Stephen Curry, Warriors Stun Kawhi Leonard, Raptors to Win Game 5 of NBA Finals
The three-peat dreams are somehow still alive.
The Golden State Warriors lost Kevin Durant to injury and fell behind by six points with less than four minutes remaining but still escaped Scotiabank Arena with a 106-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Monday's Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals.
Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson combined for three straight three-pointers after falling behind by six to give Golden State the lead for good, and Draymond Green tipped away Kyle Lowry's buzzer-beater that would have given the Raptors the championship.
Curry finished with 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, while Thompson added 26 points and seven made triples. It was enough to outlast 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists from Kawhi Leonard.
Resilient Warriors Still Have Clear Path to Title Without KD
Everything was falling into place in the early going for the Warriors.
Durant was fully engaged from the start as he trash-talked Fred VanVleet, drilled his first three triples and gave the Golden State offense the link it was missing. He showed no signs of the calf injury that sidelined him in the first four games, and his impact was felt beyond just the 11 quick points he scored.
His presence meant there was more space for everyone else to operate, as Leonard couldn't roam around as much while defending the reigning two-time NBA Finals MVP. It also created more breathing room for Curry to dart through the defense and unleash his constant blur of motion to find the slightest opening on the perimeter.
It was a drastic switch from when Curry was the only complete offensive threat on the floor with Green limited by his shooting and Thompson relying more on his spot-up jumpers than creating looks.
However, that all changed when Durant fell to the ground in the second quarter and grabbed the area near his calf and Achilles. The broadcast showed him leave the arena on crutches, and general manager Bob Myers told reporters after the game it was an Achilles injury.
It would have been easy for the Warriors to accept their fate at that point, but the injury appeared to galvanize them in the immediate aftermath.
DeMarcus Cousins didn't even play in the first quarter but scored seven quick points after Durant exited to build a double-digit lead. Thompson and Curry started dialing it up even more from long range, making the Raptors pay every time they were even a moment late on a rotation.
Even with all that, the game again looked over when Leonard went into takeover mode in the fourth quarter with 10 straight points for the Raptors to create the six-point advantage. That's when Curry and Thompson reached into their bag of tricks again, displaying the championship mettle that has helped make the Warriors one of the greatest dynasties of all time.
It was one more resilient showing for a team that has battled through injuries to Cousins, Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Kevon Looney. The broadcast said Looney was ruled out for the final stretch of Monday's contest but only after he grimaced his way through 18 minutes off the bench.
The Warriors didn't have Durant when they won the 2015 title. They didn't have Durant when they won a record 73 games in the following season. They didn't have Durant when they overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference Finals. And they didn't have Durant when they swept the Portland Trail Blazers in this year's Western Conference Finals.
Sure, Iguodala and Shaun Livingston are older than they were as critical members of the pre-Durant Warriors, but Cousins gives them a four-time All-Star down low who wasn't there either.
What's more, the pride of the Curry, Thompson and Green trio didn't look like it was going anywhere even when Golden State's collective back was against the wall.
The pressure is now firmly mounting for the Raptors. They are trying to win their first championship in franchise history after building a commanding 3-1 lead and frankly have no excuses given the attrition Golden State has faced in this series and playoffs.
The Warriors may lose, but they would still have three championships in the last five years to fall back on. This is the Raptors' moment, and the fact that Leonard may leave this offseason makes the immediacy of the situation even more pressing.
Don't be surprised if it's the Warriors who rise to the occasion in a pressure-packed Game 7 if they can take care of business in Game 6 at home—with or without Durant.
Late-Game Collapse Sows Worrisome Seeds of Doubt for Raptors
It was all right there for the Raptors.
The supporting cast kept them within striking distance all game as Leonard struggled from the field (9-of-24 overall and 2-of-7 from deep) and with five turnovers, and then the superstar went into takeover mode with the game on the line.
After Green put the Warriors up four with less than seven minutes left with a three, Leonard assisted a Norman Powell dunk, drilled a go-ahead triple, connected in the lane, hit another three and dropped a pull-up from mid-range. It appeared to be the defining stretch of basketball in Raptors history and the one that would put an end to the Warriors' dynasty.
However, head coach Nick Nurse called a stunning timeout when Toronto was up six with the ball after that sequence, grinding the momentum to a halt and opening the door for Golden State's comeback.
He also didn't call a timeout on the final possession and was unable to draw up a winning play for Leonard like he did in Game 7 of the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers.
As a result, the momentum is firmly on the two-time defending champions' side when Toronto could have been celebrating until Tuesday morning with even an average final three minutes.
The Raptors are still just a single win away from clinching the Larry O'Brien Trophy, but fans would be forgiven if the seeds of doubt started to creep in after the collapse. The championship was right there, and now the grim possibility that it could have been the team's best opportunity is lingering.
Leonard could leave with a player option for next season, and there is no guarantee the veteran leaders of Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol and Danny Green will all be in place in the future or as effective as they are now with additional miles on their legs.
There are also no guarantees the Raptors will face a weakened Warriors team without Durant if they ever make it this far again.
Only one team has ever blown a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals, and it just so happened to be Golden State in 2016. The Warriors know how quickly a series that appears to be over can turn—be it on a suspension or late-game collapse—and are now just one home win away from forcing a winner-take-all scenario.
Raptors fans have every right to be worried after their team let the championship slip through its fingers. That may have been the closest they'll ever get.
What's Next?
The series shifts back to Golden State for Thursday's Game 6 at Oracle Arena at 9 p.m. ET.
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