Wow! Could this be more biased in favor of GS? In various championship seasons, the vaunted Warriors have benefited form injuries to the Spurs, Rockets, and Cavs. Let's hear no more whining about injuries. These Raptors are for real.
6
Fans always get a "W" with the Warriors. Just mix in a little Boogie fever for tonight's scrum and voila! The series will be 2-2 just in time for KD's comeback.
It’s wonderful that Canadians from coast to coast are cheering for the Raptors. To many of us, basketball is a much more exciting, civilized and skill-oriented game than goon-filled hockey. And basketball was invented by a Canadian!
1
Incredibly daft article Michael Powell. Regardless of injuries, the Raptors are up 2-1 on the Warriors and have won on Oakland's home court. That's a position to be envied, not excuses made for where the series is.
1
I'm just here for the writing. Good stuff.
This has turned into an amazing series. Each game as complex as a Mahler symphony except that we have no idea what's to come because its all improvised like an Indian raga. Myself, I'm watching this Toronto team for the first time, and they're like fierce invading warriors who came out of nowhere to storm the kingdom, threatening to overtake the mantle. But the Warriors have been wounded, and whether their men can overcome such physical obstacles by virtue of their sheer heart remains to be seen. I was leery of inserting Cousins because that seemed to contradict the working chemistry that prevailed against Houston and Portland. My theory was shot down by game 2, then bolstered by game 3. Now, the cat is out of the bag, and it's up to the Golden State coaches to plan for the upcoming battles. Sometimes, basketball is better than music - like now!
3
Durability - it's part of the game. Raptors have played the same number of games this year as the Warriors (a couple more even) and endured the same amount of punishment. I guess they're just the tougher team. What do you want them to do - spot the injury-prone Warriors some points? Great series: may the toughest team win !
5
@Dan Burke … good point but try adding on 16 to 20+ games per season over the course of five years before getting too riled up.
@Dan Burke
Sure this year they have played the same number of games, but over the last five years, no. No handicaps necessary, let them play the games.
So poor GSW had to start two senior citizens (by NBA standards) in Andre Iguodala (35) and Shaun Livingston (33). How about Marc Gasol (34) and Kyle Lowry (33)?
8
How could he miss noting that Curry scored 47 points and was terrific in other ways?
3
Looks like this reporter- as he puts it - is starved for "a narrative the way hungry dogs seek a T-bone."
In the meanwhile, the hedging in this article isn't putting a heck of a lot of meat on the table. Durant and Thompson are "probable" hall of famers? Hey, might as well double down and say this NYC summer is "probably" going to be hot!
Indeed, the NBA Finals aren't over. In game four, the Warriors will most likely walk on the floor with four future first ballot hall of famers (Durant, Thompson, Green, and Curry), and a center who would be a perennial all-star but for a brutal injury history (Cousins). They are still the favorites to win this series in six or seven games.
2
@A Not anymore. Vegas has them pretty even now, while ESPN has it 68% for the Raptors.
Hey, did you ever hear that tale about the Fox and the Grapes?
1
Ya dance with the one what brung ya!
3
"Reporters seek a narrative the way hungry dogs seek a T-bone." And you sir, have not been fed in months.
2
What a petty, small-minded attitude this writer demonstrates. This is an article worthy of the New York Post, not the Times. It presents the xenophobic viewpoint of someone who clearly cannot accept the idea that a team outside of the U.S. could win a championship based on the merits of its players. I find this childish piece of writing to be insulting to both the Raptors (they're only winning because the Warriors are missing 2 key players) and to the Warriors (a team so lacking in depth that it apparently crumbles when 2 players are out). Mr Powell, it would behoove you to accept both wins and losses with some grace.
24
I see a lot of articles wondering why interviews with players from any sport have gotten so boring and rote, with the players saying nothing of importance and sticking to cliches whenever possible.
Then I read articles like this and realize, oh yeah, they started doing that to give guys like whoever wrote this article nothing to work with. Why make it any easier for people like you to throw these guys, all of whom are competing at the absolute pinnacle of their sports, under the bus?
