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Raptors take Finals opener, beat Warriors
May 30, 2019
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TORONTO (AP) Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 32 points and the Toronto Raptors won the first NBA Finals game played outside the U.S., beating the Golden State Warriors 118-109 on Thursday night.
The Raptors hardly looked like newcomers to the NBA's biggest stage, controlling the action most of the way against a Golden State team beginning its fifth straight NBA Finals appearance.
Kawhi Leonard added 23 points and Marc Gasol had 20 for the Raptors.
Stephen Curry scored 34 points and Klay Thompson had 21 for the Warriors, who had won all four Game 1s in the last four years. All those had come at home, but this time Golden State doesn't have home-court advantage.
Game 2 is Sunday in Toronto.
*********************************
Warriors sputter at times, fall in Game 1
May 30, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) Maybe it was the rust. Maybe it was the Raptors.
Either way, Golden State's offense was not at its usual high-octane level on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals - and for the first time in this era of Warriors basketball, they face a 1-0 deficit in the title series.
The Warriors shot 44 percent, turned the ball over 17 times and fell to the Toronto Raptors 118-109 in the series opener. Going back to the 1975 finals, the Warriors had won Game 1 of the title matchup in each of their last five appearances in the series. The last time Golden State lost a Game 1 of the finals was 1967.
Golden State was playing for the first time in 10 days, and trailed for nearly 43 of the game's 48 minutes. The Warriors trailed by 10 at the half, marking the fourth consecutive game where Golden State faced a double-digit deficit at some point.
In the last three of those contests, Golden State rallied to beat Portland.
Toronto didn't fold and let this one slip away.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 16 field goals; the rest of the Warriors combined for only 18. Draymond Green, who did have a triple-double, shot 2 for 9. Andre Iguodala was 3 for 7, missing all four of his tries from 3-point range.
This is a matchup of offense vs. defense, the freewheeling Warriors against a Toronto team that has now peeled off five consecutive wins since falling behind Milwaukee 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals. The Raptors turned that series around by clamping down at the defensive end, particularly against Bucks star and likely MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
This time, it was against everyone.
Golden State's two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP in Kevin Durant isn't expected back for Game 2, either. The Warriors have said he won't play until he can return to a full-fledged practice, and earlier Thursday coach Steve Kerr said it was unlikely that Durant participates in a practice before the team heads home to the Bay Area to prepare for Game 3 on Wednesday night.
So if something is going to change on Sunday when the finals resume in Toronto, it won't be with Durant aiding the cause.
May 30, 2019
ShareFacebookTwitterDiggMySpace
TORONTO (AP) Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 32 points and the Toronto Raptors won the first NBA Finals game played outside the U.S., beating the Golden State Warriors 118-109 on Thursday night.
The Raptors hardly looked like newcomers to the NBA's biggest stage, controlling the action most of the way against a Golden State team beginning its fifth straight NBA Finals appearance.
Kawhi Leonard added 23 points and Marc Gasol had 20 for the Raptors.
Stephen Curry scored 34 points and Klay Thompson had 21 for the Warriors, who had won all four Game 1s in the last four years. All those had come at home, but this time Golden State doesn't have home-court advantage.
Game 2 is Sunday in Toronto.
*********************************
Warriors sputter at times, fall in Game 1
May 30, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) Maybe it was the rust. Maybe it was the Raptors.
Either way, Golden State's offense was not at its usual high-octane level on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals - and for the first time in this era of Warriors basketball, they face a 1-0 deficit in the title series.
The Warriors shot 44 percent, turned the ball over 17 times and fell to the Toronto Raptors 118-109 in the series opener. Going back to the 1975 finals, the Warriors had won Game 1 of the title matchup in each of their last five appearances in the series. The last time Golden State lost a Game 1 of the finals was 1967.
Golden State was playing for the first time in 10 days, and trailed for nearly 43 of the game's 48 minutes. The Warriors trailed by 10 at the half, marking the fourth consecutive game where Golden State faced a double-digit deficit at some point.
In the last three of those contests, Golden State rallied to beat Portland.
Toronto didn't fold and let this one slip away.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 16 field goals; the rest of the Warriors combined for only 18. Draymond Green, who did have a triple-double, shot 2 for 9. Andre Iguodala was 3 for 7, missing all four of his tries from 3-point range.
This is a matchup of offense vs. defense, the freewheeling Warriors against a Toronto team that has now peeled off five consecutive wins since falling behind Milwaukee 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals. The Raptors turned that series around by clamping down at the defensive end, particularly against Bucks star and likely MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
This time, it was against everyone.
Golden State's two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP in Kevin Durant isn't expected back for Game 2, either. The Warriors have said he won't play until he can return to a full-fledged practice, and earlier Thursday coach Steve Kerr said it was unlikely that Durant participates in a practice before the team heads home to the Bay Area to prepare for Game 3 on Wednesday night.
So if something is going to change on Sunday when the finals resume in Toronto, it won't be with Durant aiding the cause.
NBA CHAMPIONSHIP PICKS AND BEST BETS!
05/30/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -50
TOTAL.............. 1-1-0 50.00% -50
BEST BETS
DATE.................ATS.................UNITS......................O/U...................UNITS...............TOTAL
05/30/2019........1 - 0..............+5.00......................0 - 1...................-5.50...............-0.50
TOTAL................1 - 0..............+5.00......................0 - 1...................-5.50...............-0.50
05/30/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -50
TOTAL.............. 1-1-0 50.00% -50
BEST BETS
DATE.................ATS.................UNITS......................O/U...................UNITS...............TOTAL
05/30/2019........1 - 0..............+5.00......................0 - 1...................-5.50...............-0.50
TOTAL................1 - 0..............+5.00......................0 - 1...................-5.50...............-0.50
Friday?s 6-pack
Triples-doubles in Game 1 of an NBA Finals:
? Wilt Chamberlain (Apr. 14, 1967)
? Walt Frazier (Apr. 26, 1972)
? Dave Cowens (May 23, 1976)
? Magic Johnson (June 2, 1991)
? Jason Kidd (June 5, 2002
? LeBron James (June 6, 2013)
Quotes of the Day
Part 1
?I?m extremely disappointed about not being on the field with my teammates. I sustained the rib fracture during a massage at my home on Tuesday. To sustain an injury in such an unusual way makes it even more frustrating. However, I will work hard to get back on the field as quickly as possible to help our team achieve our goal of winning another championship.?
Carlos Correa, who needs a new masseuse
Part 2
?Are you f?-ing blind?!?!?!?
Female fan at the Oakland Coliseum Wednesday, yelling at the home plate ump after a called strike. Her voice was captured by the field mike.
Friday?s quiz
Which NBA head coach was born in Lebanon?
Thursday?s quiz
New Hampshire is known as the Granite State.
Wednesday?s quiz
Doug Williams, Mark Rypien, Joe Theismann won Super Bowls playing for Joe Gibbs.
*********************
Friday?s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here??.
13) Oh Canada is one of my favorite songs; when I got married many, many years ago, we had to pay the organist $75, whether she played at the wedding or not. This was 1992, $75 was a decent payday. The $75 annoyed me a great deal; it really irritated me. I don?t even think the priest got $75. Organists must have a good union.
Anyway, we?re sitting there on the altar after Communion and the organist is earning her $75 and all of a sudden, I?m hearing her play Oh Canada, and there are murmurs in the church. I had no idea this was going to happen. Murmurs turned to laughter. She played it well.
The marriage didn?t go very well, but that was definitely the highlight of the wedding. Got a text reminding me of that during that national anthem in Toronto last night. Still makes me laugh.
12) Raptors 118, Warriors 109? Siakam shot 14-17 from floor, scored 32 points with five assists for Raptors. Green/Bell/Iguodala shot combined 6-18 from floor as Toronto takes 1-0 series lead on its home floor.
Dell Curry played the last three years of his 16-year career for Toronto, so of course Drake shows up for this game wearing a Dell Curry Raptors? jersey.
12) Weird stat of the day from The Sporting News: This is the 36th consecutive NBA Finals series with at least one former teammate of Shaquille O?Neal. Danny Green and Shaq were teammates on the Cavaliers nine years ago.
10) Back in January, when the St Louis Blues were floundering near the bottom of the NHL, a courageous bettor wagered $400 on the Blues (250-1) to win the Stanley Cup. He is three wins away from a big payday. Notable that he didn?t hedge his bet before the finals to guarantee a profit. Finals series is tied, 1-1.
9) You can?t make this stuff up: A Jacksonville couple was arrested this week on charges of animal cruelty after a police officer rescued a pig from the couple?s steaming hot Lexus that was parked in a mall parking lot. Temperatures were in the high 90?s at the time.
I mean, not only do you have a pig in a car, but you have a damn Lexus. Why?
8) All-time record for home runs in a month:
? 1,119 in August 2017
? 1,101 in June 2017
So far this May, entering Thursday?s games, there have been 1,069 homers hit.
7) Baseball stuff:
? Detroit optioned OF Victor Reyes back to AAA.
? Red Sox put P Hector Velasquez (back) on the IL.
? Cincinnati optioned P Lucas Sims back to AAA.
? Marlins optioned P Elieser Hernandez back to AAA.
Jake Odorizzi?s last six starts for Minnesota:
? 35.2 IP, allowed 3 runs, 39 baserunners, Twins won all six games.
6) Cleveland Indians didn?t hit a triple in their first 54 games; they hit three of them Wednesday, in their 55th game.
5) MLB Network couldn?t wait to show Boston-New York games Thursday/Friday, but horrible weather postponed Thursday?s game in the Bronx- it?ll be made up August 3rd as part of a doubleheader. I?m guessing that twinbill will be on national TV.
National TV outlets should try showing more Astros? games; they have a dome. No rainouts.
4) This didn?t sound right when I heard it, but apparently, Los Angeles County has more voters than 42 of the other 49 states; they have voters who speak 13 different languages.
3) Lakers-Nets are playing two preseason games in China in October.
2) College basketball transfer portal:
? South Carolina poached 6-9 Micaiah Henry from Tennessee Tech.
? Brad Calipari (John?s son) entered the transfer portal; guess he wants playing time.
? KJ Lawson bolts from Kansas to Tulane; another guy who wants to play.
1) In case you were wondering, people in Finland prefer silence to casual conversation.
Schools and tutors in Finland are now offering courses in casual conversation; ?It does not come naturally to Finns.? Some Finns have begun to take lessons, in classrooms or even from private tutors, so they can make conversation in their international business dealings.
Says one Finnish small talk tutor: ?Lower your standards; not every conversation you have has to be clever. You can comment on food, any music that is playing, even the weather.?
Who knew that could be a job? Go figure.
Triples-doubles in Game 1 of an NBA Finals:
? Wilt Chamberlain (Apr. 14, 1967)
? Walt Frazier (Apr. 26, 1972)
? Dave Cowens (May 23, 1976)
? Magic Johnson (June 2, 1991)
? Jason Kidd (June 5, 2002
? LeBron James (June 6, 2013)
Quotes of the Day
Part 1
?I?m extremely disappointed about not being on the field with my teammates. I sustained the rib fracture during a massage at my home on Tuesday. To sustain an injury in such an unusual way makes it even more frustrating. However, I will work hard to get back on the field as quickly as possible to help our team achieve our goal of winning another championship.?
Carlos Correa, who needs a new masseuse
Part 2
?Are you f?-ing blind?!?!?!?
Female fan at the Oakland Coliseum Wednesday, yelling at the home plate ump after a called strike. Her voice was captured by the field mike.
Friday?s quiz
Which NBA head coach was born in Lebanon?
Thursday?s quiz
New Hampshire is known as the Granite State.
Wednesday?s quiz
Doug Williams, Mark Rypien, Joe Theismann won Super Bowls playing for Joe Gibbs.
*********************
Friday?s List of 13: Random stuff with weekend here??.
13) Oh Canada is one of my favorite songs; when I got married many, many years ago, we had to pay the organist $75, whether she played at the wedding or not. This was 1992, $75 was a decent payday. The $75 annoyed me a great deal; it really irritated me. I don?t even think the priest got $75. Organists must have a good union.
Anyway, we?re sitting there on the altar after Communion and the organist is earning her $75 and all of a sudden, I?m hearing her play Oh Canada, and there are murmurs in the church. I had no idea this was going to happen. Murmurs turned to laughter. She played it well.
The marriage didn?t go very well, but that was definitely the highlight of the wedding. Got a text reminding me of that during that national anthem in Toronto last night. Still makes me laugh.
12) Raptors 118, Warriors 109? Siakam shot 14-17 from floor, scored 32 points with five assists for Raptors. Green/Bell/Iguodala shot combined 6-18 from floor as Toronto takes 1-0 series lead on its home floor.
Dell Curry played the last three years of his 16-year career for Toronto, so of course Drake shows up for this game wearing a Dell Curry Raptors? jersey.
12) Weird stat of the day from The Sporting News: This is the 36th consecutive NBA Finals series with at least one former teammate of Shaquille O?Neal. Danny Green and Shaq were teammates on the Cavaliers nine years ago.
10) Back in January, when the St Louis Blues were floundering near the bottom of the NHL, a courageous bettor wagered $400 on the Blues (250-1) to win the Stanley Cup. He is three wins away from a big payday. Notable that he didn?t hedge his bet before the finals to guarantee a profit. Finals series is tied, 1-1.
