Toronto Raptors
Last night, the NBA Finals shifted to California, as the Golden State Warriors hosted the Toronto Raptors, with both teams trying to break the series that was nodded up at one game apiece in their favor.
The Raptors managed to pull off a rather stunning victory and, in so doing, reclaimed home court advantage.
They were playing extremely well throughout the first half, and then went on a 6-0 run early in the second half to briefly expand their lead to 14 points.
The Warriors, however, are champions. There is a good reason for that, of course. So, you just knew that they were going to make a run.
You got the sense that this would have to be a night when the Raptors had to take advantage of this rare opportunity to take a game in Golden State, with both KD and Klay Thompson out of the lineup for the Warriors.
Their shot selection was not as strong as perhaps it should have been, and they did not show the patience that could have proved beneficial in some of those key moments. Whether that spoke more of their inability to be as productive and efficient on offense, or just how good Golden State can be on defense, it is difficult to say.
They went on another run late in the third, just as the Warriors were beginning to mount some serious pressure. But the Raptors finally managed to find some stability, as they managed to score when the Warriors were pressuring and had closed it to within 78-71. Toronto then got a solid defensive hold. Then, back on offense, Leonard got a good look from the 3-point range, and did not hesitate, sinking an impressive three to put Toronto up, 83-71.
Obviously, it was far from over, but the Raptors continued to hit key shots and keep their composure. The Warriors are a dangerous team, of course, but that always seems to be especially true of them in the third quarter. But in this game, you would have to sa that the Raptors more than held their own this time around.
They managed to expand their lead to 16 towards the end of the third, applying some serious pressure on the Warriors as the final quarter, and of course the end of the game, loomed large. Toronto kept hitting some impressive shots, and to apply pressure with their solid defense, to keep the pressure on the defending champion Warriors.
Toronto took a 96-83 lead into the final quarter, but I think most people probably expected the Warriors to make some serious runs, and to find a way to close in and steal another key game. However, the young and inexperienced Raptors remained cool and kept their composure, and they managed to keep dictating the tempo in the final quarter.
Ultimately, they closed the door on what opportunities the Warriors had, and walked off the court with a convincing 123-109 win. It was the largest margin of victory for any team so far in these Finals, and Toronto is still looking good.
Game 4 will be tomorrow night, at Golden State again.
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