Series Breakdown
05/30: Game 1 - GSW 109 TOR 118 TOR 1-0
06/02: Game 2 - GSW 109 TOR 104 Tied 1-1
06/05: Game 3 - TOR 123 GSW 109 TOR 2-1
06/07: Game 4 - TOR 105 GSW 92 TOR 3-1
06/10: Game 5 - GSW 106 TOR 105 TOR 3-2
06/13: Game 6 - TOR 114 GSW 110 Toronto Raptors 2019 NBA Champions (4-2)!
All things are settled down after an amazing Game 6 last night. The Toronto Raptors are your 2019 NBA Champions as they dethrone the Golden State Warriors in six games, capping off with a 114-110 game 6 thriller in what is effectively the last game in Oracle Arena in Oakland as the Warriors move to their new Chase Center home in San Francisco for next season. As you look at the overview of this series, the home team has won once. This hasn't been done since the 1993 NBA Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Chicago Bulls. Not only, that it's impressive on the Raptors' part that they won all of their games at Oracle Arena this season. It's never an easy feat to win in that raucous arena, especially against the reigning dynasty Warriors.
Game 1, history was made as it marked the first NBA Finals game to be played outside of the United States. The Warriors were in unfamiliar territory as they have to go on the road to achieve that elusive 3-peat. The Raptors, you wonder about jitters having hosting their first finals game, the pressure was all on them. And they stepped up to the challenge. Pascal Siakam made his case for MIP (Most Improved Player) with 32 points. Marc Gasol stepped up with 20 points. They dominated the Warriors inside the paint. It was a pretty convincing win for a team making its finals debut. Game 2, the Warriors responded like the champions they were. The third quarter was huge for them as they completely blanked the Raptors at the start with an 18-0 run out of the gate. It wasn't until Fred VanVleet's three that Toronto finally put up some points. Nonetheless, the Raptors hung in there. They had a chance with a near interception by Kawhi Leonard at the final seconds. But, the ball bounced back to the Warriors' favor and Andre Iguodala hit a clutch three to seal it. The Raptors leaving Iggy open was controversial. I can understand the rationale to leave him open as he's not a reliable 3-point shooter. But, there was no denying in the big stage, the former Finals MVP can deliver in the clutch for the Warriors.
As the series shifts to Game 3, we first see our glimpses of the Warriors' dynasty cracking as Klay Thompson had to sit out with a hamstring. Kevon Looney was initially out for the rest of series with a chest injury. This game was easy picking for the Raptors. Curry will do his thing as indicated in his 47-point explosion that game, but everybody else didn't bother to step up. Danny Green found some life this game with the Raptors, draining six threes. He has been a non-factor this postseason, but we saw a little throwback of San Antonio Danny Green. Kawhi lead the team with 30 points. Lowry made some key buckets to put this game on ice early. Serge Ibaka had a block party with 6 blocks. Game 4, the Raptors won convincingly with a healthy Klay back and Looney surprisingly playing through the chest injury. They were trailing and then stormed back in the second half with a resounding performance from Serge Ibaka off the bench with 20 points. The pick and roll with he and Lowry is absolutely devastating. Fred VanVleet took advantage of that pick and roll with Ibaka as well. The Warriors had no answer to stop it nor could they guard Ibaka's hook shot in the paint. Leonard once again lead the team with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 steals. You can just feel it that he's determined to end the 3-peat hopes of another dynasty.
Game 5, the Raptors have the opportunity of a lifetime to close this series out in front of their hometown, but Kevin Durant is back to give the Warriors a lift and possibly set up another 3-1 comeback. Durant showed no signs of rust with 11 points to provide a spark to Golden State's offense. Then, the devastating Achilles rupture happened and this is the first part of the Warriors' downfall. The Raptors fought their way back in the 2nd half. Kawhi Leonard is taking over the game, despite a bad shooting night. The Warriors are playing sloppy. The refs are trying their best to rig this game. Then Nick Nurse calls a timeout with 3:05 in the 4th quarter. If there's ever a time for a rookie coach to make a mistake, it's the regular season, not when you have a championship to clinch on your home floor. Coach Nurse made that timeout blunder, completely stopping all momentum and giving that momentum back to the Warriors. The Splash Bros. shot the Warriors back to tie and take the lead. The Raptors had a final chance with Lowry's potential winning shot, but Draymond lays a fingertip on the shot to allow the Warriors to fight another day.
