Toronto stuns Warriors; win it all?
We have a game folks! It’s the NBA Finals with Toronto stunning favorite Golden State in Game 1, 118-109. Just when many thought that the Warriors were a sure win, Toronto was tired from their Milwaukee series and the Raptors didn’t have NBA Finals experience, Canada’s team takes Game One convincingly with an unlikely hero in Pascal Siakam. Can they win it all?
The NBA Finals brings in a lot of excitement for a number of factors for which I’m sure the NBA is ecstatic. For starters, it’s Canada against an American team for the first time in an NBA Finals. Yes, Canada, whose most popular sport is ice hockey, is in the NBA Finals. It’s a rare opportunity for a team that isn’t considered a big “NBA city” like LA, New York, Chicago or Boston.
I can imagine how the entire Canada is rooting for the Raptors. Canadian resident and former Cebu sportswriter Christian Rodriguez says Canada is all-in behind Toronto. “I would say it has increased the interest for basketball here but this is more on being supportive of the team representing the country. National Pride! Now the whole of Canada is locked in this best of 7-series,” he says in a Private Message. Another friend in Canada says that the whole country is cheering for Toronto, a first. “What’s happening now is unprecedented,” says Lalaine Pioquinto. I’m sure basketball’s popularity will level up due to the NBA Finals.
We must all take note though that Canadian basketball got its big boost when Vince Carter played for Toronto and when Steve Nash dominated the game. Nash is currently the general manager of the Canadian national team and came to the Philippines when they played in the FIBA Olympic Qualifier in 2016. Among their key players then were Corey Joseph and Tristan Thompson.
Today’s Canadian national team’s pool of players also include NBA players Andrew Wiggins, Jamal Murray and Kelly Olynyk. Having Canada in the NBA Finals makes them a sentimental favorite to win it all. They’re the new face in the finals; they’re hungry and have an entire nation behind them. Are we seeing a fairy tale ending? Hockey nation wins the NBA championship.
Around 4,200 kilometers west of Toronto (or a plane ride of four hours and 45 minutes) is a city that has been in the NBA Finals for the fifth straight time, winning three titles along the way. The Golden State Warriors were tagged as pre-season favorites to win the NBA championship for pretty obvious reasons, but this year could be different. They face an entire nation in Canada and not just the city of Toronto. The faces of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr have been regular faces each time the NBA Playoffs roll around. And for them, it’s been there, done that, let’s do it again. But it’s easier said than done. With KD sitting out Game 1, Warriors fans are now asking if they can win Game 2 or the entire series if KD is out. If destiny is on their side, they’re looking to be the most dominant team in the league since the Chicago Bulls won six championships in the 90s, led by Michael Jordan. And they have no less than former Chiacgo Bull Steve Kerr to push them. Being the playoff veterans they are, I’m sure they’ll come up with the much-needed adjustments in Game Two.
They didn’t play that poorly in Game One. The Raptors were just better on defense, in transition, and in clutch situations. It also seemed like their athleticism and length bothered the Warriors, something that Kerr acknowledged in the post-game press conference. One thing that struck me was when Green acknowledged that Siakam played a great game with a simple note, “That’s on me.” Curry and Thompson also chimed in that the Raptors were the better team. This is a crucial mindset when preparing for Game Two. Admitting defeat, finding the errors and adjusting to win a game in Toronto. This is what makes the Warriors dangerous. Others would’ve downplayed the opponent’s win, but here they were talking about how they lost and what they’ll do to bounce back.
Toronto’s win in Game One even had Kerr saying that the Raptors played like the Warriors in a sense. When Kawhi Leonard was shut down (relatively), the “others” stepped up: Siakam (32), Marc Gasol (20), Fred VanVleet (15) and Danny Green (11), with Kyle Lowry’s playmaking (9 assists). Kerr added that they had a number of defensive lapses, allowing the Raptors to score in both half-court play and in transition. Siakam was easily the player-of-the-game. He chose a perfect game to register his career-high for points scored (32) and field goal percentage (14/17 or 82%) in a playoff game. He scored in just about every way, with neat post moves against Green, side-stepping his way to lay-ups and making two triples. Curry (34) and Thompson (21) were their usual selves, leading the Warriors in scoring. But did they miss KD’s presence? Who should’ve stepped up? Green had a triple double of 10-10-10, but might need to think about scoring more if others aren’t delivering.
But we must all remember that one game doesn’t mean a championship. The Warriors are deadly when their backs against the wall, while the Raptors are chasing history. Golden State vs. Canada. It’s going to be a good one.
- Latest
