westhafer, Jeff Halligan, Rich Eichelberger, Kyle Denmyer and Todd Rittenhouse Jr.

Heats went to Denmyer and Westhafer.

The finishes:

410 sprints (25 laps): 1. Lance Dewease, 2. Chad Trout, 3. Anthony Macri, 4. Robbie Kendall, 5. Freddie Rahmer, 6. Lucas Wolfe, 7. Brian Montieth, 8. Cory Haas, 9. Rick Lafferty, 10. TJ Stutts, 11. Kyle Moody, 12. Steve Buckwalter, 13. Adrian Shaffer, 14. Dylan Cisney, 15. Troy Fraker, 16. Ryan Smith, 17. Danny Dietrich, 18. Mark Smith

358 sprints (25 laps): 1. Glenndon Forsythe, 2. Matt Findley, 3. Troy Wagaman Jr., 4. Doug Hammaker, 5. Kevin Nouse, 6. Rodney Westhafer, 7. Jeff Halligan, 8. Rich Eichelberger, 9. Kyle Denmyer, 10. Todd Rittenhouse Jr., 11. Chris Frank, 12. Dwight Leppo, 13. Gregg Foster, 14. Jacob Galloway, 15. Troy Rhome, 16. Scott Fisher, 17. Brett Wanner

ROSSBURG, Ohio – Donny Schatz led from start to finish in a caution-free rout Friday night at Eldora Speedway, winning the opening round of #LetsRaceTwo weekend at the half-mile dirt oval.

Schatz started on the pole and never faltered, holding Carson Macedo at bay early and then pulling away from Logan Schuchart late to take his second World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win of the season.

With his Friday victory, the 285th of his World of Outlaws career, Schatz also assumed the lead in the series point standings as well.

The driver of the No. 15 Toco Warranty Centers/Ford Performance sprinter won the first of two DIRTvision Fast Pass Dashes to set himself up on the front row of the 30-lap main event, and when the green flag waved Schatz bolted to the early lead with Macedo in hot pursuit.

Macedo had one chance at Schatz in the opening laps, with a turn-one slider on the second revolution giving him momentary command over the field, but Schatz crossed back underneath him down the backstretch and never gave up the top spot again after that.

Friday’s win was Schatz’s third-straight score during Eldora’s #LetsRaceTwo weekend, but his first win at the track with new crew chief Steve Swenson.

“We’ve got a pretty good play book we’ve had over the years, but things change,” Schatz said. “Tires change. Cars change. The ways guys race change, so you’ve got to stay on the front side of it. That’s what we’ve been working on the past couple of months. I feel like we’ve figure out what we need to do to get things right for us.

“I’m happy about that and hopefully we can keep that to ourselves and not have to race against it.”

While Schatz dominated the box score by leading all 30 laps, it wasn’t without some competition in the second half of the race, as he had a hard-charging Logan Schuchart on his tail down the stretch.

Schuchart, who started fifth, grabbed the second spot on lap 13 and carved a lead of more than two seconds down under half a second with less than six laps to go as Schatz navigated through traffic.

However, the 10-time series champion got back away in the final moments as slower cars killed Schuchart’s momentum, leaving the Shark Racing driver to settle for second in the end.

“I was following a car on the top … and he hit the wall and I had to check up pretty good there,” said Schuchart. “All and all, I thought it was a good race. I think we actually fell to sixth at the beginning and had to work our way back up there. I think we had the car to beat and the fastest race car.

“I hope we can come back tomorrow and get another shot at it.”

Macedo completed the podium after his front row start, followed by David Gravel and Jacob Allen.

Christopher Bell crossed sixth, followed by Tim Kaeding, Parker Price-Miller, Gio Scelzi and Ian Madsen.

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.

Ander Herrera has confirmed he will leave Manchester United at the end of the season when his contract expires.

Spain international Herrera, 29, made the announcement in a farewell message posted on the club's Twitter account.