9) You can?t make this stuff up: A Jacksonville couple was arrested this week on charges of animal cruelty after a police officer rescued a pig from the couple?s steaming hot Lexus that was parked in a mall parking lot. Temperatures were in the high 90?s at the time.
I mean, not only do you have a pig in a car, but you have a damn Lexus. Why?
8) All-time record for home runs in a month:
? 1,119 in August 2017
? 1,101 in June 2017
So far this May, entering Thursday?s games, there have been 1,069 homers hit.
7) Baseball stuff:
? Detroit optioned OF Victor Reyes back to AAA.
? Red Sox put P Hector Velasquez (back) on the IL.
? Cincinnati optioned P Lucas Sims back to AAA.
? Marlins optioned P Elieser Hernandez back to AAA.
Jake Odorizzi?s last six starts for Minnesota:
? 35.2 IP, allowed 3 runs, 39 baserunners, Twins won all six games.
6) Cleveland Indians didn?t hit a triple in their first 54 games; they hit three of them Wednesday, in their 55th game.
5) MLB Network couldn?t wait to show Boston-New York games Thursday/Friday, but horrible weather postponed Thursday?s game in the Bronx- it?ll be made up August 3rd as part of a doubleheader. I?m guessing that twinbill will be on national TV.
National TV outlets should try showing more Astros? games; they have a dome. No rainouts.
4) This didn?t sound right when I heard it, but apparently, Los Angeles County has more voters than 42 of the other 49 states; they have voters who speak 13 different languages.
3) Lakers-Nets are playing two preseason games in China in October.
2) College basketball transfer portal:
? South Carolina poached 6-9 Micaiah Henry from Tennessee Tech.
? Brad Calipari (John?s son) entered the transfer portal; guess he wants playing time.
? KJ Lawson bolts from Kansas to Tulane; another guy who wants to play.
1) In case you were wondering, people in Finland prefer silence to casual conversation.
Schools and tutors in Finland are now offering courses in casual conversation; ?It does not come naturally to Finns.? Some Finns have begun to take lessons, in classrooms or even from private tutors, so they can make conversation in their international business dealings.
Says one Finnish small talk tutor: ?Lower your standards; not every conversation you have has to be clever. You can comment on food, any music that is playing, even the weather.?
Who knew that could be a job? Go figure.
Last edited:
Lowry waited a long time for the Finals
May 31, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) Kyle Lowry had never been to an NBA Finals game.
This was the deal he made with himself: He wasn't going to see the NBA's biggest stage until he earned the right to be there as a player. So he never made a trip to see his peers play for the title that he has coveted for 13 years.��
That's why on Thursday night, the Toronto point guard took a little look around at what he's been missing.
''It was pretty cool,'' Lowry said. ''It was pretty good.''
And it was most definitely worth the wait.
Lowry has now been to the NBA Finals - and knows what winning a game in the title series is like, too. The longest-tenured Raptors player had a solid stat line - seven points, six rebounds and nine assists - as Toronto topped Golden State 118-109 in Game 1 of the title series, ending the Warriors' streak of 12 straight opening-game-of-a-series victories.
''I think that one of the best things about this team is that you don't have to put a burden of 20 to 25 points on him,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. ''Because he's going to defend, he's going to lead the team, he's going to make those tough plays. He just instinctually does that game after game after game.''
Often a lightning rod for criticism in Toronto's past playoff flameouts, Lowry has quarterbacked brilliantly in these playoffs.
He did it again Thursday.
He set the tempo in Game 1 by, time and again, utilizing long touch passes to start fast breaks. He also set the tone on defensive end, chasing Stephen Curry around and tirelessly battling much bigger players, as usual.
Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins is 6-foot-11 and perhaps generously listed at 270 pounds; Lowry is listed at 6-foot-1, 196 pounds.
So when Cousins came barreling at Lowry on a switch with about 8+ minutes left in the game, Lowry never moved. He took the charge. He took the hit. The Warriors came up empty on a possession with the outcome still very much in the balance.
''Just win,'' said Lowry, who took three charges in the finals opener. ''That's all I care about. The numbers, the stats, all that stuff, it doesn't matter to me. Team wins is all that really, really matters to me. Whatever it takes to win games.''
Getting to this stage probably seemed unlikely 10 months ago. Lowry was deeply stung by the Raptors' decision to trade his longtime backcourt partner in DeMar DeRozan and take the risk of acquiring Kawhi Leonard - someone who played in only nine games last season, and someone who at the time pretty clearly didn't want to be in Toronto.
Lowry was angry. It took months to mend the fences with Raptors' management. But everything to this point has worked perfectly, and he's now three wins away from a championship.
''We know we have our great fans, but at the end of the day, it's going to be about us in this locker room,'' Lowry said.
Lowry said he dreamed countless times of what the finals stage would be like, but as the 9 p.m. tip-off neared Thursday, he tried to keep some semblance of a regular routine.
He knew it wasn't going to be just another game, but also knew he couldn't psych himself out before it arrived.
''It was a normal day for me. I've got kids,'' Lowry said. ''... You go out there, the crowd was really antsy and loud and that's when you start to feel it. But throughout the day, you kind of keep yourself very calm and collected and understand that it's a big game - but you've got to be ready to go play.''
He was ready. All the Raptors were ready. They know they'll have to be better in Game 2, since adjustments by the two-time defending champion Warriors are inevitable. That's what Friday's task will be, what Saturday's task will be. After finally seeing what the finals are like, Lowry looked at a clock on the wall shortly after midnight and decided it was time to head home.
''I'm hungry as hell right now,'' Lowry said.
The quest for the other thing he's been hungry for - a championship ring - resumes Sunday in Game 2.
May 31, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) Kyle Lowry had never been to an NBA Finals game.
This was the deal he made with himself: He wasn't going to see the NBA's biggest stage until he earned the right to be there as a player. So he never made a trip to see his peers play for the title that he has coveted for 13 years.��
That's why on Thursday night, the Toronto point guard took a little look around at what he's been missing.
''It was pretty cool,'' Lowry said. ''It was pretty good.''
And it was most definitely worth the wait.
Lowry has now been to the NBA Finals - and knows what winning a game in the title series is like, too. The longest-tenured Raptors player had a solid stat line - seven points, six rebounds and nine assists - as Toronto topped Golden State 118-109 in Game 1 of the title series, ending the Warriors' streak of 12 straight opening-game-of-a-series victories.
''I think that one of the best things about this team is that you don't have to put a burden of 20 to 25 points on him,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. ''Because he's going to defend, he's going to lead the team, he's going to make those tough plays. He just instinctually does that game after game after game.''
Often a lightning rod for criticism in Toronto's past playoff flameouts, Lowry has quarterbacked brilliantly in these playoffs.
He did it again Thursday.
He set the tempo in Game 1 by, time and again, utilizing long touch passes to start fast breaks. He also set the tone on defensive end, chasing Stephen Curry around and tirelessly battling much bigger players, as usual.
Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins is 6-foot-11 and perhaps generously listed at 270 pounds; Lowry is listed at 6-foot-1, 196 pounds.
So when Cousins came barreling at Lowry on a switch with about 8+ minutes left in the game, Lowry never moved. He took the charge. He took the hit. The Warriors came up empty on a possession with the outcome still very much in the balance.
''Just win,'' said Lowry, who took three charges in the finals opener. ''That's all I care about. The numbers, the stats, all that stuff, it doesn't matter to me. Team wins is all that really, really matters to me. Whatever it takes to win games.''
Getting to this stage probably seemed unlikely 10 months ago. Lowry was deeply stung by the Raptors' decision to trade his longtime backcourt partner in DeMar DeRozan and take the risk of acquiring Kawhi Leonard - someone who played in only nine games last season, and someone who at the time pretty clearly didn't want to be in Toronto.
Lowry was angry. It took months to mend the fences with Raptors' management. But everything to this point has worked perfectly, and he's now three wins away from a championship.
''We know we have our great fans, but at the end of the day, it's going to be about us in this locker room,'' Lowry said.
Lowry said he dreamed countless times of what the finals stage would be like, but as the 9 p.m. tip-off neared Thursday, he tried to keep some semblance of a regular routine.
He knew it wasn't going to be just another game, but also knew he couldn't psych himself out before it arrived.
''It was a normal day for me. I've got kids,'' Lowry said. ''... You go out there, the crowd was really antsy and loud and that's when you start to feel it. But throughout the day, you kind of keep yourself very calm and collected and understand that it's a big game - but you've got to be ready to go play.''
He was ready. All the Raptors were ready. They know they'll have to be better in Game 2, since adjustments by the two-time defending champion Warriors are inevitable. That's what Friday's task will be, what Saturday's task will be. After finally seeing what the finals are like, Lowry looked at a clock on the wall shortly after midnight and decided it was time to head home.
''I'm hungry as hell right now,'' Lowry said.
The quest for the other thing he's been hungry for - a championship ring - resumes Sunday in Game 2.
Saturday?s 6-pack
College football spreads, released by Golden Nugget Thursday:
? Florida (-7.5) vs Miami in Orlando, August 29
? Auburn (-3) vs Oregon in Arlington, TX, August 31
? Stanford at USC (-3) August 31
? Texas (-7) @ West Virginia October 5
? Florida @ LSU (-4.5) October 12
? LSU (-6.5) @ Mississippi State October 19
Quotes of the Day
?You?re out there playing basketball like you did your whole life and it?s the most fun. You lock in ? You got to stay poised.?
Marc Gasol, on playing in the NBA Finals
Saturday?s quiz
Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League are the AA farm club of which major league team?
Friday?s quiz
Steve Kerr was born in Lebanon; his father was president of the American University in Beirut- he was assassinated there in 1984.
Thursday?s quiz
New Hampshire is known as the Granite State.
***********************
Saturday?s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind??
13) Dodgers? pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers this year for $18M; he?s having a great season, will get a bigger one-year deal next season. Who knows, he may even get a 2-year deal.
Contrast that to Dallas Keuchel, who is sitting out right now because he couldn?t get a multi-year contract. Keuchel would make more than Ryu if he had agreed to a one-year deal, but right now he is making bupkis this season, zero.
Question is, was it Keuchel who didn?t listen to his agent, or the agent who didn?t listen to Keuchel? At some point, the player has to play in order to get paid, right? Either way, it has been an expensive year for the pitcher. He?ll probably sign somewhere fairly soon.
12) Batters are 2-42 with runners in scoring position against Ryu this season.
11) Mets? TV guy Todd Zeile played 16 years in the major leagues; he grew up in the Los Angeles area, went to a lot of Dodger games as a kid. Zeile said on air the other night that his father told him that he didn?t believe Zeile was a major league player until he heard Vin Scully say his name on the air, thats how revered Scully is/was in Tinseltown.
10) New Packers? coach Matt LaFleur tore his achilles tendon playing basketball this week; he is having it operated on Sunday.
9) Since 2008, only two big leaguers have had an OB% of .340+ with 200+ PA in every season:
Joey Votto and???.Shin-Soo Choo
Funny thing about Choo is this; my fantasy team is having a dreadful season, so I?m looking to build for the future a little and Choo is 37- I?ve been looking to move him for prospects but with absolutely no luck, and he is really good. His OPS is .933, which is damn good.
One guy actually thought I was talking about Choi on Tampa Bay, and I?m laughing, thinking ?My team is worse than this guy?s and he doesn?t know who the players are.? Oy.
8) Raptors? coach Nick Nurse was head coach at Grandview College when he was 23 years old; he played at Northern Iowa. There?s a chance one or more of his players at Grandview was older than Nurse was when he was coaching them.
7) Baseball stuff:
? Colorado sent P Kyle Freeland down to AAA.
? Cardinals put C Yadier Molina (thumb) on IL.
? Marlins put 1B Neil Walker (quad) on IL.
6) Tampa Bay Rays have scored in first inning in 25 of their 54 games; they?re 20-5 when they score in the first inning.
Marlins have scored in only nine first innings, fewest in major leagues.
5) Arizona Diamondbacks have seven of the top 75 picks in next week?s baseball draft.
4) My favorite Al Pacino movies:
a) Any Given Sunday
b) Heat
c) Scent of a Woman
3) Cubs/Cardinals are going to play a two-game series next season at London?s West Ham Olympic Stadium on June 13-14, 2020. New York-Boston are heading to London this month.
2) There is a newscaster at WKRN in Nashville named Bob Mueller; you can imagine that the last couple of years have been very interesting for him.
The TV Bob Mueller pronounces his name differently than the lawyer Bob Mueller, but he gets hate mail from people and strange looks when he makes reservations in restaurants. Sometimes real life is stranger than fiction.
1) Los Angeles Angels are driving me nuts with the way they use the ?opener?. Tampa Bay uses Ryan Stanek most every time they use an opener, which makes it easy to chart. Angels use just about all their pitchers- they?ve used nine different openers this season, in addition to their four normal starting pitchers.
Makes me wonder when you?re using minor league pitchers to start a game.
