TORONTO B次元官网网址� Two years removed from toiling in the NBAB次元官网网址檚 G League, Pascal Siakam led the Toronto Raptors to an historic victory on Thursday.
The 25-year-old from Cameroon scored 32 points to lift the Raptors to a thrilling 118-109 victory over defending champion Golden State Warriors, giving Toronto a 1-0 lead in its NBA Finals debut.
. heard you, Canada.
B次元官网网址� Toronto Raptors (@Raptors)
Kawhi Leonard had 23 points on 5-for-14 shooting against a swarming, smothering Warriors defence.
Marc Gasol, who was acquired at FebruaryB次元官网网址檚 trade deadline to help the RaptorsB次元官网网址� playoff push, had 20 points and seven rebounds before fouling out of the game with 1:14 to play.
Kyle Lowry finished with nine assists but just seven points. Fred VanVleet had 15 points, while Danny Green shrugged off the shooting slump that plagued him in the conference finals to finish with 11.
Game 2 is Sunday before the Finals shift to Oakland, Calif., for Games 3 and 4.
Stephen Curry had 34 points to lead the Warriors, who are making their fifth consecutive Finals appearance, and are by far the more experienced squad, boasting a combined 140 Finals games between them, compared to TorontoB次元官网网址檚 38.
READ MORE:
Warriors coach Steve Kerr had talked about the magnitude of the Finals compared to the first three rounds of the playoffs.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just different,B次元官网网址� he said in his pre-game press conference. B次元官网网址淓verything about it feels different. It completely takes you out of your comfort zone.B次元官网网址�
The Raptors though seemed thoroughly comfortable in the moment. While the Warriors hadnB次元官网网址檛 played in 10 days after sweeping Portland in the west finals, Toronto rode the momentum of four straight wins against Milwaukee in the Eastern finals, cobbling together a 10-point lead in the first half, and stretching it to 12 by the third quarter. The Raptors led 88-81 with one quarter left.
Golden State pulled to within three early in the fourth. But when Lowry hurled a long pass to Siakam for an easy basket, it put Toronto up by seven. GreenB次元官网网址檚 three-pointer with 7:31 to play made it a 12-point game, and brought the delighted capacity crowd of 19,983 fans, including golfer Bubba Watson, out of their seats.
READ MORE:
The Raptors matched the Warriors virtually shot for shot down the stretch, and when VanVeetB次元官网网址檚 long jumper circled around the rim, as the crowd held its collective breath, before dropping with 3:21 to play, Toronto went back up by a dozen.
Golden State would pull to within seven with just over a minute to play, but the win was already well in hand. Lowry drilled an icing-on-the-cake three with 30 seconds to play and the crowed erupted.
Drake, whoB次元官网网址檚 been a lightning rod in the post-season for his on-court antics, came dressed in a No. 30 Dell Curry jersey. Dell (Steph CurryB次元官网网址檚 dad) played for the Raptors from 1999 to 2002.
Drake and Draymond Green going at it!
B次元官网网址� Basketball Forever (@Bballforeverfb)
SiakamB次元官网网址檚 points were the most by a player 25 or younger in their Finals debut since 2012 (Kevin Durant, 36 points for Oklahoma City).
It was a night of firsts. The first NBA Finals for the Raptors, a story 24 years in the writing. ItB次元官网网址檚 was the first NBA Finals game held outside the United States, and so the first time B次元官网网址淥 CanadaB次元官网网址� was sung at an NBA Finals B次元官网网址� performed by The Tenors. The celebratory Scotiabank Arena fans were so loud, they entirely drowned out the Tenors by the anthemB次元官网网址檚 final few words.
Jordan Smith, winner of Season 9 of B次元官网网址淭he Voice,B次元官网网址� sang the U.S. national anthem.
According to several online ticket agencies, it was the most expensive Game 1 in NBA history. The average resale price was about US$1,360, almost double the average price of last seasonB次元官网网址檚 Game 1 between the Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Every logo in Raptors history was splashed across the giveaway T-shirts.
Six Raptors scored in a first quarter that saw Toronto race out to a seven-point lead. A running dunk by Thompson capped an 8-0 Warriors run that had the visitors up by a point. Toronto replied with a 7-0 run and led 25-21 heading into the second.
The Raptors shot 65 per cent in the second quarter, and when Green connected on a three-pointer with 11 seconds left, the bucket sent Toronto into the halftime break with a 59-49 lead as chants of B次元官网网址淒an-ny!B次元官网网址� rained down from the crowd.
Outside the arena, thousands of festive fans packed Jurassic Park, many of whom had been there at dawn to line up.
READ MORE:
Raptors alumni were honoured at centre-court during a timeout, including the teamB次元官网网址檚 first general manager Isiah Thomas, plus Muggsy Bogues, Charles Oakley, Jerome (JYD) Williams, Dell Curry, Tracy McGrady, Morris Peterson, Chris Bosh, and a Year 1 Raptor Damon Stoudamire.
Rapper Kardinal Offishall performed B次元官网网址淭he Anthem,B次元官网网址� his ode to Toronto, during a timeout. Rapper ASAP Ferg performed at halftime.
In his pre-game press conference, NBA commissioner talked about the Finals being a full-circle moment. The first NBA game was played between the Toronto Huskies and New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1946.
The presence of a non-American team, he said, might be felt on a global scale.
B次元官网网址淪ymbolically having our first Finals outside the United States maybe has a big impact on countries that follow the NBA but donB次元官网网址檛 have teams,B次元官网网址� Silver said. B次元官网网址淭his clearly is a marker of sorts that here we are 2019, our Game 1 of the Finals taking place in Toronto, Canada. That will be a milestone.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 come full circle in terms of basketball being invented by a Canadian.B次元官网网址�
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Like us on and follow us on