A goodbye message from @AnderHerrera. ? #MUFC pic.twitter.com/z56bmBwXa9

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 11, 2019

Sources have told ESPN FC that Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Juventus, Inter Milan and Barcelona are among the clubs interested in signing the midfielder as a free agent in the summer, with Ligue 1 club PSG the most strongly linked.

Herrera spent five years at Old Trafford after signing from Athletic Bilbao in 2014. He helped the club win the Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup in the 2016-17 and claimed the club's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award that season.

- Mitten: Valencia exit reminds United fans of better days
- #UnfollowManUnited: Fan's social media protest
- When does the transfer window close across Europe?

"There is red in my heart, I knew it from the first time I played here and in the moment I started to wear it," he said.

"A club with thousands of fans who respect and remember all the players who give everything. I felt special when I heard my name chanted. I felt proud when the fans decided I was part of this incredible history.

"Every time I represented this club, in every game, in wins and losses, even when I couldn't help from the grass, I understood what this club means.

"I am going to remember each of the almost 200 matches that I have played with this jersey. Because playing for the greatest club in England, has been a true honour. Thanks for these five amazing years."

Herrera's fellow Spanish midfielder Juan Mata is also out of contract at Manchester united at the end of the season, and talks are ongoing with the 30-year-old over a new deal.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed last month that Antonio Valencia will also leave the club this summer.

Toss Ireland chose to bat v West Indies

Ireland captain William Porterfield won the toss and chose to bat first against West Indies on a day that has no rain in the forecast. It is partly cloudy, but after Ireland's last game, against Bangladesh, was washed out, they will welcome the chance to have a full match with the opportunity to get off the bottom of the points table.

West Indies brought in Fabian Allen for Shane Dowrich, with Dowrich having endured a poor day in the field in their loss against Bangladesh. Boyd Rankin and James McCollum have come in for Ireland, with Barry McCarthy and Lorcan Tucker missing out.

This is a rematch of the first game of this tri-series. In that match, the West Indies opening duo of John Campbell and Shai Hope shattered records with a 365-run stand, and West Indies romped to victory by 196 runs. That loss left Ireland with a heavily negative net run-rate, and the washout against Bangladesh meant they stayed at the bottom of the points table. However, victory here can lift them above West Indies.

Campbell didn't play West Indies' next game, against Bangladesh, due to a sore back, and looks to have not yet recovered for this game either.

Playing XIs:

Ireland: 1 William Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Andy Balbirnie, 4 James McCollum, 5 Kevin O'Brien, 6 Gary Wilson (wk), 7 George Dockrell, 8 Mark Adair, 9 Boyd Rankin, 10 Tim Murtagh, 11 Josh Little

West Indies: 1 Sunil Ambris, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Roston Chase, 5 Jonathan Carter, 6 Fabian Allen, 7 Ashley Nurse, 8 Jason Holder (capt), 9 Kemar Roach, 10 Sheldon Cotterell, 11 Shannon Gabriel

TossPakistan chose to bowl v England

Pakistan have won the toss and chosen to bowl in the second ODI against England at the Ageas Bowl.

The pitch appears to be a belter and play is set to begin in bright conditions.

Both teams are starting from scratch after the opener to the five-match series was a wash-out at The Oval on Wednesday. There have been some personnel changes on both sides with Jason Roy returning to the top of England's batting order at the expense of James Vince after recovering from back spasms. Moeen Ali returns from a rib injury, replacing Joe Denly, and Jofra Archer is being rested, making way for David Willey.

Pakistan are without Mohammad Amir, who is suffering from viral infection, meaning Yasir Shah comes into the side.

Teams: England: 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 David Willey, 10 Chris Woakes, 11 Liam Plunkett.

Pakistan: 1 Imam-ul-Haq, 2 Fakhar Zaman, 3 Babar Azam, 4 Haris Sohail, 5 Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt/wk), 6 Asif Ali, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Faheem Ashraf, 9 Hasan Ali, 10 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 11 Yasir Shah

HOUSTON -- Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob wants Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to stay with the organization "forever."

