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(Sports Network) - The San Antonio Spurs will try to punch their ticket to the Western Conference Finals Thursday night when they meet the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the semifinals at Oracle Arena. The Spurs took the 3-2 series lead Tuesday night in Alamo City with a 109-91 victory. It was a tale of two halves as the Spurs blew the doors of the Warriors over the final 24 minutes. San Antonio outscored Golden State, 55-40 over the final two quarters. The Spurs shot 52.6 percent from the field in the second half, led by Tony Parker, who had 16 of his 25 points after halftime. "We made shots, the ball movement was good," Parker said. "So hopefully we can do the same thing in Golden State. Thats a big key for us ... We have to play Spurs basketball and move their defense." The Spurs handed out 30 assists on 40 made field goals. Thats incredible ball movement as Parker dished out 10 dimes and five other San Antonio players recorded at least three assists. With the offense clicking, the defense was pretty stout on Tuesday night, especially against the vaunted Warriors backcourt. In Game 5, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 13 points on 6-for-22 shooting. Curry was averaging 26 ppg during this series and he had nine on Tuesday. Thompson was at 20 ppg and he managed four. But Warriors coach Mark Jackson was quick to dismiss the cold shooting of the most prolific 3-point shooting teammates in NBA history as the reason for the loss "They shot 72 percent in the first quarter, scored 37 points," Jackson said of San Antonio. "That has nothing to do with Klay Thompson or Steph Curry shooting the basketball. Thats a recipe for disaster and that put us in the hole." It did, but the Warriors clawed back in the second quarter and had it as close as four points in the third. Then, thanks in large part to 11 Golden State turnovers in the second half, the Spurs went on their run. "Careless with the basketball," Jackson lamented. "We got out of character on both sides of the ball." Despite the disappointing performance from the starting guards, rookie Harrison Barnes continues to dazzle. After scoring 26 points in the Warriors Game 4 victory, Barnes followed it up with a 25-point performance on Tuesday night. The Warriors will try for their first appearance in the Western Conference Finals since the 1975-76 season. "Were excited about Game 6," said Jackson. "We want to put ourselves in position to head back to San Antonio, but first things first." For the Spurs, advancement would mark the eighth time in 15 years that San Antonio made it to the Conference Finals. They got to that level last year, but were bounced by the Oklahoma City Thunder in six games. "Nobody talks about getting this thing over with like youve got a rash, or take a pill, or put some cream on it and its going to be gone," joked Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "This is a war. Thats a class team." If the Warriors win on Thursday, Game 7 will be back in San Antonio on Sunday. . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. . -- Anaheim Ducks captain and leading scorer Ryan Getzlaf has been scratched from Sunday nights game against the Vancouver Canucks because of an upper-body injury. DETROIT -- Gail Cogdill, a star receiver for the Detroit Lions and the NFL rookie of the year in 1960, has died. He was 79.A statement from his family says Cogdill died Thursday in Spokane, Washington. He had organ failure and dementia.Cogdill was named the NFLs top rookie in 1960 after catching 43 passes for 642 yards and a touchdown. He played 11 seasons, including nine with Detroit.He held the teamm record for career receiving yards -- 5,221 -- until Herman Moore passed him in the 1990s.ddddddddddddogdill played college football at Washington State. His family says his brain and brain stem are being donated to researchers at Boston University who study brain trauma. ' ' '
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