I can't believe a writer seriously thinks his opinion matters to this extent. Shut up and stick to the facts. Maybe try and be fair and balanced. Maybe don't throw shade at guys who were a thousand times better at basketball when they were 15 than you'll be at anything in your entire life. Maybe look up what a mulligan actually is so you can employ it properly in the future. If your coverage is slanted by jealousy of the people involved, maybe switch careers.
9
Asterisk win? Get serious. That's a bias that all too often comes into play when a non-American team threatens to win in any "major" sport -- even hockey. Asterisk win? Kyle Lowry's hand needs surgery. Kawhi is more or less playing on one leg. OG Aunoby hasn't played a minute after having his appendix taken out. Was Golden State's win last year an asterisk championship because Chris Paul's hamstring went wonky, stopping their march to beating the Dubs in the conference finals?
16
Really, "Pictish"?
4 straight seasons going the finals. Curry, Thompson, Green and Iguodola have each played a full additional NBA season on top of each regular season. On top of the usual aging process, buildup of injuries isn't surprising, especially during the time of year when the players are competing the most.
Curry was mesmerizing to watch in the loss. Those final three minutes were a case study in unadulterated competitive passion.
4
"Give This One to the Raptors" - Seriously?
Last I heard both teams fielded 5 players and played 48 minutes of basketball. After this many games in the regular season both teams are battling demons and injuries, not just GSW.
No matter who wins this series, they deserve it. Nobody handed it to them.
18
"Give This One to the Raptors" ... are you joking? Nobody 'gave' Toronto anything, they took it, by fourteen points, get used to it. Watching LJWertheim interview their 'star players' on '60Minutes' last Sunday, the players couldn't sit up straight in their chairs let alone stand up to the Raptors ... keep shoveling, some one might buy it.
17
Maybe the Warriors could have done a more thorough job of load management with their key players, just saying ...
4
Pictish furies and Kawhi as Greta Garbo [doffs hat]
2
Without Thompson the Warriors don't have a chance. I believe he will back. And I'd rather Toronto beat them with him. Durant will probably be back after Friday. That may help. Injuries have been part of the finals forever, and Golden State has been lucky with them up till now. I think the Raptors can beat this team no matter who is on the court for the Warriors. They almost won the second game even with that horrendous third quarter where they didn't score for like 8 minutes into it. These teams match up well. With some more tough Defense and a bit of luck, Toronto will send Golden State into the sunset, adios amigos.
5
@Doctor Woo Raptors have won all 12 quarters but 2 (Q3 of game 1 and 2).
1
I wish both teams were 100% The Raptors could still have won. Both teams are stacked, and don’t whine about GS buying a title. Gasol, Green, Ibaka, Leonard and even Lowry are all free agent signings.
6
The warriors bought injury insurance with Durant, an embarrassment of riches - and STILL can’t win.
2
I'm sorry, a team that has the 2x MVP in Curry, an all-NBA DPOY in Green, a perennial all-star in Cousins, and a finals MVP in Iguodala is so undermanned that beating them somehow needs an asterisk? Give me a break. How many all-stars do the Raptors have? How many did Lebron have last year or in 2015? Just because the Warriors have been incredibly lucky up until now does not mean that they are somehow crippled now.
4
@Davis
Watch the games. It isn't luck.
1
@dutchiris Luck refers to the relative health of the Warriors over the run compared to the competition. You don't need to be prickly about it. I watch every single game.
2
That’s right: two games to one, and no luck.
The Warriors' injuries in this game were literally crippling. The bench had to face a topnotch, toned machine like the Toronto Raptors without key players, and it's a miracle that they did what they did.
Now let's talk about Steph Curry. He practically carried the Warriors on his back and still managed to make a staggering 47 points. That's greatness in action. We'll see what happens when he's got Klay Thompson and/or Kevin Durant back on the floor with him.
