Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse credited his experience in the minor leagues for preparing him against the shuffling lineups that are part-and-parcel of the long chess match that is the NBA Playoffs.
Nick Nurse: "When you get used to coming up in the minor leagues, sometimes you don't know who's playing until an hour before the game, or sometimes 10 minutes." Said that's helped him in these Finals.
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) June 7, 2019
Nurse is referring to the Golden State Warriors' unpredictable pre-game lineups due to injuries with key players being listed as game-time decisions or out only for them to make a surprisingly early return. Game 4 notably saw the return of center Kevon Looney and All-Star Klay Thompson – the former listed as likely out for the series although the latter was announced as good to go a few days prior.
Still, Nurse isn't making any excuses and cites the importance of his Raptors squad being ready no matter who the opponent or lineup is – which should be the minimum expectation of an NBA coach. All the more in the postseason where strategy and posturing are at its utmost.
Either way, it didn't really pay off for the Warriors as their nearly-intact injury-plagued lineup lost Game 4 105-92 in what could very well be the last match played in Oracle Arena.
Nurse has been masterful for the Raptors since taking over from Dwane Casey who was unceremoniously dismissed despite a Coach of the Year-winning season mired by early playoff exits. Under his watch, the Raptors not only beat the stacked Philadelphia 76ers but also the heavy-favorite Milwaukee Bucks en route to their first Finals trip in franchise history.
He expects to add to his resume by attempting to capture the title at their home court on Game 5 as the Raptors enjoy a 3-1 lead over the Warriors.
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