College football spreads, released by Golden Nugget Thursday:
? Florida (-7.5) vs Miami in Orlando, August 29
? Auburn (-3) vs Oregon in Arlington, TX, August 31
? Stanford at USC (-3) August 31
? Texas (-7) @ West Virginia October 5
? Florida @ LSU (-4.5) October 12
? LSU (-6.5) @ Mississippi State October 19
Quotes of the Day
?You?re out there playing basketball like you did your whole life and it?s the most fun. You lock in ? You got to stay poised.?
Marc Gasol, on playing in the NBA Finals
Saturday?s quiz
Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League are the AA farm club of which major league team?
Friday?s quiz
Steve Kerr was born in Lebanon; his father was president of the American University in Beirut- he was assassinated there in 1984.
Thursday?s quiz
New Hampshire is known as the Granite State.
***********************
Saturday?s List of 13: Clearing out a cluttered mind??
13) Dodgers? pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu signed a one-year deal with the Dodgers this year for $18M; he?s having a great season, will get a bigger one-year deal next season. Who knows, he may even get a 2-year deal.
Contrast that to Dallas Keuchel, who is sitting out right now because he couldn?t get a multi-year contract. Keuchel would make more than Ryu if he had agreed to a one-year deal, but right now he is making bupkis this season, zero.
Question is, was it Keuchel who didn?t listen to his agent, or the agent who didn?t listen to Keuchel? At some point, the player has to play in order to get paid, right? Either way, it has been an expensive year for the pitcher. He?ll probably sign somewhere fairly soon.
12) Batters are 2-42 with runners in scoring position against Ryu this season.
11) Mets? TV guy Todd Zeile played 16 years in the major leagues; he grew up in the Los Angeles area, went to a lot of Dodger games as a kid. Zeile said on air the other night that his father told him that he didn?t believe Zeile was a major league player until he heard Vin Scully say his name on the air, thats how revered Scully is/was in Tinseltown.
10) New Packers? coach Matt LaFleur tore his achilles tendon playing basketball this week; he is having it operated on Sunday.
9) Since 2008, only two big leaguers have had an OB% of .340+ with 200+ PA in every season:
Joey Votto and???.Shin-Soo Choo
Funny thing about Choo is this; my fantasy team is having a dreadful season, so I?m looking to build for the future a little and Choo is 37- I?ve been looking to move him for prospects but with absolutely no luck, and he is really good. His OPS is .933, which is damn good.
One guy actually thought I was talking about Choi on Tampa Bay, and I?m laughing, thinking ?My team is worse than this guy?s and he doesn?t know who the players are.? Oy.
8) Raptors? coach Nick Nurse was head coach at Grandview College when he was 23 years old; he played at Northern Iowa. There?s a chance one or more of his players at Grandview was older than Nurse was when he was coaching them.
7) Baseball stuff:
? Colorado sent P Kyle Freeland down to AAA.
? Cardinals put C Yadier Molina (thumb) on IL.
? Marlins put 1B Neil Walker (quad) on IL.
6) Tampa Bay Rays have scored in first inning in 25 of their 54 games; they?re 20-5 when they score in the first inning.
Marlins have scored in only nine first innings, fewest in major leagues.
5) Arizona Diamondbacks have seven of the top 75 picks in next week?s baseball draft.
4) My favorite Al Pacino movies:
a) Any Given Sunday
b) Heat
c) Scent of a Woman
3) Cubs/Cardinals are going to play a two-game series next season at London?s West Ham Olympic Stadium on June 13-14, 2020. New York-Boston are heading to London this month.
2) There is a newscaster at WKRN in Nashville named Bob Mueller; you can imagine that the last couple of years have been very interesting for him.
The TV Bob Mueller pronounces his name differently than the lawyer Bob Mueller, but he gets hate mail from people and strange looks when he makes reservations in restaurants. Sometimes real life is stranger than fiction.
1) Los Angeles Angels are driving me nuts with the way they use the ?opener?. Tampa Bay uses Ryan Stanek most every time they use an opener, which makes it easy to chart. Angels use just about all their pitchers- they?ve used nine different openers this season, in addition to their four normal starting pitchers.
Makes me wonder when you?re using minor league pitchers to start a game.
Warriors enter new territory: 1-0 deficit
May 31, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) Steve Kerr has seen a little of almost everything during his wildly successful five-year run as coach of the Golden State Warriors.
This, however, is something new.
For the first time, Kerr and the Warriors are staring at a 1-0 deficit in the NBA Finals. They've trailed in series before, faced plenty of adverse moments along the way, but this is the newest challenge for a franchise trying to join the short list of clubs that have won three consecutive championships.
''The experience helps,'' Kerr said Friday, a day after the Toronto Raptors struck first. ''Winning multiple championships helps because you have seen it all. There's also just the knowledge that you've been here before. You've been down. We have been up 3-1 and lost a series. We have been down 3-1 and won a series. Everything in between. So nothing is going to catch these guys off-guard.''
That's his hope, anyway.
There was a clear air of confidence from the Warriors even in the very first moments after the loss Thursday night. They knew they didn't play particularly well, and lost by only nine. They trailed most of the way, yet still were within striking distance plenty of times. They seemed far from rattled.
''No matter what, our sights were coming in that it's a long series,'' Warriors star Stephen Curry said. ''And Game 2 is an opportunity for us to right the wrongs and get a big win and go back home.''
No one needs to explain to the Warriors that a win on Sunday completely shifts the narrative.
And even though the axiom has always been that Game 1 winners usually go on to win the series - and that is still the case - it seems that a 1-0 deficit isn't as daunting to teams as it once might have been.
Since the league went to the 16-team format for the 1984 postseason, Game 1 winners have never been as vulnerable as they have seemed to be this year. In the 14 series this year that preceded the NBA Finals, six Game 1 winners wound up losing their series. That's never happened before in this format.
In the 2010s, Game 1 winners have gone on to lose a series 31% of the time. In the 2000s, it was 25%; in the 1990s, 15%.
''As soon as you lose a game, it will be on the crawl that now we only have a 19.7% chance of winning the series. Then if we win (Sunday) we'll have a 42.7% chance of not losing the series,'' said Kerr, tongue firmly planted in cheek. ''This stuff is what it is. You lose a game, you come back and you try to win.''
Kerr's stance is clear: A simpler approach - study film, find ways to get better, apply them Sunday - is best.
On the other hand, Golden State hadn't lost a Game 1 this season. Or the season before that. Or the season before that.
The last time the Warriors woke up and were down 1-0 in a series was the Western Conference finals in 2016 - against Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City. The Warriors responded with a blowout win in Game 2 and went on to prevail in seven games.
''You never lose that experience,'' Warriors forward Draymond Green said. ''You can always look back on it and it's more about how you felt, what was your mindset then. But it's impossible to be the same because it's completely different teams. And although some of us may have that experience, others on our team have not had that experience.''
It bears noting that the Raptors know a 1-0 series lead doesn't mean much.
Orlando had one of those against Toronto in the first round, and lost in five games.
Milwaukee had one of those against Toronto in the Eastern Conference finals - 2-0, actually - and lost in six games.
''We've tried to (have) a conscious thought process of not really caring what the score of the series is,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. ''I think we know that the games are really hard. We know that after a win, the team that gets beat gets really determined. They try to fix things. They mostly play a lot harder and more physical and all those kind of things.''
The challenge for his team is to do the same. That process started with a long film session Friday, and there was much to clean up.
''There was plenty on there that we need to do better if we want to win another game in this series,'' Nurse said.
May 31, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) Steve Kerr has seen a little of almost everything during his wildly successful five-year run as coach of the Golden State Warriors.
This, however, is something new.
For the first time, Kerr and the Warriors are staring at a 1-0 deficit in the NBA Finals. They've trailed in series before, faced plenty of adverse moments along the way, but this is the newest challenge for a franchise trying to join the short list of clubs that have won three consecutive championships.
''The experience helps,'' Kerr said Friday, a day after the Toronto Raptors struck first. ''Winning multiple championships helps because you have seen it all. There's also just the knowledge that you've been here before. You've been down. We have been up 3-1 and lost a series. We have been down 3-1 and won a series. Everything in between. So nothing is going to catch these guys off-guard.''
That's his hope, anyway.
There was a clear air of confidence from the Warriors even in the very first moments after the loss Thursday night. They knew they didn't play particularly well, and lost by only nine. They trailed most of the way, yet still were within striking distance plenty of times. They seemed far from rattled.
''No matter what, our sights were coming in that it's a long series,'' Warriors star Stephen Curry said. ''And Game 2 is an opportunity for us to right the wrongs and get a big win and go back home.''
No one needs to explain to the Warriors that a win on Sunday completely shifts the narrative.
And even though the axiom has always been that Game 1 winners usually go on to win the series - and that is still the case - it seems that a 1-0 deficit isn't as daunting to teams as it once might have been.
Since the league went to the 16-team format for the 1984 postseason, Game 1 winners have never been as vulnerable as they have seemed to be this year. In the 14 series this year that preceded the NBA Finals, six Game 1 winners wound up losing their series. That's never happened before in this format.
In the 2010s, Game 1 winners have gone on to lose a series 31% of the time. In the 2000s, it was 25%; in the 1990s, 15%.
''As soon as you lose a game, it will be on the crawl that now we only have a 19.7% chance of winning the series. Then if we win (Sunday) we'll have a 42.7% chance of not losing the series,'' said Kerr, tongue firmly planted in cheek. ''This stuff is what it is. You lose a game, you come back and you try to win.''
Kerr's stance is clear: A simpler approach - study film, find ways to get better, apply them Sunday - is best.
On the other hand, Golden State hadn't lost a Game 1 this season. Or the season before that. Or the season before that.
The last time the Warriors woke up and were down 1-0 in a series was the Western Conference finals in 2016 - against Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City. The Warriors responded with a blowout win in Game 2 and went on to prevail in seven games.
''You never lose that experience,'' Warriors forward Draymond Green said. ''You can always look back on it and it's more about how you felt, what was your mindset then. But it's impossible to be the same because it's completely different teams. And although some of us may have that experience, others on our team have not had that experience.''
It bears noting that the Raptors know a 1-0 series lead doesn't mean much.
Orlando had one of those against Toronto in the first round, and lost in five games.
Milwaukee had one of those against Toronto in the Eastern Conference finals - 2-0, actually - and lost in six games.
''We've tried to (have) a conscious thought process of not really caring what the score of the series is,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. ''I think we know that the games are really hard. We know that after a win, the team that gets beat gets really determined. They try to fix things. They mostly play a lot harder and more physical and all those kind of things.''
The challenge for his team is to do the same. That process started with a long film session Friday, and there was much to clean up.
''There was plenty on there that we need to do better if we want to win another game in this series,'' Nurse said.
Let's ignore Drake for the rest of Finals
May 31, 2019
By The Associated Press
Obnoxious sideline celebrities are as much a part of the NBA as slam dunks and getting away with an extra step or two.
From Jack Nicholson to Spike Lee to Jimmy Buffett, we've grown accustomed to boorish, entitled superstars doing their best to make themselves part of the game.
Welcome to the club, Drake.
The Toronto rapper-slash-superfan has gotten as much air time as anyone on the court with his antics during the playoffs. He mocked Philadelphia's Joel Embiid. He rubbed the shoulders of Raptors coach Nick Nurse during a game. And, after the opener of the NBA Finals, he exchanged some heated words with Golden State's Draymond Green.
Here's an idea: Let's ignore Drake for the rest of what could be a memorable series between the Raptors and Warriors.
That goes for the TV cameras that can't seem to turn away from him. That goes for those of us in the media who can't seem to quit writing about him (I promise, this will be my one and only Drake column). And it most certainly goes for the Warriors, who need to stay focused on the important task at hand - trying to win their fourth championship in five years - when Drake starts hurling his childish taunts.
Green insisted the incident in Game 1 was no big deal.
''You got a question about basketball?'' he shot back when a reporter brought it up afterward. ''It wasn't really a scuffle because I didn't hit him and he didn't hit me, and I didn't push him and he didn't push me. We talked. We barked a little bit, but I wouldn't necessarily consider that a scuffle.''
No doubt looking to move records and build his brand, Drake was in his full troll mode for the start of the first Finals held outside the United States, turning up at his familiar courtside seat in a replica of the Raptors jersey worn by Dell Curry at the end of his career - a jab, of course, at Dell's son, Warriors star Steph Curry.
After Toronto secured its 118-109 victory, Drake confronted Green on his way off the court. It's not clear all that was said between the two, but Drake could be seen mouthing ''trash'' as a smiling Curry stepped in to make sure Green went on to the locker room.
With a night to sleep on things, Green was downright diplomatic during the off day Friday. He knows the best way to answer Drake's insults is to play better than he did in Game 1, when he contributed a mere 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting and struggled to contain the Raptors' emerging star, Pascal Siakam.
''He talks and it gets more attention because he's Drake,'' Green said.
While the NBA certainly loves the off-the-court attention that it celebrity fans generate, Commissioner Adam Silver made it clear that there's a line Drake should not cross - which he clearly did in the Eastern Conference finals by briefly grabbing Nurse's shoulders as the oblivious coach looked up at the scoreboard during Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
''We certainly appreciate his superfan status, and I know he's beloved in the community of Toronto,'' Silver said. But, the commish quickly added, ''Certainly we don't want fans, friend or foe, contacting an NBA coach during a game. I think that even as Nick Nurse later said, `I didn't even realize it was Drake or hardly was aware that I was being touched,' and I think those can lead to dangerous situations. You're in the middle of coaching a game and you're completely focused, you obviously don't want somebody who is not on your team touching you.''