3
@dutchiris I hope you can see that in Game 1, Warriors played and hustled like no other team trying to prove their dominance. Raptors took the best the Warriors could throw at them and swatted them away. I said to my friend 'Warriors are going to gas out.. this pace and intensity isn't sustainable'. Gas out means injuries too. They attacked and swarmed Kawhi, and then ran as fast as they could to the open man. Watch game 1 again. And even game 2. That 18-0 run, it was the equivalent of sprinting the length of a mile.
Sorry, but Warriors didn't use the proper pacing. I have a feeling Curry will be sore and banged up still for tonight.
1
Did we watch the same game? The bias in this article is first class.
25
I don't have a dog in this fight. But it is such a pleasure to read Michael Powell's writing -- when's the last time you read "Pictish?"
2
Caveat: I'm not a basketball fan so I'm indifferent on who wins despite being Canadian and in Toronto (tennis is a different story, I have lots of hopes and opinions). However, this article is a bit awkward. I'm not sure what it says about the NBA that the sports writer for the NYTimes thinks any team would "give away" a match in the championship finals series. I guess Powell doesn't think anyone but the GSW could have earned their wins. Shrugs.
I remember reading an article from this very paper that said how the GSW was a better team than the Cavs because they were better at injury management. I also remember reading about how GSW can just shoot 3-pointer after 3-pointer and win. Raptors appear to be as good at that as GSW. I guess when the shoe is on the other foot, it's not a nice feeling.
13
First, its too bad Warriors have such a bad bench. Imagine if they had at least one backup guard like Lowry, that could shoot the 3 and penetrate. Cousins and Bogut look like they are in very slow motion all the time. The rest are inconsistent to say the least.
Curry showed his desire to win, his ability to compete, he fought down to the last play. He should, again, be a inspiration to the rest.
1
Why is this play off series’s going on for so long, way too long,
I would think a lot of fans are growing impatient
@Independent voter It's best of 7. Which means first to 4 wins. They haven't even played 4 games.
"Asterisk", that's my answer to the article's question. Oversimplification is like a vestige of scoundrels as the quote sort of goes. One of my favorite quotes is, "Truth is a liquid, not a solid." You have to sense all the considerations surrounding not just sports but everything otherwise, you're just getting it wrong. People tell me I think too much. I reply, "you can't think too much. You can only get it wrong." I love how Tom Brady took the high road when asked if he was the greatest qb ever. He replied something like, that he was part of a system and another qb might have had the similar success. You have to start with a deep enough respect for Truth to get my respect. Tom earned it in spades.
1
Second NYT write-up in a row that comes across as strongly biased against the Raptors. ("This asterisk of a victory"???) I get how that bias could be possible, but c`mon: this is the Finals. The Raptors played their way here, they didn`t win a lottery. This is a quality team with quality players and as such, should be given their due. GO RAPS!!!
13
@Marc W
Well Marc...now you have a glint of the idea of how it feels to be a Jazz fan. Every major US media source and even the announcers to any nationally broadcast game barely even acknowledge the Jazz players are even on the court. And even more so if it is a team from major population center. The Jazz could be up by 20 and they will still be going on about the other team and their players.
An "asterisk"victory? Charles Barkley would likely tell you where to put your asterisk! Five on five is how games (and championships) are decided. Going down the "if only..." doesn't really add anything of value to the story.
6
Wonderfully written, but if the Raptor's win is an "asterisk of a victory" then this is has to be an asterisk of a column.
7
You must not be a basketball fan. Draymond Green is touted less for his one on one defense than his defensive versatility - his ability to guard any position/person on the court.
No-one, including the Warriors' players, is feeling sorry for the team. As Curry said, "....go back and recalibrate..." That's the nature of Finals basketball. Credit the Raptors with excellent shooting and good defense at the rim (including somehow managing to avoid three or four basket interference and goaltending calls).
2
@Ned I'm not one to complain about refs (everyone makes mistakes), but the consistently missed interference and goaltending calls was an odd display of referee blindness.
4
Folks, the fix is in, driving yet another NBA finals between mismatched teams to a 7 game series. Write about injuries all you like. Think on the “keep it close” strategy and the uncontested brick laying by the games heralded shooters. Then make a decision.
