Wednesday, June 05, 2019
Raptors Romp to the Finals 2019
For the
first time in team history, the Toronto Raptors will be playing in
the National Basketball Association finals, set to begin Thursday
night in Toronto.
It has been
a fabulous ride up to this point in time, and there is no reason to
think it will change. They are facing the Golden State Warriors in
the final. The Warriors are led by Steph Curry, who learned to
negotiate the streets of Toronto as a young lad when his dad Dell
played for the Raptors.
In order to
earn the right to face the Warriors, the Raptors had to get by the
Milwaukee Bucks, led by their young star Giannis Antetokounmpo. The
Raptors had lost the first two games in Milwaukee to begin the
series, and needed to play desperate basketball. That is exactly what
hey did.
They started
the final game slowly, and it appeared as if both teams would be
heading back to Wisconsin for Game Seven. Kawhi Leonard, who has
emerged as the leader of the Raptors, had only eight points in the
first half. His shots were banging off the rim, or rolling around it
and falling outside the netting. The team trailed 31-18 at the end of
the first quarter.
The team
trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half. But of course,
basketball is a game of great momentum changes, and the Raptors
benefited from that late in the game. They outscored the Bucks 29-18
in the final quarter to win the game 100-94. There was a great sense
of relief in the Scotiabank Arena, on Saturday night.
Kyle Lowry,
the longest-serving Raptor, and one tough customer, spoke eloquently
after the game. His message was that the Raps are not done, and that
they will not be happy until they have won the title. Lowry had 17
points in the game, one less than Pascal Siakam. Leonard led the team
with 17 rebounds.
The Raptors
will need strong games from other players as well. Marc Gasol joined
the team at the trade deadline, and he has been a perfect fit. At
different times in the game, coach Nick Nurse relies on a variety of
players, for different reasons: Serge Ibaka, Fred VanVleet, Norm
Powell, Danny Green, and the rest of the supporting cast. Great teams
need to practise hard in order to become great, and the relatively
unknown players who work the superstars in practice deserve
recognition. OG Anunoby is recovering from injuries, and may be
available for the final series.
Defence is a
key to winning basketball. It is not easily recognized. It is not
always the tremendous shot block, nor a flashy steal. It involves
hustle, and grit. It involves busting through screens to disrupt
plays. Coach Nurse: “We are pretty gritty on defence. That gives
you a chance no matter how well you shoot it.” He feels that the
best version of his Raptors is when they play physical defence, and
communicate well.
Of course
there is a Stanley Cup final between the St. Louis Blues and the
Boston Bruins. There are Blue Jay baseball games, great golf, and a
host of other sports activities. That is why I am in charge of the
channel changer. (At least I think I am.)
James Hurst
May 26, 2019
# posted by James Hurst @ 6:12 PM 
