NBA Finals Articles - Page 70

Antoine Walker made a bold claim after the Golden State Warriors lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, claiming the defending champions would not win without Kevin Durant returning to play: “This is a different series, different animal. They gotta do more defensively than they had to do in […]

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam became the seventh player to ever score 30 points in an NBA Finals game while shooting at least 80% from the field, according to NBA Stats. The Cameroonian joined some of the most recognizable names in league history, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Adrian Dantley, and […]

The Golden State Warriors are fresh off taking their first-ever loss in a Game 1 of the NBA Finals under Steve Kerr, and only their second-ever Game 1 loss of any playoff series under Kerr, snapping a 12-series record. Yet point guard Stephen Curry, who led all scorers with 34 points in a 118-109 loss […]

The Toronto Raptors starting big man Marc Gasol finished Game 1 with 20 points (on 6-of-10 shooting, 2-of-4 from the outside, and a perfect 6-of-6 at the charity stripe), seven rebounds, two steals, a block, and without a single turnover, en route to a 118-109 drubbing of the Golden State Warriors at home. When asked […]

Draymond Green praised Pascal Siakam after the Toronto Raptors forward hung a team-high 32 points against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. Siakam shot a blistering 14-of-17 from the field, including making 11 straight field goals, as his fast-paced transition game aided him to easy buckets: “Well, you know, I mean, really the only time […]

The Golden State Warriors lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals for the first time in this era, but star point guard Stephen Curry isn’t worried about it. Curry emphasized that “it’s not the end of the world,” and he expects the Warriors to use their resiliency and championship mettle to fight back: “New experiences […]

The Golden State Warriors are expecting Kevin Durant to return from his calf injury midway through the NBA Finals, according to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes. While some members of the Warriors organization are hoping Durant can return for Game 3 at Oracle Arena, the more likely option is Game 4. Durant has been out since […]

Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins made his return from a quad injury in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. Cousins only played eight minutes in the Warriors’ 118-109 loss, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying the moment as he took the floor for the first time ever in an […]

Now that Magic Johnson is free from the constraints of the Los Angeles Lakers president job, he has been free to tweet to his heart’s desire about the playoffs. Magic was at it again after Game 1 of the NBA Finals, praising the Toronto Raptors for their terrific team effort in a 118-109 victory over […]

For the first time since the 2012-13 NBA season, Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins has played a reserve role. ESPN NBA reporter Nick Friedell confirmed the news on May 30. Cousins came off the bench for the Warriors in Game 1 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors. It was his first […]

The Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors met in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, with the Warriors trying to make their case as one of the greatest teams in NBA history. However, the Raptors had other ideas. They held numerous advantages over the Warriors that other teams simply haven’t had. For […]

The Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors faced off in the first Finals game in NBA history outside of the United States, and the atmosphere could not have been better. Also: Pascal Siakam could not have been better. The ScotiaBank Arena was rocking and ready to see the best team in franchise history face the […]

You have to hand it to Drake. The omnipresent Global Brand Ambassador for the Toronto Raptors is having himself quite an NBA Playoffs run. With the NBA Finals on Canadian soil for the first time in NBA history, it is certainly Drake’s time to shine. Seeing as the Warriors will be starting the Finals on […]

Canadian rapper Drake has been in the NBA news constantly due to his role as the Toronto Raptors’ Global Brand Ambassador. Certainly, his supremely excited antics on the sideline catch the attention of fans the world over while simultaneously drawing the ire of opposing team’s coaches. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer was extremely peeved by Drake’s […]

The Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors faced off on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Danny Green wanted to make a statement. The Toronto crowds showed up exceedingly early just to get into ScotiaBank Arena’s “Jurassic Park” fan viewing area – let alone the arena proper – in order to watch […]

The Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors face off in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the first Finals game that will take place outside of the United States. Stephen Curry is center stage in this series. This is unmarked ground for the Raptors, who have never been in the Finals in franchise history – […]

The 2019 NBA Finals start on Thursday in Toronto, but before we get into that, here is a look at some “under the radar” Finals stats and facts, that I’m sure some of you never knew. Hopefully, players participating this year will break few. Player-related records: 1: Only one, from a total of 68 performances […]

Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins has been sidelined due to a quadriceps injury, but he’s been cleared to participate in Thursday night’s Finals opener against the Toronto Raptors. There are some who feel that Cousins’ return to the lineup will have a negative impact, but Kevon Looney is confident that it won’t be an […]

The Golden State Warriors are expected to have their share of headaches heading into these NBA Finals against this version of the Toronto Raptors team they’ve had little experience facing. Rendered at less than full strength without the services of Kevin Durant, the main task on the Warriors’ checklist is to contain Kawhi Leonard, something […]

The Golden State Warriors will be facing the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their best-of-seven NBA Finals series on Thursday, but head coach Steve Kerr doesn’t seem to be pressured at all. He was asked by some Raptors fans whether the Warriors will lose in five or six games, and he gave quite the […]

