The Toronto Raptors won a wild game
114-110 against Golden State Warriors in Oakland for their first NBA Title.
Toronto won the series 4-2, finishing it off a few minutes after Klay Thompson
used crutches to hobble out of Oracle and into perhaps an uncertain future. The
leading team switched throughout the game, with the Raptors clinging to a one-point
lead with 18 seconds left.
Stephen
Curry missed a contested 3-pointer in the waning moments before Golden State
called a timeout it didn't have, giving Leonard a technical free throw with 0.9
seconds left to seal it. Leonard, the NBA Finals MVP for a second time, then
got behind Andre Iguodala for a layup as the buzzer sounded, but it went to
review and the basket was called off before Leonard's two free throws. That
only delayed the celebration for a moment.
When it actually ended, the
typically stoic Leonard could let it all out. A Canadian team - and we're not
talking hockey here - stood on top of one of the traditional major sports
leagues for the first time since the Toronto Blue Jays won the 1993 World
Series. Serge Ibaka pulled his head up through the hoop by the Golden State
bench as the crowd chanted "Warriors! Warriors!" after a sensational
send-off at Oracle Arena.
Kyle
Lowry finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists to lead the
Raptors. Pascal Siakam also went for 26, while Kawhi Leonard and Fred
VanVleet each added 22 of their own. Thompson led the Warriors with 30
points, and Andre Iguodala chipped in 22 points. The Warriors were already
without Kevin Durant, out with a ruptured Achilles that left the team fielding
some criticism about the risk he was taking by returning to the series while
already dealing with a lower-leg injury.
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