Game 6, this is where it all came down. Again, the Warriors have their backs against the wall and this game is even bitter sweet that it is the final game in Oracle Arena. Nothing else was on their mind other than win one final game for Dub Nation and for Durant as well. This game was absolutely incredible down to the wire. It was like a heavyweight fight with the defending champ knocked down by the new challenger, but the champ continued to fight to 12 rounds despite major swelling and bleeding. Unfortunately, the Warriors lost too much blood with not only KD out, but Klay going down this game with an ACL injury. The Raptors saw some heroics from Fred VanVleet off the bench and Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard taking over the game and eventually leading the Raptors to their first NBA title for the City of Toronto and all of Canada.
I've said it in my preview, that if the Raptors were to win this series and dethrone the 2x defending champs, a lot of variables have to happen. Somebody else has to step to take some load of Kawhi because obviously the Warriors will try to account for him on defense. And that came to fruition. You had Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol step up for Game 1. Danny Green for Game 3. Serge Ibaka for Game 4. Kyle Lowry played amazing on the road. Fred VanVleet has been solid off the bench. Kawhi Leonard, didn't shoot the ball particularly well this series, but he still found ways to take over the game. The key to beating these Warriors is to play physical against them, out rebound them, and most of all make them turn the ball over. And the Raptors with their #1 ranked defense checked off all those categories.
With the way the Raptors built their team, it reminded me of how the old school teams would build their championship team: have two All-Star players and surround them with role players. And if push comes to shove, make midseason moves to find the missing piece to bolster the roster. Masai Ujiri and the Raptors took a calculated risk and it paid off. The next step is to keep the roster in tact. Kawhi Leonard is the biggest wild card here. No matter if he stays or leaves, he's cemented himself in Toronto basketball lore with this epic run and Raptor fans should be forever grateful even if meant sacrificing DeMar DeRozen in the process. Also, I gotta thank him because that's twice this decade that a team tried to supplant the 2000-2002 Lakers' 3-peat and he stopped both of them. Nonetheless, if they're going to break up this championship team immediately, don't do it like what Mark Cuban and the Mavericks did following the 2010-11 season.
For the Warriors, I haven't seen something like this since the Pistons outclassed the Lakers in 2004. Granted, injuries to Durant and Klay decimated this roster. But, that's the risk that goes with fielding a superteam. You gain superstar players at the expense of a deep roster with reliable role players. As always, injuries are always a part of the game. It's unfortunate, but reality. So any Warrior fans who are salty about this, remember your first title came at the expense of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love-less Cavaliers. It's the way the NBA works, dynasties don't last long and they have to break up in order to restore competitive balance in the league. Regardless, dark times are coming for the Warriors and the loss in their final game in Oracle in Game 6 is symbolic that it signifies the end of an era. Now with Klay hurt, KD hurt, Bob Myers has a tough decision to make. Granted, they're planning to lock both players to long-term deal, but are they willing to give two injured players big contracts at the expense of the opportunity to get younger and sign quality players to bolster the team's depth? Do you really want to lose a sense of your mantra in "Strength in Numbers?"
Regardless, both the Raptors and Warriors are at the critical point after these Finals with a lot of questions heading into the offseason. But for now, the Golden dynasty falls while the North rises and so opens a brand new, unpredictable world of the NBA. Because when a superteam in one conference gets too dominant, make sure to have a Kawhi Leonard on a team in an opposite conference to face them in the finals to bring balance back to the league. Anyway, the Larry O'Brien trophy has moved to a new country. It's new home is the home of the first basketball game ever played in: O Canada.
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