The Golden State Warriors will head into a barnburner of a series against the Toronto Raptors, finally facing a different team from the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. While LeBron James won’t be there, the two-time defending champions will have another problem of their own: Kawhi Leonard, who they “unequivocally regard” as a bigger […]

Ahead of what should be a highly entertaining NBA Finals between the two-time reigning champion Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors, the Warriors had their media availability on Wednesday. During the proceedings, Steve Kerr provided plenty of fodder for news ahead of Game 1 on Thursday night, while Draymond continued to discuss the fact […]

The Golden State Warriors find themselves in familiar territory with their fifth straight NBA Finals appearance. Point guard Stephen Curry is relieved to finally be facing off against an opponent other than the Cleveland Cavaliers. Just as the Warriors dominated that West, the Cavs reigned supreme in the East under forward LeBron James. According to […]

Golden State Warriors engine Draymond Green has no qualms talking about who the best defender of all time is. It’s him — bar none. Yet ask the Warriors star why he thinks of himself so highly and allow some inspiring words to hit you right in the feels: “As a competitor, if you’re trying to […]

Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby has been sidelined since mid-April, when he underwent an emergency appendectomy. He hasn’t been cleared for full practice yet, but he has been taking some light contact in some drills. And though he’s still without an official timeline, the former Indiana Hoosier is hoping to make an appearance at some […]

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are plenty aware of the monster they will face in these NBA Finals, going against an unleashed version of Kawhi Leonard, who has evolved over the years. Curry and Leonard are coming off the best postseason series of their respective careers, yet the former two-time MVP lauded the […]

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard was asked about “flying under the radar” during Wednesday’s media availability ahead of the NBA Finals. As an NBA champion and three-time All-Star, Leonard has long been known as one of the best players in the league, but for whatever reason, he hasn’t quite reached the level of popularity that […]

For the fifth straight year, the NBA Finals will feature the Golden State Warriors. For the first time since 2010, it will not include LeBron James leading his East powerhouse to the biggest stage. The Toronto Raptors have busted down the door and fought their way to the top. Toronto’s basketball franchise has existed since […]

Masai Ujiri won’t stop to contemplate the future that awaits his Toronto Raptors this summer, with a major cog hanging in the balance of it all. Kawhi Leonard, the team’s leading scorer and best all-around defender, could part ways with the organization this summer upon declining his player option for 2019-20, but Ujiri isn’t worried […]

Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri envisioned the moment where he would bring the Raptors to their first-ever NBA Finals when he made the gutsy move to bring in two-way star Kawhi Leonard, trading away a lifelong Raptor in DeMar DeRozan. Now sitting four wins away from their first-ever title, Ujiri reminisced of […]

Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has long had an empty space in his trophy room, awaiting the one accolade that has escaped him in the pantheon of trophies, awards and records that have adorned his highly-decorated 10-year career — The Finals MVP. Three championships, two regular season MVPs, six All-Stars, six All-NBA mentions, one […]

The Toronto Raptors are going to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. The person behind the road to them winning the Eastern Conference, president Masai Ujiri, deserves a lot of credit. The Raptors made a bevy of headlines last offseason as a result of two bold decisions. The first was firing […]

Ironically, most Americans are rooting for Canada’s Team, the Toronto Raptors, in the 2019 NBA Finals. SFGate’s official Twitter account posted a map of the U.S. showing 47 of the 50 states are rooting for the Raptors. They will take on the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Pretty much all of America is […]

The cities of Mississauga and Brampton in Ontario, Canada are opening their own “Jurassic Parks” for the upcoming NBA Finals. According to CBC.ca, Ontario’s Peel Region’s “Jurassic Parks” will follow in the footsteps of the original one in Toronto. Now, fans in Mississauga and Brampton can enjoy viewing parties of the Toronto Raptors when they […]

Serge Ibaka, the power forward/center of the Toronto Raptors, has seen his fair share of Playoff battles as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Ibaka was a member of the Thunder for many seasons and was a part of the team that made it to the NBA Finals with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and […]

Kawhi Leonard almost single-handedly carried the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs, and his offensive production undoubtedly paved the way for the team to reach their first-ever NBA Finals. After ousting the Magic in the first round with ease, Leonard delivered one of the most memorable shots in Raptors franchise history in Game 7 against the […]

The 2019 NBA Finals are the first to not feature LeBron James in seven years – a stunning accomplishment for one of the best players of all time. Beyond that, James has utterly dominated on the NBA’s biggest stage time after time, so much so that he has been the leading scorer in 5 of […]

Despite the uncertainty of his status ahead of the NBA Finals, Kevin Durant will travel with the Golden State Warriors as they prepare for the first two games against the Toronto Raptors, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. While Durant has been already ruled out for Thursday’s Game 1 of this final series, the […]

The Toronto Raptors were able to close out their series with the Milwaukee Bucks in spectacular fashion to win the East. Regardless, it appears NBA legend and TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal is still taking the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA Finals. It is no secret that the Warriors are heavily favored once again […]