Better than any other league, the NBA knows how to nurture and protect its superstars - a philosophy that has extended to its most famous fans at least as far back as the days when Nicholson was razzing Los Angeles Lakers' opponents during the Showtime era, or Lee was getting away with far more than most fans while taunting Reggie Miller during playoff games at Madison Square Garden (yes, kids, the New York Knicks were once a competitive NBA franchise that made the postseason on a regular basis).
Silver said the league spoke with Drake and his management team about avoiding contact with players and coaches, apparently coming to an understanding that he wouldn't do it again.
''Given Drake's relationship to the team, it's not the same as just any fan who happened to be courtside touching a coach,'' the commissioner said. ''But I think that's an absolute bright line that we have to draw. So that's one example and I would also say that I think the issue for the league is that he has this ambassador-type role with the team. So he is viewed a little differently than any fan sitting there. But at the same time, I think there are appropriate lines that shouldn't be cross in terms of how a competing team is addressed or the officials for that matter.''
While a case could certainly be made that Drake should be banished to a less-prominent seat during the remaining games in Toronto (as Buffett once was during a Miami Heat contest for cursing at the officials), even Green said that wasn't necessary.
''So many people are complaining about it, like, `You don't let any other fan do that,''' the Warriors star said. ''Yeah, any other fan is just not Drake, so they probably shouldn't be able to do that. That's just kind of how the cookie crumbles. He's worked his (butt) off to be who he is. I think we all know when you do that, you get more leash than others. I think there's so much talk and the NBA needs to ... no, they don't. He worked to be who he is, (so) you should get more leash. I don't mind it. It's fun for me.''
The best way for Green and the Warriors to shut Drake up is to win another title.
As for the rest of us, let's just ignore him.
May 31, 2019
By The Associated Press
Obnoxious sideline celebrities are as much a part of the NBA as slam dunks and getting away with an extra step or two.
From Jack Nicholson to Spike Lee to Jimmy Buffett, we've grown accustomed to boorish, entitled superstars doing their best to make themselves part of the game.
Welcome to the club, Drake.
The Toronto rapper-slash-superfan has gotten as much air time as anyone on the court with his antics during the playoffs. He mocked Philadelphia's Joel Embiid. He rubbed the shoulders of Raptors coach Nick Nurse during a game. And, after the opener of the NBA Finals, he exchanged some heated words with Golden State's Draymond Green.
Here's an idea: Let's ignore Drake for the rest of what could be a memorable series between the Raptors and Warriors.
That goes for the TV cameras that can't seem to turn away from him. That goes for those of us in the media who can't seem to quit writing about him (I promise, this will be my one and only Drake column). And it most certainly goes for the Warriors, who need to stay focused on the important task at hand - trying to win their fourth championship in five years - when Drake starts hurling his childish taunts.
Green insisted the incident in Game 1 was no big deal.
''You got a question about basketball?'' he shot back when a reporter brought it up afterward. ''It wasn't really a scuffle because I didn't hit him and he didn't hit me, and I didn't push him and he didn't push me. We talked. We barked a little bit, but I wouldn't necessarily consider that a scuffle.''
No doubt looking to move records and build his brand, Drake was in his full troll mode for the start of the first Finals held outside the United States, turning up at his familiar courtside seat in a replica of the Raptors jersey worn by Dell Curry at the end of his career - a jab, of course, at Dell's son, Warriors star Steph Curry.
After Toronto secured its 118-109 victory, Drake confronted Green on his way off the court. It's not clear all that was said between the two, but Drake could be seen mouthing ''trash'' as a smiling Curry stepped in to make sure Green went on to the locker room.
With a night to sleep on things, Green was downright diplomatic during the off day Friday. He knows the best way to answer Drake's insults is to play better than he did in Game 1, when he contributed a mere 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting and struggled to contain the Raptors' emerging star, Pascal Siakam.
''He talks and it gets more attention because he's Drake,'' Green said.
While the NBA certainly loves the off-the-court attention that it celebrity fans generate, Commissioner Adam Silver made it clear that there's a line Drake should not cross - which he clearly did in the Eastern Conference finals by briefly grabbing Nurse's shoulders as the oblivious coach looked up at the scoreboard during Game 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
''We certainly appreciate his superfan status, and I know he's beloved in the community of Toronto,'' Silver said. But, the commish quickly added, ''Certainly we don't want fans, friend or foe, contacting an NBA coach during a game. I think that even as Nick Nurse later said, `I didn't even realize it was Drake or hardly was aware that I was being touched,' and I think those can lead to dangerous situations. You're in the middle of coaching a game and you're completely focused, you obviously don't want somebody who is not on your team touching you.''
Better than any other league, the NBA knows how to nurture and protect its superstars - a philosophy that has extended to its most famous fans at least as far back as the days when Nicholson was razzing Los Angeles Lakers' opponents during the Showtime era, or Lee was getting away with far more than most fans while taunting Reggie Miller during playoff games at Madison Square Garden (yes, kids, the New York Knicks were once a competitive NBA franchise that made the postseason on a regular basis).
Silver said the league spoke with Drake and his management team about avoiding contact with players and coaches, apparently coming to an understanding that he wouldn't do it again.
''Given Drake's relationship to the team, it's not the same as just any fan who happened to be courtside touching a coach,'' the commissioner said. ''But I think that's an absolute bright line that we have to draw. So that's one example and I would also say that I think the issue for the league is that he has this ambassador-type role with the team. So he is viewed a little differently than any fan sitting there. But at the same time, I think there are appropriate lines that shouldn't be cross in terms of how a competing team is addressed or the officials for that matter.''
While a case could certainly be made that Drake should be banished to a less-prominent seat during the remaining games in Toronto (as Buffett once was during a Miami Heat contest for cursing at the officials), even Green said that wasn't necessary.
''So many people are complaining about it, like, `You don't let any other fan do that,''' the Warriors star said. ''Yeah, any other fan is just not Drake, so they probably shouldn't be able to do that. That's just kind of how the cookie crumbles. He's worked his (butt) off to be who he is. I think we all know when you do that, you get more leash than others. I think there's so much talk and the NBA needs to ... no, they don't. He worked to be who he is, (so) you should get more leash. I don't mind it. It's fun for me.''
The best way for Green and the Warriors to shut Drake up is to win another title.
As for the rest of us, let's just ignore him.
Siakam comes from small settings to star
May 31, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) The path to the best NBA Finals debut in seven years began in Cameroon and has stretched from New Mexico to the suburbs of Toronto.
Pascal Siakam had to emerge from some small settings before he could reach the big time.
That made Siakam's 32-point performance in Game 1 even more impressive. The players who often stand out this time of year are the can't-miss prospects who seemed destined for greatness from the time they were kids.
Siakam hadn't even started playing basketball by then.
But there he was Thursday night, shooting 14 of 17 from the field to spark Toronto's 118-109 victory over Golden State.
''I've never seen anything like that before,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. ''That's a pretty big stage for a guy to put that kind of performance on, almost with any background.''
It was the most points in an NBA Finals debut since Kevin Durant had 36 for Oklahoma City in 2012, and it made Siakam the first player to score 30 or more on at least 80 percent shooting in a finals game since Shaquille O'Neal did it in 2004.
Those players were top-two picks, as were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan, the other players since 1970 with 30 points in an NBA Finals Game 1 within their first three pro seasons.
Siakam was way down at No. 27 in the 2016 draft. Golden State's Draymond Green - a second-round pick - said there's a different level of admiration for players who have played themselves into starring roles from what are considered supporting spots.
''You come into this league and there's really no space for you,'' Green said. ''You're essentially someone who kind of comes in - I mean, you can be out in a year, you can be out in two years, you can be out in four years. And to gain that respect and to, as I said before, become one of those guys, I think it's special. Siakam has done that.''
The 6-foot-9 Siakam was already a good athlete, having played soccer as a boy in Cameroon. But it was his desire to become a good basketball player that's kept him in the gym long hours to make up for his late start in the game.
He took part in a Basketball without Borders camp in South Africa in 2012 at 18 and was soon on the way to the U.S. to embark on a basketball career. He ended up at New Mexico State for two seasons, winning Western Athletic Conference player of the year in his second one, before the Raptors drafted him.
Siakam was MVP of the 2017 NBA G League Finals after helping Raptors 905 win the title, but success with the big club would have to wait. He didn't have a reliable shot yet, certainly not reliable enough to be a regular contributor on a 50-win team. But he's developed one over the summers and unleashed it on opponents during this season, when he averaged 16.9 points and played well enough to be a finalist for Most Improved Player.
''He works, works, works,'' Nurse said. ''He takes care of himself. He's really got a burning desire to be a very, very good player in this league.''
But the biggest change for Siakam came off the court.
He was in college when his father, Tchamo, died. Siakam, who still writes ''RIP Dad'' on his sneakers, called it the hardest moment of his life but said it was a turning point into making him into the person he has become.
''Thank God I had the support of my teammates and coaches in college that helped me go through it. But it was definitely one of the toughest moments in my life, and not being able to go home for the funeral and all that,'' Siakam said.
''So it was definitely a moment where it kind of tested me as a man. Just being able to go through that and for me using that as a motivation and something that's going to push me to do better things for my family and for myself, for my dad.''
Green, a former Defensive Player of the Year, blamed himself for the poor defense on Siakam and vowed to be better Sunday in Game 2. Siakam knows there will be adjustments, but he might make some, too.
''I think I always say, I learned a lot and I know I have a lot to learn,'' Siakam said. ''I think that's one of the advantages for me. I know I have so much to learn. I have to grow. It allows me to look at my mistakes and evaluate them and try to see how I can do better.''
May 31, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) The path to the best NBA Finals debut in seven years began in Cameroon and has stretched from New Mexico to the suburbs of Toronto.
Pascal Siakam had to emerge from some small settings before he could reach the big time.
That made Siakam's 32-point performance in Game 1 even more impressive. The players who often stand out this time of year are the can't-miss prospects who seemed destined for greatness from the time they were kids.
Siakam hadn't even started playing basketball by then.
But there he was Thursday night, shooting 14 of 17 from the field to spark Toronto's 118-109 victory over Golden State.
''I've never seen anything like that before,'' Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. ''That's a pretty big stage for a guy to put that kind of performance on, almost with any background.''
It was the most points in an NBA Finals debut since Kevin Durant had 36 for Oklahoma City in 2012, and it made Siakam the first player to score 30 or more on at least 80 percent shooting in a finals game since Shaquille O'Neal did it in 2004.
Those players were top-two picks, as were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan, the other players since 1970 with 30 points in an NBA Finals Game 1 within their first three pro seasons.
Siakam was way down at No. 27 in the 2016 draft. Golden State's Draymond Green - a second-round pick - said there's a different level of admiration for players who have played themselves into starring roles from what are considered supporting spots.
''You come into this league and there's really no space for you,'' Green said. ''You're essentially someone who kind of comes in - I mean, you can be out in a year, you can be out in two years, you can be out in four years. And to gain that respect and to, as I said before, become one of those guys, I think it's special. Siakam has done that.''
The 6-foot-9 Siakam was already a good athlete, having played soccer as a boy in Cameroon. But it was his desire to become a good basketball player that's kept him in the gym long hours to make up for his late start in the game.
He took part in a Basketball without Borders camp in South Africa in 2012 at 18 and was soon on the way to the U.S. to embark on a basketball career. He ended up at New Mexico State for two seasons, winning Western Athletic Conference player of the year in his second one, before the Raptors drafted him.
Siakam was MVP of the 2017 NBA G League Finals after helping Raptors 905 win the title, but success with the big club would have to wait. He didn't have a reliable shot yet, certainly not reliable enough to be a regular contributor on a 50-win team. But he's developed one over the summers and unleashed it on opponents during this season, when he averaged 16.9 points and played well enough to be a finalist for Most Improved Player.
''He works, works, works,'' Nurse said. ''He takes care of himself. He's really got a burning desire to be a very, very good player in this league.''
But the biggest change for Siakam came off the court.
He was in college when his father, Tchamo, died. Siakam, who still writes ''RIP Dad'' on his sneakers, called it the hardest moment of his life but said it was a turning point into making him into the person he has become.
''Thank God I had the support of my teammates and coaches in college that helped me go through it. But it was definitely one of the toughest moments in my life, and not being able to go home for the funeral and all that,'' Siakam said.
''So it was definitely a moment where it kind of tested me as a man. Just being able to go through that and for me using that as a motivation and something that's going to push me to do better things for my family and for myself, for my dad.''
Green, a former Defensive Player of the Year, blamed himself for the poor defense on Siakam and vowed to be better Sunday in Game 2. Siakam knows there will be adjustments, but he might make some, too.
''I think I always say, I learned a lot and I know I have a lot to learn,'' Siakam said. ''I think that's one of the advantages for me. I know I have so much to learn. I have to grow. It allows me to look at my mistakes and evaluate them and try to see how I can do better.''
Durant out for Game 2 of NBA Finals
May 31, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) Golden State star Kevin Durant is going to miss Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and Andre Iguodala's health is of at least mild concern to the two-time defending champion Warriors as well.