Lacob happily made that declaration in the wake of Friday night's 118-113, series-clinching Game 6 victory over the Houston Rockets after watching the pair combine for 60 points and lead the Warriors to their fifth straight Western Conference finals appearance.

"Obviously, my intention is to keep them as part of our organization forever," Lacob told ESPN. "That's our goal. We'll see what happens."

Lacob's words are notable, given the amount of speculation regarding Thompson's future with the team heading into this summer. While much of the focus has surrounded Kevin Durant and whether he will stay with the Warriors, Thompson will also be a free agent at season's end and is expected to earn a maximum contract. The Warriors are the only team that has the ability to offer Thompson a five-year deal worth $188 million or a supermax deal worth $221 million if Thompson makes an All-NBA team.

NBA protocol does not allow Lacob to publicly state he will give Thompson a full max extension, but his words were the clearest sign yet that Thompson's professional marriage with the Warriors will continue for years to come.

Thompson had said repeatedly throughout the season that he wanted to spend his entire career with the Warriors, a feeling shared throughout the organization and echoed recently by Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

Lacob and Thompson shared a joyous moment together late in Friday's game, after Thompson iced it with a 3-pointer with 36.1 seconds left that gave the Warriors a six-point lead. Thompson turned around after hitting the shot and pointed right at Lacob, who was sitting courtside and pointed back at Thompson.

Many inside the Toyota Center and on social media believed that Thompson was sending his boss a clear message of "pay me my money," but Thompson brushed that idea aside after the game.

"Nah," Thompson told ESPN. "It was just living in the moment. That's all it was."

Lacob said he loved having that connection with Thompson, whom he has grown fond of since buying the team in 2010.

"We've had a few of those," Lacob said. "I have a special bond with him. I always have. He's the first player, since I bought the team, that we drafted. The very first one. And I just have always felt an incredible attachment. People make fun of me a little bit -- I always say I love Klay. I love Klay. I just do. He's so real. He's so real. There's no BS. And there's something about him, I have a very special relationship with him.

"That was so great when he came over. I almost did what I did in Oklahoma City, but that'd be too much. They'd kill me in Houston."

Lacob was referring to Game 6 of 2016 Western Conference finals, when Thompson drained a playoff-record 11 3-pointers to lift the Warriors past the Oklahoma City Thunder. Afterward, an overjoyed Lacob dropped to his knees and bowed before Thompson.

On Friday night, Thompson made sure that Lacob and the rest of the Warriors headed back to Oakland beaming as the ensuing victory set off a raucous celebration inside the visitors locker room a few moments later. Thompson said he was appreciative Lacob has always been in his corner.

"I can feel his passion," Thompson said. "We've been here before. And s---, he's more into it than most fans. You got to respect someone's passion like that, man. Especially ownership. You hear a lot of stories [around the league] about people not caring, but Joe's cared since day one, so it felt good to just have that moment with him because I know how much he cares for us to win and how much he wants to be successful."

Thompson's ability to raise his level of play in the biggest of games doesn't surprise his teammates such as Curry, who says he always believes Thompson will play at a high level when they need him most.

"It's like he's in the park," Curry said of Thompson. "Just putting up shots in a little chain-link net or something. Just enjoying playing basketball, and his personality and his perspective on life really makes him different in these moments, because I don't know if he really even feels pressure. He's just out there hooping. The shots he was taking in the first half, understanding the situation, confidence to knock them down, was huge for us. Yeah, we don't win this game tonight without everybody on the court, but especially Klay that first half, to give us life and give us a reason to be in it in the second half."

For Lacob, the ability to watch Curry and Thompson take over one more time on the game's playoff stage left him beaming as he headed out of the arena.

"So much fun," Lacob said. "You kind of expect it. That's who they are. They've done it now so many times. Mark Jackson, of all people ... he called them the greatest backcourt of all time, or greatest shooting backcourt of all time, and they've lived up to that. And they're clutch. They're amazing individuals. They're both great guys. They're just terrific people."