1
Are church parsons really known for being "long and lean"?
That's a new one for me.
1
Give this one to the Raptors? Really? They earned it. And you are right, the finals aren't over, but you will have to accept that the Warriors have met a worthy opponent. They beat the Warriors during the regular season and were the only team to do so.
Your article smacks of a predisposition to favour the Warriors and belittle the Raptors. How about a little balanced journalism giving credit where it is due? Everyone on the Toronto team contributed to the win and that is a strength, not a weakness. Canadians are known for being polite but our sports teams can fight as hard as any others and will do so. Champions show grace and there is little of that in your article which seems to have been written with a sense of entitlement.
9
@Judy Raptors not the only team to beat the Warriors in regular season. Rockets did too. Can't speak for other teams.
The best player of the NBA Playoffs hasn’t had a dominating game ... the Raptors with Kawhi Leonard are up for the challenge ... eh? Kawhi Leonard is averaging 30 pts in the Playoffs for a reason ... he’s showing why he WAS a top 5 All-NBA player ... he’s displaying his Defensive magic ... and he’s showing how a great leader leads by example! Only 2 more games and then the Parade down University Ave to Jurassic Park ... oops that’s still a dream ... just got ahead myself there ... As Kawhi says there’s another game tomorrow ... eh?
4
I would like Raps to win. Enough of GSW, for me at least, although Curry and Durant are hyper-spectacular players who deserve rings.
But I would still bet on GSW. They'll be better equipped on Fri and onwards, and they have players who can go super-wild, make totally impossible shots, score at will and at any time. Raps have none of that. Just one very solid, hard working, highly respectable team, but no craziness.
The only chance for Raps is that GSW remains this depleted.
4
A lot of Warriors haters here. The Warriors are not complaining about their injured players, just read the interviews. Commentators are bringing it up. The Raptors are a great team, and this is one of the best finals matchups we've ever seen. Warriors in 6, with or without Durant. Like Curry says, it'll be fun.
10
@Pete: Don't think there are "a lot of Warriors haters here." More likely: 1. Canadians root for a Canadian team which is just plain natural and attaching an asterisk to their latest victory is kind of insulting. 2. Fans of any given sport get tired of one team dominating year after year, e.g. Yankees, Cowboys of yore and Patriots today. 3. It's enjoyable to have an underdog clip the wings of the big dog (except for the big dog fans and sorry for the mixed metaphors).
No matter who wins this is great no-asterisks basketball.
1
As someone who doesn't follow basketball or sports in general - injury is a natural part of sports and is a consideration for every athlete in every team in every sport. Professional coaches and athletes prepare for every possible situation and make the best of it.
As someone who lives in Toronto - this is just mean-spirited and a poor show of sportsmanship. And if the Warriors lost so badly because of two missing players, truly what kind of team are they? Clearly not a very well-balanced one.
13
@K Yes, it's apparent you don't follow basketball. The playoffs require not just a handful of superstars, but depth to win. Part of the deal GSW made to get all their superstars was to sacrifice bench depth. So while the team is arguably unstoppable at the top 5 or 6, with even a few key players down, it becomes far more beatable. Toronto has done what it was supposed to do - beat a beatable GSW team.
@masayaNYC
You can't have it both ways. You state "The playoffs require not just a handful of superstars, but depth to win." but then chastise K for pointing out the lack of depth in the Warriors team?? Not following basketball is one thing but not following logic is even worse.
2
@masayaNYC So I see this as two different paths to the same goal. Stack your team with superstars and hope no one gets hurt because the weaker players don't stand a chance. Or balance out your team with less star power but more all-around players and more "bench depth", as you say and take less of a risk. That's a part of the game and yesterday, Toronto won that bet.
2
There is a sports talking head bromide about indicating that somehow the Raptors are imposters. No doubt the Warrior 18 nothing run in the 3rd quarter of game 2 was a thing of beauty but the Raptors didn't just fold up. Injuries are a part of the game. The Warriors have been dealt a serious blow by injuries but teams still win championships without their best players. The Lakers beat the 76ers without Kareem Abdul Jabbar and the Oakland As beat the Cincinnati Reds without Reggie Jackson. The Raptors are a very good team that could stand up well against the Warriors at full strength.