Iguodala, the 2015 NBA Finals MVP, had an MRI on Friday on his left leg after he was hurt late in Game 1 of the title-series opener against the Toronto Raptors. Durant, the finals MVP in 2017 and 2018 who has been dealing with a strained calf, was ruled out by Warriors coach Steve Kerr in an expected move.
''Kevin's not going to play Sunday,'' Kerr said. ''I guess we've been holding out hope, but might as well say it now. ... It's near-impossible for him to play on Sunday.''
Toronto took Game 1 and will host Game 2 on Sunday night. Iguodala expects to play, and the Warriors said his MRI came back clean.
''He seems to be doing well. ... I talked to him and he said he felt pretty good,'' Kerr said.
Iguodala scored with just under two minutes left in Game 1, his left leg flaring out a bit as he leaped to take that shot from the middle of the lane. He immediately grabbed the back of the leg in the hamstring area after landing, clapped his hands while grimacing and hobbled down to the other end.
The Warriors subbed him out not long afterward, and he didn't return.
Iguodala started and played 29 minutes in Game 1, finishing with six points, six rebounds and seven assists. He was slowed in the Western Conference finals by a problem with his left calf, and he missed the clinching Game 4 of that series.
Kerr said the team isn't going to rush Durant's return. The fear is that if he comes back before the calf is sound even the slightest tweak would mean his season is over.
Durant hasn't played since he was hurt in Game 5 of the West semifinals against Houston.
''The thinking is when he's ready to play, he'll play,'' Kerr said.
Durant traveled with the team to Toronto, wanting to be with his teammates for the start of the finals and needing to work with the Warriors' medical staff.
''He's still progressing,'' Kerr said.
May 31, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) Golden State star Kevin Durant is going to miss Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and Andre Iguodala's health is of at least mild concern to the two-time defending champion Warriors as well.
Iguodala, the 2015 NBA Finals MVP, had an MRI on Friday on his left leg after he was hurt late in Game 1 of the title-series opener against the Toronto Raptors. Durant, the finals MVP in 2017 and 2018 who has been dealing with a strained calf, was ruled out by Warriors coach Steve Kerr in an expected move.
''Kevin's not going to play Sunday,'' Kerr said. ''I guess we've been holding out hope, but might as well say it now. ... It's near-impossible for him to play on Sunday.''
Toronto took Game 1 and will host Game 2 on Sunday night. Iguodala expects to play, and the Warriors said his MRI came back clean.
''He seems to be doing well. ... I talked to him and he said he felt pretty good,'' Kerr said.
Iguodala scored with just under two minutes left in Game 1, his left leg flaring out a bit as he leaped to take that shot from the middle of the lane. He immediately grabbed the back of the leg in the hamstring area after landing, clapped his hands while grimacing and hobbled down to the other end.
The Warriors subbed him out not long afterward, and he didn't return.
Iguodala started and played 29 minutes in Game 1, finishing with six points, six rebounds and seven assists. He was slowed in the Western Conference finals by a problem with his left calf, and he missed the clinching Game 4 of that series.
Kerr said the team isn't going to rush Durant's return. The fear is that if he comes back before the calf is sound even the slightest tweak would mean his season is over.
Durant hasn't played since he was hurt in Game 5 of the West semifinals against Houston.
''The thinking is when he's ready to play, he'll play,'' Kerr said.
Durant traveled with the team to Toronto, wanting to be with his teammates for the start of the finals and needing to work with the Warriors' medical staff.
''He's still progressing,'' Kerr said.
Sunday?s 6-pack
Six players taken ahead of Pascal Siakam in the 2016 NBA Draft:
21. Atlanta ? DeAndre Bembry
22. Charlotte ? Malachi Richardson
23. Boston ? Ante Zizic
24. Philadelphia ? Timothe Luwawu
25. LA Clippers ? Brice Johnson
26. Philadelphia ? Furkan Korkmaz
27. Toronto ? Pascal Siakam
Quotes of the Day
?It?s hard to get minutes at Kentucky ? EVEN IF YOU?RE MY SON.?
John Calipari, whose son Brad entered the transfer portal this week
Sunday?s quiz
Which two rivers meet at Pittsburgh?s Point State Park to form the Ohio River?
Saturday?s quiz
Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League are the AA farm club of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Friday?s quiz
Steve Kerr was born in Lebanon; his father was president of the American University in Beirut- he was assassinated there in 1984.
******************************
Sunday?s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday??
13) New sports book opened in Las Vegas Saturday, at the Golden Gate Casino downtown. Circa Sports is running this book; there will be a new Circa hotel/casino being built downtown soon, which looks like it will be really nice.
12) Friday, someone bid more than $4.5M in a charity auction for the opportunity to have dinner with famed investor Warren Buffett. Wonder what was on the menu?
11) Alex, I?d like Bad Baseball for $500:
Bottom of 3rd inning in Chicago, White Sox have runners on 1st and 2nd, one out, with Yoan Moncada up, the #2 hitter in order. TV analyst Steve Stone predicts a pickoff attempt at 2B, because the shortstop took his glove off. Sure enough, they pick the guy off second, but not only that, they throw to first and pick that genius off, too.
Pitcher is dying on the mound and he gets a double play without throwing a pitch.
Stone is one of the best TV analysts; very smart.
10) Jacob deGrom?s last three starts were against Scherzer, Kershaw, Greinke. Lot of high profile pitching matchups.
9) Baseball stuff:
? Milwaukee put P Gio Gonzalez (arm) on IL.
? Red Sox put 1B Steve Pearce (back) on IL.
? Texas OF Joey Gallo (oblique) left Saturday?s game early
8) Twins 6, Rays 2? Minnesota is now 39-18; last year, they got their 39th win on July 8.
7) College basketball transfer portal:
? Texas A&M?Corpus Christi G Kareem South bolted to California.
? American F Sam Iorio bolts to South Alabama.
? Tennessee Tech grad transfer G Chris McNeal is poached by Cincinnati.
6) Toronto Raptors? big man Pascal Siakam didn?t start playing basketball until he was 17; imagine that?
5) In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Golden State was +2 in the 14:52 when Steph Curry was on the floor and Fred VanVleet wasn?t; they were -11 in the 25:24 with Curry/VanVleet both on floor. VanVleet has done a better job of defending Curry than anyone else in the NBA.
4) Murray State G Ja Morant, who is expected to be the #2 pick in the NBA Draft, is having minor surgery on his right knee, which should sideline him 3-4 weeks and likely means he won?t play in the Las Vegas Summer League in July.
3) Kid on Baylor hit three homers, knocked in 11 runs in a 24-6 rout of Omaha Saturday in the NCAA baseball tournament. 11 RBI in one game doesn?t happen much, at any level.
2) Brewers 12, Pirates 10 (13)? Both closers blew their first save of the year in this 5-hour game; Arcia homered in the 13th for the game-winning runs.
1) There were 1,135 home runs hit in May, breaking the all-time record for a month by 16.
Six players taken ahead of Pascal Siakam in the 2016 NBA Draft:
21. Atlanta ? DeAndre Bembry
22. Charlotte ? Malachi Richardson
23. Boston ? Ante Zizic
24. Philadelphia ? Timothe Luwawu
25. LA Clippers ? Brice Johnson
26. Philadelphia ? Furkan Korkmaz
27. Toronto ? Pascal Siakam
Quotes of the Day
?It?s hard to get minutes at Kentucky ? EVEN IF YOU?RE MY SON.?
John Calipari, whose son Brad entered the transfer portal this week
Sunday?s quiz
Which two rivers meet at Pittsburgh?s Point State Park to form the Ohio River?
Saturday?s quiz
Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League are the AA farm club of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Friday?s quiz
Steve Kerr was born in Lebanon; his father was president of the American University in Beirut- he was assassinated there in 1984.
******************************
Sunday?s List of 13: Wrapping up a sports Saturday??
13) New sports book opened in Las Vegas Saturday, at the Golden Gate Casino downtown. Circa Sports is running this book; there will be a new Circa hotel/casino being built downtown soon, which looks like it will be really nice.
12) Friday, someone bid more than $4.5M in a charity auction for the opportunity to have dinner with famed investor Warren Buffett. Wonder what was on the menu?
11) Alex, I?d like Bad Baseball for $500:
Bottom of 3rd inning in Chicago, White Sox have runners on 1st and 2nd, one out, with Yoan Moncada up, the #2 hitter in order. TV analyst Steve Stone predicts a pickoff attempt at 2B, because the shortstop took his glove off. Sure enough, they pick the guy off second, but not only that, they throw to first and pick that genius off, too.
Pitcher is dying on the mound and he gets a double play without throwing a pitch.
Stone is one of the best TV analysts; very smart.
10) Jacob deGrom?s last three starts were against Scherzer, Kershaw, Greinke. Lot of high profile pitching matchups.
9) Baseball stuff:
? Milwaukee put P Gio Gonzalez (arm) on IL.
? Red Sox put 1B Steve Pearce (back) on IL.
? Texas OF Joey Gallo (oblique) left Saturday?s game early
8) Twins 6, Rays 2? Minnesota is now 39-18; last year, they got their 39th win on July 8.
7) College basketball transfer portal:
? Texas A&M?Corpus Christi G Kareem South bolted to California.
? American F Sam Iorio bolts to South Alabama.
? Tennessee Tech grad transfer G Chris McNeal is poached by Cincinnati.
6) Toronto Raptors? big man Pascal Siakam didn?t start playing basketball until he was 17; imagine that?
5) In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Golden State was +2 in the 14:52 when Steph Curry was on the floor and Fred VanVleet wasn?t; they were -11 in the 25:24 with Curry/VanVleet both on floor. VanVleet has done a better job of defending Curry than anyone else in the NBA.
4) Murray State G Ja Morant, who is expected to be the #2 pick in the NBA Draft, is having minor surgery on his right knee, which should sideline him 3-4 weeks and likely means he won?t play in the Las Vegas Summer League in July.
3) Kid on Baylor hit three homers, knocked in 11 runs in a 24-6 rout of Omaha Saturday in the NCAA baseball tournament. 11 RBI in one game doesn?t happen much, at any level.
2) Brewers 12, Pirates 10 (13)? Both closers blew their first save of the year in this 5-hour game; Arcia homered in the 13th for the game-winning runs.
1) There were 1,135 home runs hit in May, breaking the all-time record for a month by 16.
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Finals G2 - Warriors at Raptors
Kevin Rogers
Two weeks ago, the Raptors were sitting in an 0-2 hole against the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Five victories later, Toronto is fresh off its first ever win in the NBA Finals as the Raptors lead the two-time defending champion Warriors, 1-0 following an impressive 118-109 triumph in Game 1.
The Warriors lost an NBA Finals opener for the first time under Steve Kerr in five tries, which coincides with Golden State not owning home-court advantage for the first time in this stretch. Toronto used the energy of its fans (even Drake) at Scotiabank Arena to improve to 9-2 at home in the playoffs. The most shocking part of Game 1 was the Raptors didn?t have to lean on star Kawhi Leonard to carry them to victory.
Leonard is averaging 30.7 points per game in the playoffs, but converted only five field goals in 14 attempts and posted 23 points in his first NBA Finals appearance since 2014. The real star for Toronto was Pascal Siakam, who knocked down 14-of-17 shots from the floor for 32 points, a playoff career high. Siakam put up a total of 32 points in the final two games of the Milwaukee series, but his efficient evening helped contribute to Toronto shooting nearly 51% from the floor.
The Raptors also received solid outings from Marc Gasol and Fred VanVleet, who combined for 35 points, helping overcome the 18 total points from the starting backcourt of Kyle Lowry and Danny Green. Toronto helped itself at the foul line by shooting 27-of-32, while outscoring Golden State in three of four quarters.
The Warriors continued to play without Kevin Durant, who is expected to miss Game 2 with a lingering calf injury and there is not timetable for his return. Stephen Curry led all scorers with 34 points, including 14 points from the foul line. Klay Thompson posted 21 points, while Draymond Green compiled another triple-double with exactly 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Six other Warriors scored at least six points, but none of them hit double-figures as Golden State saw its 12-game winning streak in playoff openers snapped.
The ?over? (212 ?) connected in Game 1 as the teams combined for 227 points. The oddsmakers sent out a total of 215 for the second installment and Chris David offered up his thoughts and handicap for Sunday?s total.
He said, ?The ?under? looked like the right side early in the opener as the Toronto led 25-21 after the first 12 minutes but that false hope faded quickly. The pace wasn?t fast by any stretch as Golden State and Toronto attempted 78 and 77 shots respectively. However, the pair did combine for 25 three-pointers and the ultimate ?under? killer was 56 made free throws on 63 attempts by the two teams. Most of the fouls were deserving and you could argue that Golden State (29-of-31) probably should?ve taken more. Handicapping the free throw game in basketball is similar to forecasting for penalties in football, impossible! With that being said, I?d be surprised to see both teams earn 30-plus attempts at the charity stripe on Sunday.?
Including Thursday?s result, Golden State has now watched the ?over? go 7-2 on the road in the playoffs while Toronto is 6-5 to the ?under? at home but three of the last four at the Scotiabank Arena have gone ?over? the number.