HOUSTON -- After tipping his cap to the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta defiantly guaranteed that James Harden will lead his franchise to championships.

"They kicked our ass on our home court," Fertitta said after the Warriors eliminated the Rockets for the fourth time in five seasons, ending Houston's season with a 118-113 win in Friday's Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals. "They beat us by 10 points in the fourth quarter. It's unacceptable, OK? We just have to be better.

"I know that we're going to rise to the occasion and our time is going to come. James is 30 years old [in August]. ... Hakeem [Olajuwon] didn't win his first championship until [31]. I can promise you, we're going to win some championships with James Harden, because we are not going to sit here. We will go to battle every year. We're going to have a strong offseason, and we're going to do whatever we need to do to be a better team. We are not going to sit on our hands, I can promise you that."

The Rockets' attempts to upgrade their roster after last season fizzled. Houston, coming off an NBA-best 65-win season and pushing the Warriors to seven games in the West finals, made budget-conscious moves, allowing starting small forward Trevor Ariza to leave in free agency and filling out the rotation by signing veterans Carmelo Anthony, James Ennis III and Michael Carter-Williams to minimum contracts. All three of the veteran additions fell out of the rotation and were eventually traded in transactions that helped Houston avoid paying the luxury tax.

The Rockets remodeled their roster on the fly and righted the ship, led by Harden's historically elite offensive season. Houston headed into the playoffs with momentum, winning the most games in the league after the All-Star break but failed again to finally get past Golden State. The Warriors closed out Game 5 after All-NBA forward Kevin Durant strained his calf late in the third quarter and rallied to win Game 6 while he watched from home.

"They showed why they're the champions," Fertitta said. "We're gonna learn from it, and we're gonna come back next year, and we're gonna kick their ass at some point. I can promise you that."

Several of the Rockets seemed shell-shocked after the season-ending loss. Chris Paul, who played by far his best game of the series with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, muttered that Houston had "to go to the drawing board" to search for solutions.

"This one's going to leave a mark," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "This is not something you just get over with. Definitely not going to get over it in this press conference or tomorrow or the next day. This one hurts. We didn't play our best, and to beat these guys, you've got to play your best. It's almost like, in a boxing match, you've got to knock the champion out. We didn't knock them out."

Harden lamented that the Rockets "let a lot of opportunities slip away" in each loss of the series. However, like Fertitta, Harden expressed extreme confidence that Houston would contend again next season and find a way to win against the Warriors.

"I know what we need to do," Harden said. "I know exactly what we need to do. We'll figure it out this summer."

Asked for specifics, Harden declined to elaborate.

Fertitta indicated that the Rockets needed to improve intangibles such as killer instinct.

"I'm a fighter," said Fertitta, who has owned the franchise for two seasons. "That's my culture, and I think the longer that I own this team, they're going to pick up more of my culture. We had [the Warriors]. We should have stepped on their throat the other night and cut their throat. It's not, 'Let's make a few shots and win.' It's step on their throat and let's take it back to Houston and end it in six. We'll pick up a few Tilman-isms along the way in the next few years."

With Paul and Harden locked into long-term maximum contracts, the Rockets have limited avenues to make upgrades to a roster that features four starters who will be in their 30s next season. Houston will have available the $5.7 million midlevel exception, which the Rockets did not use this season. Fertitta also strongly hinted the Rockets will aggressively explore their options in the trade market.

"I'm very fortunate to have the starting five that I have, but if we can make this team better, we're going to make this team better," Fertitta said. "That's just a fact. I have a great team. I love all five of my starting five, but it's my job to make sure that we put the best team that we can put on the court next year."

HOUSTON -- Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored all 33 of his points in the second half, including 23 in the fourth quarter, to propel the Warriors to a series-clinching 118-113 Game 6 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night.