16
If this victory has an "asterisk," then so does the Warriors' series win over the Cavs in 2015 (who also lost two potential HOF starters), their win over the Spurs after Pachulia intentionally hurt Kawhi, the Lakers' 1988 win over the Pistons (when Isaiah Thomas played on one leg), and the Pistons' 1989 win over the Lakers (who lost Magic for the series).
Please, drop the asterisks.
34
The Raptors currently have zero Hall of Famers on their roster, and they still beat the Warriers. The score would have been even more lopsided without Curry's phenomenal performance. Instead of excuses, give credit where credit is due: The Raptors are very, very good.
38
The Raptors are good, that's as far as I'll take it. With Thompson and Durant playing, the Raptors would be down 3 games to 0 but then injuries are part of sports and what the present situation suggests is that Golden State needs more depth. it's two games to one. we'll just have to wait and see.
7
@Garry Kawhi Leonard is a HoFer for sure. He has already been Finals MVP and back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year.
12
@Garry The GSW also have zero Hall of Famers on their roster. You don't get in till after you stop playing.
The significance is that the raptors are one step closer to a championship. Injuries happen - the warriors have been lucky - would have one less championship if Kyrie hadn’t been injured years back.
1
A team consists of the players that play. No excuses. Ask the Cavaliers. Ask LeBron. No tears for GSW. And Steph isn't a team. He's just a very good player. Again, ask LeBron.
18
Injuries are part of the game, when you pay so much money for starters you will likely have cheap replacements.
I don't remember the Spurs using injuries as an excuse when he was undercut by Pachulia of the Warriors and out for the playoffs. Spurs were up by 23 at the time and in command. Ended up losing 4 straight.
Always weak to use injuries as an excuse. Common, but weak.
14
The Warriors aren’t complaining or making excuses — the article and other media are. Please do not confuse the two.
I ain't writing off the Raptors. The Warriors have been beat--fully staffed, and Toronto is just the team to give them the challenge. A well-time trip of KD and Tray, though,is recommended.
@Diane Foster
See 2017 Warriors undercut Leonard in game 1. Cheap as they come.
Even if Thomson and particularly Durant return, will they be the players they were before the injuries? I don't think it's as easy as an on/off switch. I could see a return that doesn't meet everyone's expectations. At this point, I'd put my money on the Raptors.
5
As I told anyone who would listen (hardly anybody) before the finals began, the Raptors was the only NBA team that the Warriors could not defeat during the regular season. That was huge. Yet every sports writer dismissed it. I wish I was a betting man. Raptors in six.
17
@MarkyT Half the current Raptors roster didn't play in those games, and the Warriors also didn't have a full contingent. Your prediction may have been accurate based on the current roster, but disregard from others based on the players who played or didn't play in those previous games was *also* entirely warranted.
2
The NBA finals are the crown jewels of the NBA season watched by many casual fans. And what is the product now on display? One the teams has had three serious injuries in the late months of the season and instead of seeing these magnificent athletes complete, one of the teams is seriously crippled. Whether they can overcome these injuries is at least an open question. Why has this happened? The NBA season is too long, with too many back-to back games. In addition, the play is far too rough with too many bodies landing on the hardwood. This is not a new phenomenon. Last year Houston's chance of beating the Warriors was wrecked when Chris Paul, the superb guard, was lost to an injury. The NBA finals should be the artistic culmination of the season, instead the stars are sitting on the bench and we watch a scrimmage. The NBA finals of say 20 or 30 years ago did not feature flying and frayed bodies. The NBA powers have some serious thinking to do during the off season.
22
The finals of 20 years ago featured a New York Knicks team that was hampered by injuries to Patrick Ewing and Larry Johnson, despite the season being shortened to 50 games by a strike.
