Kawhi, Raptors Close To A Historical Run
It was all a dream, as a former East coast musical legend would say. A dream that is closer and closer to be reality for the Toronto Raptors, as they are one win away from clinching the series and get those rings. Who would have said that this would be a possibility coming into June at the beginning of the season… not too many, and this makes the Raptors’ achievement – if they will achieve it – much more appealing for everyone but the Warriors fans. Will it be the final run of this era’s “dynasty”?
Let’s face it, Kawhi Leonard is on his way to get his second Finals MVP trophy and he is silently becoming the best player in the NBA, whether we like it or not, we must admit it, he took the Raptors at the start of the season and immediately made an impact. It’s kind of crazy to even think that Toronto may be crowned as the NBA champions, but as shockingly as it is, as far as the Warriors will not get on the other side of that historical 3-1 comeback, it will soon be reality for the Canadians. These are hard times for the Warriors, as they were all banged up during these playoffs, but that’s a part of the game which you can’t predict, and unfortunately for them, Kevin Durant will most likely be out for the Game 5 as well. Maybe now, the world can see that those rings won by Durant in the past years were not so easy to get, as many thought, because without him they are one game away on being eliminated in a gentleman’s sweep. It is a clear example of how much of an impact Kevin has on that team and how his scoring abilities can win championships.
"I've been on the wrong side of 3-1 before, so why not make our own history?"
—Draymond Green pic.twitter.com/U1NGE7XzBB
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 8, 2019
Going back at the Raptors, it was a team effort once again, as they had almost three players who scored 20+ points. In fact, this is what decided the series until now, the depth of the Raptors roster, as they have more talent coming off-the-bench than the Warriors. Serge Ibaka scored 20 points while coming with the 2nd unit, and this was a big factor of the game. Kawhi scored 36 points on 50% FG% and grabbed 12 boards and is one game closer to tie the record of 14 playoffs appearances with at least 30 points, held by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. He also had 4 steals and 1 block, while another clean one on Draymond Green was whistled as a fault, even if it was all-ball. The Most Improved Player of the Year, Paskal Siakam came off big again for his team, posting 19 points and 5 rebounds. The kid is on his way to get a big contract and he proved himself that he deserves all that money. Toronto Raptors look to close out the series on Sunday, and if Durant won’t come back for Game 5, we could have a new champion in the NBA.
"I don't play hero basketball. I'm not playing for fans. I'm just playing to win. I'm not out here trying to break records …"
—Kawhi right after taking the 3-1 lead pic.twitter.com/rqcfo4X15I
— ESPN (@espn) June 8, 2019