David dug up some other numbers for Sunday, which focuses on Golden State?s ability to rebound after defeats.
?Since the All-Star break, Golden State has gone 11-2 after a loss and it?s averaged 118 PPG. That includes a 3-1 record in this year?s playoffs. While many bettors would run to the counter and push the ?over? agenda, make a note that the ?under? has gone 9-4 in those 13 games and those results point directly to Golden State?s defense which has only allowed 106.1 PPG. Knowing that Toronto has been much better offensively at home (108 PPG) in the playoffs than on the road (101 PPG), you might be hesitant to go against the hosts on Sunday.?
?While the home energy has certainly helped the Raptors, I don?t see Toronto shooting 50 percent from the field again and I believe the free throw numbers will temper down. Toronto?s Team Total is hovering at 108 ? for Game 2 and it?s only surpassed this number six times in 19 playoff games. I expect the Raptors to try to muck it up again but I?m not buying their offense again,? David added.
From 2009-2015, the team that lost Game 1 came back to win Game 2 of the NBA Finals. However, the winner of Game 1 each of the past three seasons (Golden State) has gone up 2-0 with victories in Game 2. The last team to win Game 2 following a series opening loss in the Finals is Cleveland, who edged Golden State in overtime back in 2015, but they ended up losing the series in six games.
NBA expert Tony Mejia weighs in on Game 2, ?I?m expecting this to be the final time the Warriors take the floor without Durant, which means it might be the last opportunity for the unit that did all the heavy lifting without him to shine comfortably. That puts pressure on Green to be far superior than he was in Game 1, where his six turnovers and inability to disrupt Siakam?s rhythm led to Golden State?s downfall. The Raptors deserve credit for draining huge contested shots late in the shot clock throughout the game, but Green never put his stamp on the contest despite ending up with the bare-minimum triple-double (10 points, 10 boards and 10 assists).?
?With his knee not expected to keep him out of this one, both Green and Andre Iguodala will have to make sure they?re capitalizing on the attention the Raptors are giving Curry and Thompson. Gasol?s pick-and-roll defense was also major factor, so look for the Warriors to have tweaks in in place. I?m expecting to see a slower pace to Game 2 since the Warriors are going to make a concerted effort to get back better than they managed to on Thursday night,? Mejia notes.
As far as props for the series go, Curry is listed as the favorite for Finals MVP at Sportsbook.ag with 11/10 odds (Bet $100 to win $110). Leonard is right behind at 9/5 odds (Bet $100 to win $180), but the biggest jump came from Siakam, who went from 50/1 odds prior to the Finals to 8/1 after the impressive Game 1 showing.
Key Individual Props
Stephen Curry ? Total Points 32 ? (-115 each way)
Stephen Curry ? Total Free Throws 6 (-115 each way)
Stephen Curry ? Total Made 3-Pointers 4 ? (Over -165, Under +130)
Klay Thompson ? Total Points 22 (-115 each way)
Klay Thompson ? Total Made 3-Pointers 2 ? (Over -225, Under +160)
Draymond Green ? Total Points + Rebounds + Assists 30 ? (-115 each way)
Kawhi Leonard ? Total Points 30 ? (-115 each way)
Kawhi Leonard ? Total Rebounds 8 ? (-115 each way)
Pascal Siakam ? Total Points 19 ? (-115 each way)
Pascal Siakam ? Total Rebounds 7 ? (Over Even, Under -130)
Kyle Lowry ? Total Points 14 ? (-115 each way)
Marc Gasol ? Total Points 11 (Over -125, Under -105)
Kevin Rogers
Two weeks ago, the Raptors were sitting in an 0-2 hole against the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Five victories later, Toronto is fresh off its first ever win in the NBA Finals as the Raptors lead the two-time defending champion Warriors, 1-0 following an impressive 118-109 triumph in Game 1.
The Warriors lost an NBA Finals opener for the first time under Steve Kerr in five tries, which coincides with Golden State not owning home-court advantage for the first time in this stretch. Toronto used the energy of its fans (even Drake) at Scotiabank Arena to improve to 9-2 at home in the playoffs. The most shocking part of Game 1 was the Raptors didn?t have to lean on star Kawhi Leonard to carry them to victory.
Leonard is averaging 30.7 points per game in the playoffs, but converted only five field goals in 14 attempts and posted 23 points in his first NBA Finals appearance since 2014. The real star for Toronto was Pascal Siakam, who knocked down 14-of-17 shots from the floor for 32 points, a playoff career high. Siakam put up a total of 32 points in the final two games of the Milwaukee series, but his efficient evening helped contribute to Toronto shooting nearly 51% from the floor.
The Raptors also received solid outings from Marc Gasol and Fred VanVleet, who combined for 35 points, helping overcome the 18 total points from the starting backcourt of Kyle Lowry and Danny Green. Toronto helped itself at the foul line by shooting 27-of-32, while outscoring Golden State in three of four quarters.
The Warriors continued to play without Kevin Durant, who is expected to miss Game 2 with a lingering calf injury and there is not timetable for his return. Stephen Curry led all scorers with 34 points, including 14 points from the foul line. Klay Thompson posted 21 points, while Draymond Green compiled another triple-double with exactly 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Six other Warriors scored at least six points, but none of them hit double-figures as Golden State saw its 12-game winning streak in playoff openers snapped.
The ?over? (212 ?) connected in Game 1 as the teams combined for 227 points. The oddsmakers sent out a total of 215 for the second installment and Chris David offered up his thoughts and handicap for Sunday?s total.
He said, ?The ?under? looked like the right side early in the opener as the Toronto led 25-21 after the first 12 minutes but that false hope faded quickly. The pace wasn?t fast by any stretch as Golden State and Toronto attempted 78 and 77 shots respectively. However, the pair did combine for 25 three-pointers and the ultimate ?under? killer was 56 made free throws on 63 attempts by the two teams. Most of the fouls were deserving and you could argue that Golden State (29-of-31) probably should?ve taken more. Handicapping the free throw game in basketball is similar to forecasting for penalties in football, impossible! With that being said, I?d be surprised to see both teams earn 30-plus attempts at the charity stripe on Sunday.?
Including Thursday?s result, Golden State has now watched the ?over? go 7-2 on the road in the playoffs while Toronto is 6-5 to the ?under? at home but three of the last four at the Scotiabank Arena have gone ?over? the number.
David dug up some other numbers for Sunday, which focuses on Golden State?s ability to rebound after defeats.
?Since the All-Star break, Golden State has gone 11-2 after a loss and it?s averaged 118 PPG. That includes a 3-1 record in this year?s playoffs. While many bettors would run to the counter and push the ?over? agenda, make a note that the ?under? has gone 9-4 in those 13 games and those results point directly to Golden State?s defense which has only allowed 106.1 PPG. Knowing that Toronto has been much better offensively at home (108 PPG) in the playoffs than on the road (101 PPG), you might be hesitant to go against the hosts on Sunday.?
?While the home energy has certainly helped the Raptors, I don?t see Toronto shooting 50 percent from the field again and I believe the free throw numbers will temper down. Toronto?s Team Total is hovering at 108 ? for Game 2 and it?s only surpassed this number six times in 19 playoff games. I expect the Raptors to try to muck it up again but I?m not buying their offense again,? David added.
From 2009-2015, the team that lost Game 1 came back to win Game 2 of the NBA Finals. However, the winner of Game 1 each of the past three seasons (Golden State) has gone up 2-0 with victories in Game 2. The last team to win Game 2 following a series opening loss in the Finals is Cleveland, who edged Golden State in overtime back in 2015, but they ended up losing the series in six games.
NBA expert Tony Mejia weighs in on Game 2, ?I?m expecting this to be the final time the Warriors take the floor without Durant, which means it might be the last opportunity for the unit that did all the heavy lifting without him to shine comfortably. That puts pressure on Green to be far superior than he was in Game 1, where his six turnovers and inability to disrupt Siakam?s rhythm led to Golden State?s downfall. The Raptors deserve credit for draining huge contested shots late in the shot clock throughout the game, but Green never put his stamp on the contest despite ending up with the bare-minimum triple-double (10 points, 10 boards and 10 assists).?
?With his knee not expected to keep him out of this one, both Green and Andre Iguodala will have to make sure they?re capitalizing on the attention the Raptors are giving Curry and Thompson. Gasol?s pick-and-roll defense was also major factor, so look for the Warriors to have tweaks in in place. I?m expecting to see a slower pace to Game 2 since the Warriors are going to make a concerted effort to get back better than they managed to on Thursday night,? Mejia notes.
As far as props for the series go, Curry is listed as the favorite for Finals MVP at Sportsbook.ag with 11/10 odds (Bet $100 to win $110). Leonard is right behind at 9/5 odds (Bet $100 to win $180), but the biggest jump came from Siakam, who went from 50/1 odds prior to the Finals to 8/1 after the impressive Game 1 showing.
Key Individual Props
Stephen Curry ? Total Points 32 ? (-115 each way)
Stephen Curry ? Total Free Throws 6 (-115 each way)
Stephen Curry ? Total Made 3-Pointers 4 ? (Over -165, Under +130)
Klay Thompson ? Total Points 22 (-115 each way)
Klay Thompson ? Total Made 3-Pointers 2 ? (Over -225, Under +160)
Draymond Green ? Total Points + Rebounds + Assists 30 ? (-115 each way)
Kawhi Leonard ? Total Points 30 ? (-115 each way)
Kawhi Leonard ? Total Rebounds 8 ? (-115 each way)
Pascal Siakam ? Total Points 19 ? (-115 each way)
Pascal Siakam ? Total Rebounds 7 ? (Over Even, Under -130)
Kyle Lowry ? Total Points 14 ? (-115 each way)
Marc Gasol ? Total Points 11 (Over -125, Under -105)
523Golden State -524 Toronto
GOLDEN STATE is 93-67 ATS (19.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
NBA
Dunkel
Sunday, June 2
Golden State @ Toronto
Game 523-524
June 2, 2019 @ 8:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
130.102
Toronto
128.905
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 1
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 2 1/2
215
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(+2 1/2); Under
NBA
Long Sheet
Sunday, June 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOLDEN STATE (69 - 30) at TORONTO (71 - 30) - 6/2/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 42-55 ATS (-18.5 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) on Sunday games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 52-68 ATS (-22.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 34-50 ATS (-21.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 19-29 ATS (-12.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 35-44 ATS (-13.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
TORONTO is 216-269 ATS (-79.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-2 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 4-3 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up
Sunday, June 2
Toronto is 3-0 vs Golden State this season, winning in OT in Oakland in November, by 20 at home 13 days later, then 118-109 in Game 1 Thursday, when Siakam scored 32 points (14-17 from floor). Golden State won six of last seven games; Green/Bell/Iguodala were combined 6-18 on Game 1, Cousins didn?t do much off bench. Warriors need to find a third scorer with Durant likely out again. Seven of last nine series games went over the total. Over is 4-1-1 in Warriors? last six road games. Toronto won/covered its last five games; they won last six home games (5-1 vs spread). Over is 4-2 in last six Raptor home games.
NBA
Sunday, June 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Golden State's last 10 games
Golden State is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Golden State is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games on the road
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
Golden State is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Golden State's last 9 games when playing Toronto
Golden State is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Golden State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
Toronto is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games at home
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
Toronto is 8-15-1 ATS in its last 24 games when playing Golden State
Toronto is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 9 games when playing Golden State
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
GOLDEN STATE is 93-67 ATS (19.3 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
NBA
Dunkel
Sunday, June 2
Golden State @ Toronto
Game 523-524
June 2, 2019 @ 8:00 pm
Dunkel Rating:
Golden State
130.102
Toronto
128.905
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Golden State
by 1
212
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
by 2 1/2
215
Dunkel Pick:
Golden State
(+2 1/2); Under
NBA
Long Sheet
Sunday, June 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GOLDEN STATE (69 - 30) at TORONTO (71 - 30) - 6/2/2019, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
GOLDEN STATE is 42-55 ATS (-18.5 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) on Sunday games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 52-68 ATS (-22.8 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 34-50 ATS (-21.0 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 19-29 ATS (-12.9 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 35-44 ATS (-13.4 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
TORONTO is 216-269 ATS (-79.9 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-2 against the spread versus GOLDEN STATE over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 4-3 straight up against TORONTO over the last 3 seasons
5 of 7 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NBA
Armadillo's Write-Up
Sunday, June 2
Toronto is 3-0 vs Golden State this season, winning in OT in Oakland in November, by 20 at home 13 days later, then 118-109 in Game 1 Thursday, when Siakam scored 32 points (14-17 from floor). Golden State won six of last seven games; Green/Bell/Iguodala were combined 6-18 on Game 1, Cousins didn?t do much off bench. Warriors need to find a third scorer with Durant likely out again. Seven of last nine series games went over the total. Over is 4-1-1 in Warriors? last six road games. Toronto won/covered its last five games; they won last six home games (5-1 vs spread). Over is 4-2 in last six Raptor home games.