11
@Don Alfonso I remember the year when the Pistons walked all over the Lakers in the finals.The Lakers had lost Magic Johnson to injuries.
2
@Don Alfonso The injuries on the Warriors are from movements that were damaging, not from a long season. The Raptors are seriously missing O G Anunoby, who has been unavailable after surgery for a burst appendix just before round 1 of the playoffs. Each team is having players on the court who receive full salary and are valuable parts of the team. When someone is not available, whether from injury, illness, or personal matters, there are others who are qualified to take their place.
1
The NBA has to be secretly happy there will be a competitive series between Toronto and the Western Conference All-Stars now that injuries have turned Golden State temporarily into a "normal" team with a mere two all-stars and a finals MVP on the court.
It will be awkward if everyone is back for the Warriors just in time though -- the rubber match of a tied championship series is supposed to be the pinnacle of competition, not the blowout it could turn into if the Dubs field Curry-Thompson-Iguodala-Durant-Green-Cousins altogether. Best I can tell, there's never been a Game 7 in the Finals decided by 20+ points; we can pretend otherwise, but this unique set of circumstances is the most likely scenario for it to happen in a long, long while.
8
This has been a great moment for basketball in Canada. The fact that there is only one Canadian on the Raptors squad is neither here nor there. The game of basketball will be the ultimate winner on this side of the border at the end of this series.
13
@Tony Francis
*
2
The significance of a win over the Warriors that have lost two Hall of Fame players to injury? Easy answer: it's just as significant as a win by a Warrior team that bought that Hall of Fame player.
32
@jah Right on. I'm not a Raptors fan nor Warriors fan. The point of this column is what? -- injuries should be outlawed? The Raptors should be embarrassed to win? The Warriors should be allowed to sign players now from other teams that are out of the playoffs?
2
@David Bowers I think the point of the column is a narrative description of the game. You're arguing against a thesis not presented.
2
I switched between watching canadian and american play by play of the game.
the raps' broadcasters do all the team's games so I expect them to be homers. too much tho, so I switched to the american station.
they were homers too--tho not as bad as Toronto's--which is strange.
it's not the usa vs Canada. they are two club teams in the same league.
the teams are not representing their countries.
spain, congo, Cameroon, the usa are represented on the raptors' roster.
in truth, the fans of either team want their guys to win.
nationality isn't what you're looking for. you're looking at what players give you the best chance to do it.
struck me as odd when raptors' fans starting singing the canadian national anthem.
8
@brupic if the NBA was a Canadian league and there was only one american team in it I guarantee that america would be rallying behind them! Nationality is what we are playing for, Canada wants a championship and the raps are playing for Canada!
3
Struck you as odd singing the National Anthem? Try putting up with "USA, USA, USA" sometime.
4
@Ryan
i'm a hop, step and jump away from Canada's world class city.
it'd be nice if the raptors won because they're close by, but they have one player with a canadian connection and he rarely plays.
as for nationality.....if all the other players were american and the warriors were mostly Canadians why shouldn't Canadians root for them instead of taranna?
1
Hey man, a win is a win.
That's the way it works -- all kinds of random stuff happens during the year that undoes this team or that, but only two teams make it to the finals, and only one of those wins the title. (Don't tell my neighbors, but I'm rooting for the Raptors!)
44
Hmmmm... what you say is exactly what Curry is quoted as saying. After looking puzzled and scratching his head. Yes, the Raptors one and that is what counts.
What a Joke you are, the Raptors won and seem to be sulking.
Sorry this is a team so stacked with super stars. I am sorry Clay Thompson is who you are crying about, really Clay Thompson.
They did not just lose they really lost, dominated by the Warriors.
Where were you when LeBron James was the only Cavalier against this team minus Green. I you are saying this doesn't count then that surely didn't count. This was surely a fairer game then any in that series. The Golden state Warriors are a great team coached by a great Coach the series is not over but I hope the Raptors win this one.
Chuck from Ohio
19
The warriors still had Curry, the self proclaimed "best defender" Draymond Green, Igoudala, and Boogie.. so the warriors need 2 more all stars to be a winning team? sounds salty to me. respect the raps
51
The bottom line is the Raptors are the better TEAM this year. They have beat the Warriors when they were at full strength. TWICE.