After shooting 0-for-5 from the field in the first half and failing to register a point in the first 24 minutes of a postseason game for the first time in his career, Curry responded with one of the most prolific second-half performances in his storied career.

"That's what Steph does," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "I actually told his mom and dad after the game, I said, 'If that game didn't personify Steph Curry, I don't know what did.' He's a guy who can make some plays that leave you scratching your head -- the fouls, some of the turnovers, not tonight, but sometimes he just makes plays and you kinda look around and think, 'What is he doing?' But most of the time, he makes these incredible plays, and he's just fearless. And that's what makes him who he is."

Curry, who struggled at various points throughout the series to find a rhythm against a tough Rockets defense, was given a huge ovation by his teammates after walking into the Warriors' locker room after the game.

"It did not surprise me one bit," Warriors swingman Klay Thompson said of Curry's performance. "The man is a competitor, a champion, and on top of all that he just plays with such great heart. He's our leader. His composure is unbelievable, as well."

As the Warriors continued celebrating long after Game 6 was over, even Curry couldn't help but smile when asked to describe how poorly he played in the first half of the game.

"That's a great question," Curry said. "I was pretty terrible. I just didn't make a shot, fouling. I think the only thing I did well was not turn the ball over for the 12 minutes I was out there on the floor. So I find a positive in everything."

Curry's performance was even more crucial than usual, given that Warriors star forward Kevin Durant was back in the Bay Area, unable to travel because of a calf injury suffered in Game 5.

With the win, the Warriors will host the winner of the Portland Trail Blazers-Denver Nuggets series in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night at Oracle Arena. They'll do so with the expectation that Durant, who will be reevaluated in a week, will be able to return at some point during the series.

Curry and his teammates know they'll need Durant healthy to win the NBA championship for the third straight year, but they enjoyed the fact that they were an underdog heading into Game 6.

"We had an opportunity to -- it's kind of weird to say -- prove a lot of people wrong knowing what we accomplished," Curry said. "But it's a lot of talking in the last 24, 48 hours about what we should and should not do in this series with KD out. I talked about it a lot, K has been unbelievable in this playoff run. We don't get to a Game 6 opportunity to close it out without him playing unbelievable and spectacular basketball and carrying us the first 11 games.

"The least we can do is come in here and get a win. Get some rest before the Western Conference finals and give him the chance to get healthy and go chase another championship. It's special. I know he's back at home celebrating and can't wait to get back and prepare for the next series."

All the chatter surrounding his game and his struggles at times during this series clearly motivated Curry, who suffered a dislocated left middle finger in Game 2 and went just 7-for-23 in Game 3 and 9-for-23 in Game 5. He said he understood that people were questioning his game, and he took it upon himself to carry the Warriors down the stretch even though his finger was still clearly bothering him.

After hearing that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had chided Curry's critics on their Twitter accounts after his Game 6 heroics, Curry said, "I've heard a lot of noise this series, for sure. I'll just leave it at that. Whether it's positive, negative, whatever the case is -- I know what I'm capable of. It's bigger than me, so I just don't get caught up in that.

"I don't need any extra motivation. I don't need to hear who I am as a player; I know that. And so my confidence never wavers in those type of moments. I obviously appreciate those words, and champions recognize champions and what it takes to win games like tonight and do what we've been able to do these last five years. So hopefully more of that to come."

HOUSTON -- It wasn't a championship celebration. But it was close.

As each player made his way into the Golden State Warriors' locker room after their Game 6 118-113 elimination win over the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference semifinals Friday, there were waves of yells, applause and backslapping. Eleven of them had played and nine of them had scored. Each had a moment to be appreciated.

"Great rebound." "Awesome getting that loose ball." "Huge putback."

As each man entered the room, he turned and waited for the next, creating a huddle at the end of a tunnel of coaches, staff members and support personnel. The so-called "core four" came last, like a wedding party entering a rocking reception.