NBA
Sunday, June 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Golden State Warriors
Golden State is 3-5-1 ATS in its last 9 games
Golden State is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Golden State's last 10 games
Golden State is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
Golden State is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Golden State's last 7 games on the road
Golden State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Toronto
Golden State is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Golden State's last 9 games when playing Toronto
Golden State is 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Golden State is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto Raptors
Toronto is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games
Toronto is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games at home
Toronto is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Golden State
Toronto is 8-15-1 ATS in its last 24 games when playing Golden State
Toronto is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games when playing Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 9 games when playing Golden State
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Golden State
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing at home against Golden State
Center (or centre) of attention: How best to use Cousins?
June 1, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) Marc Gasol's highest-scoring game since joining the Toronto Raptors came at the perfect time - Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
He scored 20 points, busting out of a slump in a variety of places: at the rim, from midrange, on the foul line, beyond the arc.
All different, yet with one thing in common - Golden State's DeMarcus Cousins wasn't on the floor for any of them.
That may change Sunday night. It's spelled center in the U.S., centre in Canada, and either way that position battle may tell the tale when the Raptors host the Warriors in Game 2 of the title matchup.
Cousins logged only eight minutes in his first game since recovering from a serious quadriceps injury, and it would shock nobody if the Warriors called on him for more as the series goes along.
''He did some good things. That was a good first step,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Saturday when assessing Cousins' performance in Game 1. ''So we have to figure out now as a staff, as a team, where does that leave us? Do we increase the minutes? Do we change the role at all? Those are all things we have been discussing.''
The answers may be critical.
For as elaborate as certain elements of NBA offenses are, the Raptors operate under a fairly simple pretense - find the open guy. They did that often in Game 1, with Gasol one of the main reasons why. When he's camped out at the 3-point line, Gasol creates space. When the Warriors aimed to take that space away, he found room to maneuver elsewhere.
''If the rotation happens and they leave somebody else open, my nature is to make the extra pass,'' Gasol said. ''If they stay home, it is my job to knock it down.''
When he was struggling to find ways to get any shots to fall in the Eastern Conference finals against Milwaukee, Raptors coach Nick Nurse hinted that lineup changes were coming and the suggestion seemed to be that Gasol would be coming out of the lineup. Turns out, Nurse really had no intention to sit Gasol. He merely had a chat with him, trying to settle him down.
''Doesn't hurt,'' Gasol said. ''I don't know if it helped or not, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have your coach say, `Hey, it's OK.'''
The thing Nurse was certain of, when it came to Gasol, that the biggest moments were not going to be too big for a veteran of his stature.
''He's not only played in a lot of big NBA games, but he's played on the international stage at the highest level,'' Nurse said. ''I think he has a couple silver medals under his belt or something like that.''
Nobody's playing for a silver medal in this series.
And even though it's just one game, the Warriors surely feel some sort of urgency now. Even heading home for Games 3 and 4, a 2-0 hole in the title series would be daunting.
That's why the decision on Cousins' role is one Kerr isn't taking lightly. A misstep now is a big problem, even for Golden State.
''I feel fine,'' Cousins said. ''The adjustments, we'll make those according to what we see fit. We'll take it from there.''
June 1, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) Marc Gasol's highest-scoring game since joining the Toronto Raptors came at the perfect time - Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
He scored 20 points, busting out of a slump in a variety of places: at the rim, from midrange, on the foul line, beyond the arc.
All different, yet with one thing in common - Golden State's DeMarcus Cousins wasn't on the floor for any of them.
That may change Sunday night. It's spelled center in the U.S., centre in Canada, and either way that position battle may tell the tale when the Raptors host the Warriors in Game 2 of the title matchup.
Cousins logged only eight minutes in his first game since recovering from a serious quadriceps injury, and it would shock nobody if the Warriors called on him for more as the series goes along.
''He did some good things. That was a good first step,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Saturday when assessing Cousins' performance in Game 1. ''So we have to figure out now as a staff, as a team, where does that leave us? Do we increase the minutes? Do we change the role at all? Those are all things we have been discussing.''
The answers may be critical.
For as elaborate as certain elements of NBA offenses are, the Raptors operate under a fairly simple pretense - find the open guy. They did that often in Game 1, with Gasol one of the main reasons why. When he's camped out at the 3-point line, Gasol creates space. When the Warriors aimed to take that space away, he found room to maneuver elsewhere.
''If the rotation happens and they leave somebody else open, my nature is to make the extra pass,'' Gasol said. ''If they stay home, it is my job to knock it down.''
When he was struggling to find ways to get any shots to fall in the Eastern Conference finals against Milwaukee, Raptors coach Nick Nurse hinted that lineup changes were coming and the suggestion seemed to be that Gasol would be coming out of the lineup. Turns out, Nurse really had no intention to sit Gasol. He merely had a chat with him, trying to settle him down.
''Doesn't hurt,'' Gasol said. ''I don't know if it helped or not, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have your coach say, `Hey, it's OK.'''
The thing Nurse was certain of, when it came to Gasol, that the biggest moments were not going to be too big for a veteran of his stature.
''He's not only played in a lot of big NBA games, but he's played on the international stage at the highest level,'' Nurse said. ''I think he has a couple silver medals under his belt or something like that.''
Nobody's playing for a silver medal in this series.
And even though it's just one game, the Warriors surely feel some sort of urgency now. Even heading home for Games 3 and 4, a 2-0 hole in the title series would be daunting.
That's why the decision on Cousins' role is one Kerr isn't taking lightly. A misstep now is a big problem, even for Golden State.
''I feel fine,'' Cousins said. ''The adjustments, we'll make those according to what we see fit. We'll take it from there.''
Warriors confident despite Finals hole
June 1, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) The Toronto Raptors are rugged and relentless, capable of punishing teams in transition any time they make a mistake.
The Golden State Warriors felt like they were seeing a version of themselves in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and now they have to stop it.
No problem, they figure.
''It's first to four, not first to one,'' Klay Thompson said. ''So, still a lot of basketball to be played.''
The Warriors' 1-0 deficit may be unusual, but they certainly don't seem uncomfortable. Golden State had won 12 straight Game 1s before falling 118-109 on Thursday, and the two-time defending champions hadn't been behind in the NBA Finals since Cleveland had a 2-1 lead in 2015.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr has pointed to his team's poor transition defense in the opener after Toronto used its quickness to score 24 fast-break points and turn the Warriors' 17 turnovers into 17 points.
''They were getting the ball off the rim and just pushing it. Instead of crashing as hard as we did, we'll have to make the adjustment in Game 2 and try to send more guys back,'' Thompson said Saturday. ''But 10 days off as well, we might have had a little cobwebs. It was just a mixture of things. But I know this: I know we'll be better tomorrow.''
Kerr said the Raptors reminded him of the Warriors, with Pascal Siakam pushing the ball in transition the way Draymond Green does. Siakam was the far more effective player in the opener, with 32 points while Green struggled to a 2-for-9 night.
But the Warriors aren't worried, relying on the confidence from facing just about every possible situation while making it to five straight NBA Finals.
''They got rings and they can be confident,'' Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. ''We can't really necessarily worry about them. We have to continue to worry about us. They're going to be them and they're going to do their thing, but for us we have to concentrate on us and focus on what we have to do.''
Things to know going into Game 2:
BETTER LEONARD?
Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points in the opener but shot just 5 for 14 after averaging 31.2 points in the first three rounds. Coach Nick Nurse doesn't think the All-Star forward was bothered by a leg injury that appeared to hamper him somewhat in the Eastern Conference finals.
''I don't think the leg trouble is much of an issue,'' Nurse said, ''and I'm expecting him to play a lot better tomorrow.''
TALKING TRASH
If the Warriors want to rattle Leonard, it will require actions rather than words. The 2014 NBA Finals MVP always appears to be calm, and he was asked if he responds when players try to trash talk him.
''It really doesn't happen too much,'' Leonard said. ''I really can't say it happens.''
KD's OK
Though Kevin Durant remains out at least one more game with a strained right calf, he traveled to Toronto with the Warriors to work with the training staff. Stephen Curry said his presence around the locker room is helpful until the two-time NBA Finals MVP can get back on the floor.
''Anybody who goes through an injury like that, you kind of feel alienated because your schedule is a little different. Most of the time you're on kind of (isolation) with our athletic training staff, putting extra hours in. Stuff starts to feel monotonous, especially with the big stage of the finals here and now,'' Curry said. ''So I think he's handled that well, understanding his time is coming sooner than later and he's doing whatever he can on a daily basis to get healthy.''
MAN IN THE MIDDLE
The Warriors started Jordan Bell at center in Game 1 and Kerr thought he did well, but Golden State has other options. DeMarcus Cousins and Andrew Bogut are also in the center rotation along with Kevon Looney.
''Every game is going to be different,'' Kerr said. ''Pretty much every game this postseason has been different at the center position, based on what we have needed. The one constant is Looney, who is going to play his 28, 30 minutes one way or the other. What we're always trying to do is mix and match, and find matchups and fill in those gaps with the right combinations that can help us win.''
WATCH YOUR MOUTH
The Los Angeles Clippers were fined $50,000 by the NBA on Friday for comments coach Doc Rivers made about Leonard during a TV appearance. Kerr won't fall into the same predicament, having gotten in trouble before.
''I got fined when I was the GM of Phoenix for making a joke on `The Dan Patrick Show.''' Kerr said. ''I think he asked me if we were interested in LeBron when LeBron was a free agent back in whatever it was that he went to Miami. I said if he's willing to take the minimum, we would take him. Dan laughed. And I wrote a $10,000 check the next day. So I learned my lesson. I don't comment about any other players''.
June 1, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) The Toronto Raptors are rugged and relentless, capable of punishing teams in transition any time they make a mistake.
The Golden State Warriors felt like they were seeing a version of themselves in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, and now they have to stop it.
No problem, they figure.
''It's first to four, not first to one,'' Klay Thompson said. ''So, still a lot of basketball to be played.''
The Warriors' 1-0 deficit may be unusual, but they certainly don't seem uncomfortable. Golden State had won 12 straight Game 1s before falling 118-109 on Thursday, and the two-time defending champions hadn't been behind in the NBA Finals since Cleveland had a 2-1 lead in 2015.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr has pointed to his team's poor transition defense in the opener after Toronto used its quickness to score 24 fast-break points and turn the Warriors' 17 turnovers into 17 points.
''They were getting the ball off the rim and just pushing it. Instead of crashing as hard as we did, we'll have to make the adjustment in Game 2 and try to send more guys back,'' Thompson said Saturday. ''But 10 days off as well, we might have had a little cobwebs. It was just a mixture of things. But I know this: I know we'll be better tomorrow.''
Kerr said the Raptors reminded him of the Warriors, with Pascal Siakam pushing the ball in transition the way Draymond Green does. Siakam was the far more effective player in the opener, with 32 points while Green struggled to a 2-for-9 night.
But the Warriors aren't worried, relying on the confidence from facing just about every possible situation while making it to five straight NBA Finals.
''They got rings and they can be confident,'' Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. ''We can't really necessarily worry about them. We have to continue to worry about us. They're going to be them and they're going to do their thing, but for us we have to concentrate on us and focus on what we have to do.''
Things to know going into Game 2:
BETTER LEONARD?
Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points in the opener but shot just 5 for 14 after averaging 31.2 points in the first three rounds. Coach Nick Nurse doesn't think the All-Star forward was bothered by a leg injury that appeared to hamper him somewhat in the Eastern Conference finals.
''I don't think the leg trouble is much of an issue,'' Nurse said, ''and I'm expecting him to play a lot better tomorrow.''
TALKING TRASH
If the Warriors want to rattle Leonard, it will require actions rather than words. The 2014 NBA Finals MVP always appears to be calm, and he was asked if he responds when players try to trash talk him.
''It really doesn't happen too much,'' Leonard said. ''I really can't say it happens.''
KD's OK
Though Kevin Durant remains out at least one more game with a strained right calf, he traveled to Toronto with the Warriors to work with the training staff. Stephen Curry said his presence around the locker room is helpful until the two-time NBA Finals MVP can get back on the floor.
''Anybody who goes through an injury like that, you kind of feel alienated because your schedule is a little different. Most of the time you're on kind of (isolation) with our athletic training staff, putting extra hours in. Stuff starts to feel monotonous, especially with the big stage of the finals here and now,'' Curry said. ''So I think he's handled that well, understanding his time is coming sooner than later and he's doing whatever he can on a daily basis to get healthy.''
MAN IN THE MIDDLE
The Warriors started Jordan Bell at center in Game 1 and Kerr thought he did well, but Golden State has other options. DeMarcus Cousins and Andrew Bogut are also in the center rotation along with Kevon Looney.
''Every game is going to be different,'' Kerr said. ''Pretty much every game this postseason has been different at the center position, based on what we have needed. The one constant is Looney, who is going to play his 28, 30 minutes one way or the other. What we're always trying to do is mix and match, and find matchups and fill in those gaps with the right combinations that can help us win.''
WATCH YOUR MOUTH
The Los Angeles Clippers were fined $50,000 by the NBA on Friday for comments coach Doc Rivers made about Leonard during a TV appearance. Kerr won't fall into the same predicament, having gotten in trouble before.
''I got fined when I was the GM of Phoenix for making a joke on `The Dan Patrick Show.''' Kerr said. ''I think he asked me if we were interested in LeBron when LeBron was a free agent back in whatever it was that he went to Miami. I said if he's willing to take the minimum, we would take him. Dan laughed. And I wrote a $10,000 check the next day. So I learned my lesson. I don't comment about any other players''.