Even with Durant and Thompson, the Warriors have no bench. They put 3 shooters on the floor. The other team can play 5 on 3 as Draymond Green and Andre Iggy can neither shoot from outside of 4 feet.
Put a fork in the Warriors. They are history.
26
@Heartland Harry sorry but you're wrong
@Heartland Harry
Durant has not played in this series, therefore GSW have not been at full strength. We can speculate what will happen when he returns (healthy or not), but your assertion is factually false.
I have 2 words to say here as someone who has visited Toronto 4 times since 1983 and have come to love it so much: GO RAPTORS!!!
46
I've started reading the Toronto papers online to get a fuller sense of what the Raptors are doing right. Toronto is actually playing championship-caliber basketball right now, and most of the U.S. media is missing this. The balanced Raptor offense is a very refreshing change from watching Lebron and his minions in the finals one more time. And the degree to which Canada's immigrant communities are rallying around the local basketball team is quite wonderful.
87
@Thoughtful Guy
"..Canada's immigrant communities .." huh?
i think you mean, "Toronto's population"
The not-so-subtle rooting for the Warriors in the Times's coverage is becoming irritating. It diminishes a brilliant Toronto team to say, as this headline does, that Golden State "gave" the Raptors this win because two of their stars were out. That's like saying the Cavaliers "gave" the Warriors the 2015 championship because Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving were injured. Playoff injuries to star players have become all-too common, thanks to punishing, ridiculously long schedules and other factors. But every contender has had to deal with them - it's part of today's NBA. The Raptors played a superb game and won - on their own merits.
115
@Charles Michener And all the hating on GSWs gets old
2
I agree that it was unfortunate that Golden State had to play without either Kevin Durant or Klay Thompson. It's always disappointing when a team lacks a key player in a championship game. On the other hand, injuries are an inevitable part of sports, and teams have to adjust as best they can. Last night's game was hardly well-played, but both teams played hard, and it did not lack for exciting moments.
32
Very good writing, Michael. Your descriptions are a crisp and inventive as the teams you describe. Well done.
8
There's nothing duller than complaining about the officiating, especially in a game you win, but if the Warriors don't get 90% of the calls, I'll eat my hat. Curry just has to be breathing and they give him three foul shots. I don't know how the other teams don't lose their minds.
36
the significance of the game is that toronto went in needing three more wins to win the title.
now they need two.
as nurse said, you play against the five players the other team puts on the court.
toronto can't command kerr to play players the raptors would prefer to compete against.
21
Not a fan of either team (but enjoying the annual respite from watching NYK basketball), but if Toronto wins this series, I do not want to hear about injuries. Injuries are a part of every sport. Nobody puts an asterisk on last year's GS championship, and we all know that the outcome might have been different had Chris Paul not gotten hurt when Houston was up 3 games to 2 in the Western Conference Finals.
75
Every athlete knows that injuries come from players pushing themselves too hard - in every sport there are those of us who do this. It is part of the game to manage one's own performance and to coach for injury prevention. This was not a "give away", but the result of bad decisions in previous games by players to push where they should have hung back. To call it a give away is to shirk responsibility for decisions that shouldn't be repeated in the future. Leonard learned this in previous seasons, and notice he is not injured right now.
42
@Morgan You're right. If the one side wins and the other side had their B (or C) team it's still a win. But the winning team will still have been lucky. With 5 Championship Finals in a row, the Warriors were bound to hit an injury speed bump at some point. Now we get to see if they are able to pull this one out of the bag.
6
@Morgan
All injuries? Didn't know Trump university handed out degrees in orthopedics.
5
@Morgan You lack any factual basis for your comments. Injuries do not only come from "pushing themselves too hard"--they can come from an awkward landing, contact with another player and many other causes.
Durant and Thompson this year paced themselves but were unlucky. Leonard last year had a bad landing after contact with Pachula, an opposing player.
19