First Andre Iguodala and then Draymond Green, grabbing each other and hugging tightly. Then Klay Thompson, who barked with joy in rare form from the stoic star. Finally, Stephen Curry, his left hand throbbing from the reaggravation of a left finger injury, a 4-year-old pair of shoes on his feet, and a wide smile spread across his face after one of the most bizarre and wonderful nights of his career.

"This was one of the best wins we've had in my nine years as owner," said Warriors owner Joe Lacob, who has raised three championship trophies.

To understand this feeling requires some nuance. The Warriors were basking in this victory because they'd beaten their rival on the rival's home floor, sending the Rockets into a miserable offseason for a second year in a row and fourth time in five years.

And because the Warriors had done it without Kevin Durant, who was back in the Bay Area receiving treatment on a calf injury that was supposed to have been a game-changing moment in this series. It turned out to be -- just not in the way it first seemed.

It was Winston Churchill who advised never to let a good crisis go to waste. From the huddle the Warriors' players formed Wednesday night when Durant limped up the tunnel, that's exactly what they did. Instead of pouting or crumbling, the Warriors these past few days created a complex moment composed of nostalgia, vindication and appreciation.

It was not sinister. Durant was there both spiritually and virtually. His uniform hung at his traditional locker in the Toyota Center. People were texting him, sending him photos and FaceTiming him.

But without Durant actually playing, the accomplishment magnified. The Warriors hadn't won a series without Durant in three years. They haven't won a title without him since 2015, the version of shoes that Curry took out of storage in a move that was part motivation and part symbolism.

"I wanted to lean into it," Curry said of the shoe choice, a nod to the widespread expectation for him to return to a pre-Durant version of himself.

Those within the locker room will tell you this has been the hardest season of Golden State's five-year run at the top. The combination of mental fatigue, uncertainty and tension drained the fun out of this journey. Maybe some of the players will write about it in their memoirs or, in the modern-day spirit, talk about it in the documentaries their personal media companies produce.

Naturally, the Warriors have allowed themselves to think of a world without Durant next season after he hits free agency. After the pleasantries and talk of families are exhausted, Durant's future has been a leading item of gossip in every corner of the NBA for months now. And it will be into the future.

The Warriors know he's a vital piece of their championship makeup and they badly want him to stay. But, of course, they believe -- especially those core four -- that they can still hunt without him. They all have egos. They've all learned to suppress them for the good of the whole.

But that 2015 title ring remains the most special. You never forget your first.

For this win to come the way it did:

• Iguodala crushed Houston's defensive strategy by nailing five 3-pointers.

• Green approached another triple-double.

• Thompson exploded for a huge 21-point first half.

• Curry had one of the finest 10-minute stretches in his career with 23 fourth-quarter points to close it out.

It all rekindled that old "strength in numbers" flame.

Combined with the Game 5 win when the Warriors overcame Durant's injury thanks to late-game Curry heroics, well, let's just say coach Steve Kerr's postgame moniker of "f---ing giants" was heard throughout the locker room.

As was Chris Paul's name, surrounded by curse words. The Warriors dearly loved this win and they always love beating Paul.

"I'm damn proud of our team, for sure," Curry said. "It's huge."

The coming together despite being depleted -- it's easy to forget Golden State is also down center DeMarcus Cousins, who was expected to be a factor in this series when he joined the team -- only amplified the wound it inflicted on the Rockets.

It wasn't that the Rockets played poorly in losing this series 4-2 -- James Harden scored a game-high 35 points despite missing 10 of his first 15 shots, and Paul had his best game of the series with 27 points and six assists. Rather, it was that given an opportunity, the Rockets couldn't play great as a team. There's a chance that shortcoming will gnaw at them for a long time. Combined with last season's miss, it's got the potential to be damaging long term.

When presented the same opportunity, the Warriors did play great, especially in that charmed final quarter in which Curry drilled three 3-pointers and their defense held Houston scoreless for a stretch of nearly four minutes.

"This one is going to leave a mark," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said.

Fittingly, that's exactly what the Warriors were trying to do.