For Raptors, a bad 6-minute stretch proved very costly
June 2, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) It all came apart in about six minutes for the Toronto Raptors.
They went scoreless over their first 12 possessions of the second half, a stretch during which what had been a double-digit lead late in the second quarter became a double-digit deficit to the Golden State Warriors.
With that, the lead was gone for good.
And so, too, is the Raptors' home-court advantage in the NBA Finals. The Warriors never gave up the lead again, going on to beat the Raptors 109-104 in Game 2 to even the title series.
Game 3 is Wednesday night on the Warriors' home floor, Oracle Arena.
The costly six minutes included: Eight missed shots by Toronto, five turnovers and 18 consecutive points given up to the Warriors. Throw in the last two points of the half for Golden State, and it was a 20-0 run in all.
Pascal Siakam was 0 for 3 in that bad stretch. Kawhi Leonard was 0 for 2, as was Marc Gasol - who had two of the turnovers on offensive fouls. Fred VanVleet missed a 3-point try.
They led 47-35 in the second quarter, 58-48 late in the half - and the Warriors, in a flash, turned that around and went up 72-59. Add it all up, and it was a 24-1 run for the two-time defending champions.
Even after all that sputtering, the Raptors still had chances.
Leonard made three free throws - two for a foul, one more for a technical on Stephen Curry - with 1:08 left to get the Raptors within 106-101. The Raptors forced a turnover on the next possession, and then got a 3-pointer from Danny Green with 27 seconds left to close the deficit to two.
Then they needed to get as defensive stop.
They didn't get it. A helter-skelter possession for Golden State was capped by Andre Iguodala's 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left, allowing the Warriors to escape Toronto with a series split.
There will be more than the bad stretch for the Raptors to lament before Game 3 rolls around. The Raptors shot only 37 percent. They were 11 for 38 from 3-point range. They couldn't take advantage of the Warriors again being without Kevin Durant, losing Klay Thompson in the fourth quarter with hamstring tightness and seeing key reserve big-man Kevon Looney leave with a chest contusion.
Now they'll need to win at least once on the Warriors' home floor to win a title.
June 2, 2019
By The Associated Press
TORONTO (AP) It all came apart in about six minutes for the Toronto Raptors.
They went scoreless over their first 12 possessions of the second half, a stretch during which what had been a double-digit lead late in the second quarter became a double-digit deficit to the Golden State Warriors.
With that, the lead was gone for good.
And so, too, is the Raptors' home-court advantage in the NBA Finals. The Warriors never gave up the lead again, going on to beat the Raptors 109-104 in Game 2 to even the title series.
Game 3 is Wednesday night on the Warriors' home floor, Oracle Arena.
The costly six minutes included: Eight missed shots by Toronto, five turnovers and 18 consecutive points given up to the Warriors. Throw in the last two points of the half for Golden State, and it was a 20-0 run in all.
Pascal Siakam was 0 for 3 in that bad stretch. Kawhi Leonard was 0 for 2, as was Marc Gasol - who had two of the turnovers on offensive fouls. Fred VanVleet missed a 3-point try.
They led 47-35 in the second quarter, 58-48 late in the half - and the Warriors, in a flash, turned that around and went up 72-59. Add it all up, and it was a 24-1 run for the two-time defending champions.
Even after all that sputtering, the Raptors still had chances.
Leonard made three free throws - two for a foul, one more for a technical on Stephen Curry - with 1:08 left to get the Raptors within 106-101. The Raptors forced a turnover on the next possession, and then got a 3-pointer from Danny Green with 27 seconds left to close the deficit to two.
Then they needed to get as defensive stop.
They didn't get it. A helter-skelter possession for Golden State was capped by Andre Iguodala's 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left, allowing the Warriors to escape Toronto with a series split.
There will be more than the bad stretch for the Raptors to lament before Game 3 rolls around. The Raptors shot only 37 percent. They were 11 for 38 from 3-point range. They couldn't take advantage of the Warriors again being without Kevin Durant, losing Klay Thompson in the fourth quarter with hamstring tightness and seeing key reserve big-man Kevon Looney leave with a chest contusion.
Now they'll need to win at least once on the Warriors' home floor to win a title.
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Warriors beat Raptors 109-104 to even NBA Finals
June 2, 2019
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TORONTO (AP) The Golden State Warriors relied on a champion's heart to overcome their weary bodies.
Klay Thompson scored 25 points before leaving with a hamstring injury, Stephen Curry had 23 and the Warriors ran off the first 18 points of the second half on the way to a 109-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night that tied the NBA Finals at one game apiece.
With Kevin Durant already out and Thompson eventually joining him in the fourth quarter, the Warriors don't feel great - but they would've felt a whole lot worse flying home in a 2-0 hole.
''It was a great win. We got to go home and protect our home floor and we'll see about all the injuries,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''But I'm very proud of our team and in particular all the guys off the bench.''
Andre Iguodala, himself slow to get up after a hard fall in the first half, made the clinching 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left after the Raptors scored 10 straight points to cut it to 106-104.
Kawhi Leonard had 34 points and 14 rebounds for the Raptors. They had won five straight since falling behind 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals.
Curry appeared to be laboring as well in the first half, returning to the locker room in the midst of six straight misses to start the game.
But the Warriors cobbled together a good enough finish to the second quarter to keep it close, then stormed out of the locker room with one of their vintage third-quarter charges that have been so frequent during their run to five straight NBA Finals.
DeMarcus Cousins was inserted into the starting lineup and delivered 11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and Draymond Green had 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists - missing by one assist a fourth straight triple-double.
The series moves to their Oracle Arena for Games 3 and 4, with the first NBA Finals to be played outside the U.S. assured of returning to Canada for Game 5.
The Warriors will hope to have enough healthy bodies to get through it. Thompson landed awkwardly after a 3-point attempt early in the fourth quarter and limped off soon after, with backup center Kevon Looney already missing the second half with a chest injury.
And Golden State is still without Durant, who missed his seventh straight game with a strained right calf but hopes to return during the series.
For now, they got key contributions from Quinn Cook, who hit three 3-pointers, and veteran center Andrew Bogut, who wasn't even part of the roster most of the season but came off the bench for three baskets.
Fred VanVleet scored 17 points for the Raptors, who had red T-shirts with their slogan ''We The North'' hanging on seats around the arena.
The Warriors sure were seeing red, especially Curry, during a mostly miserable first half when they missed 20 of their first 28 shots.
He hung his head and didn't even attempt to run back when VanVleet stole the ball from him and made a layup to give Toronto an 11-point lead with a little more than 2 minutes remaining in the half.
But Curry made two free throws for the final points of the half to cut it to 59-54, then the Warriors came back and pitched a shutout until nearly the midpoint of the third quarter during a series-changing - perhaps season-changing - swing.
Iguodala had five quick points including a 3-pointer that moved Golden State into the lead at 61-59. The surge continued with three straight baskets from Thompson and three more from Green, whose last one capped it and made it 72-59 before Toronto finally got on the board with a 3-pointer with VanVleet with 6:20 remaining in the period.
The Warriors had won 12 straight Game 1s and this was their first time playing from behind in the finals since they were down 2-1 to Cleveland in 2015. They showed no signs of concern during the off days, and Thompson suggested part of the problem during their 118-109 loss Thursday was rust after they had nine days off in between series.
Their bigger problem early in Game 2 was the defense of the Raptors. But Toronto missed a chance to take a comfortable lead into the half and couldn't overcome its 37 percent shooting, with Pascal Siakam going 5 for 18 for 12 points after scoring 32 in the opener.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Curry had his streak of 30-point games snapped at six. Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry share the Warriors' postseason record with seven straight. ... Kerr earned his 76th postseason victory, moving past Chuck Daly and Don Nelson.
Raptors: Siakam missed his first three shots, as many as he missed in Game 1 while going 14 for 17. ... OG Anunoby was active for the first time in the playoffs after having an emergency appendectomy April 11, but didn't play.
UP NEXT
Golden State hosts Game 3 on Wednesday night.
June 2, 2019
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TORONTO (AP) The Golden State Warriors relied on a champion's heart to overcome their weary bodies.
Klay Thompson scored 25 points before leaving with a hamstring injury, Stephen Curry had 23 and the Warriors ran off the first 18 points of the second half on the way to a 109-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night that tied the NBA Finals at one game apiece.
With Kevin Durant already out and Thompson eventually joining him in the fourth quarter, the Warriors don't feel great - but they would've felt a whole lot worse flying home in a 2-0 hole.
''It was a great win. We got to go home and protect our home floor and we'll see about all the injuries,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''But I'm very proud of our team and in particular all the guys off the bench.''
Andre Iguodala, himself slow to get up after a hard fall in the first half, made the clinching 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left after the Raptors scored 10 straight points to cut it to 106-104.
Kawhi Leonard had 34 points and 14 rebounds for the Raptors. They had won five straight since falling behind 2-0 in the Eastern Conference finals.
Curry appeared to be laboring as well in the first half, returning to the locker room in the midst of six straight misses to start the game.
But the Warriors cobbled together a good enough finish to the second quarter to keep it close, then stormed out of the locker room with one of their vintage third-quarter charges that have been so frequent during their run to five straight NBA Finals.
DeMarcus Cousins was inserted into the starting lineup and delivered 11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and Draymond Green had 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists - missing by one assist a fourth straight triple-double.
The series moves to their Oracle Arena for Games 3 and 4, with the first NBA Finals to be played outside the U.S. assured of returning to Canada for Game 5.
The Warriors will hope to have enough healthy bodies to get through it. Thompson landed awkwardly after a 3-point attempt early in the fourth quarter and limped off soon after, with backup center Kevon Looney already missing the second half with a chest injury.
And Golden State is still without Durant, who missed his seventh straight game with a strained right calf but hopes to return during the series.
For now, they got key contributions from Quinn Cook, who hit three 3-pointers, and veteran center Andrew Bogut, who wasn't even part of the roster most of the season but came off the bench for three baskets.
Fred VanVleet scored 17 points for the Raptors, who had red T-shirts with their slogan ''We The North'' hanging on seats around the arena.
The Warriors sure were seeing red, especially Curry, during a mostly miserable first half when they missed 20 of their first 28 shots.
He hung his head and didn't even attempt to run back when VanVleet stole the ball from him and made a layup to give Toronto an 11-point lead with a little more than 2 minutes remaining in the half.
But Curry made two free throws for the final points of the half to cut it to 59-54, then the Warriors came back and pitched a shutout until nearly the midpoint of the third quarter during a series-changing - perhaps season-changing - swing.
Iguodala had five quick points including a 3-pointer that moved Golden State into the lead at 61-59. The surge continued with three straight baskets from Thompson and three more from Green, whose last one capped it and made it 72-59 before Toronto finally got on the board with a 3-pointer with VanVleet with 6:20 remaining in the period.
The Warriors had won 12 straight Game 1s and this was their first time playing from behind in the finals since they were down 2-1 to Cleveland in 2015. They showed no signs of concern during the off days, and Thompson suggested part of the problem during their 118-109 loss Thursday was rust after they had nine days off in between series.
Their bigger problem early in Game 2 was the defense of the Raptors. But Toronto missed a chance to take a comfortable lead into the half and couldn't overcome its 37 percent shooting, with Pascal Siakam going 5 for 18 for 12 points after scoring 32 in the opener.
TIP-INS
Warriors: Curry had his streak of 30-point games snapped at six. Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry share the Warriors' postseason record with seven straight. ... Kerr earned his 76th postseason victory, moving past Chuck Daly and Don Nelson.
Raptors: Siakam missed his first three shots, as many as he missed in Game 1 while going 14 for 17. ... OG Anunoby was active for the first time in the playoffs after having an emergency appendectomy April 11, but didn't play.
UP NEXT
Golden State hosts Game 3 on Wednesday night.
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SCHEDULE FOR WEDNESDAY JUNE 5, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:07 PM Toronto Raptors Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena
SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY JUNE 7, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:07 PM Toronto Raptors Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena
***********************
nba championship picks and best bets!
06/02/2019 1-0-1 100.00% +5.00
05/30/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
total.............. 2-1-1 66.66% +4.50
best bets
date.................ats.................units.... ..................o/u...................units...............total
06/02/2019........1 - 0..............+5.00......................0-0-1.................+0.00..............+5.00
05/30/2019........1 - 0..............+5.00......................0 - 1...................-5.50...............-0.50
total..................2 - 0.............+10.00......................0 - 2...................-5.50...............+4.50
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:07 PM Toronto Raptors Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena
SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY JUNE 7, 2019
Time (ET) Away Home Site
9:07 PM Toronto Raptors Golden State Warriors ORACLE Arena
***********************
nba championship picks and best bets!
06/02/2019 1-0-1 100.00% +5.00
05/30/2019 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
total.............. 2-1-1 66.66% +4.50
best bets
date.................ats.................units.... ..................o/u...................units...............total
06/02/2019........1 - 0..............+5.00......................0-0-1.................+0.00..............+5.00
05/30/2019........1 - 0..............+5.00......................0 - 1...................-5.50...............-0.50
total..................2 - 0.............+10.00......................0 - 2...................-5.50...............+4.50
