NBA
Inside the Game: NBA Finals Game 6
An inside look at Game 6ix of the 2019 NBA Finals.
Frank Gunn, Associated Press
What sticks out most from Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals? Was it Toronto being crowned kings of the NBA? Stephen Curry missing the shot to send the series to a seventh game? Maybe it was something small, like Kevin Looney gutting it out with a broken collarbone or Danny Green’s disastrous fourth quarter turnover that gave Golden State one last chance. After one of the most memorable NBA Finals games ever, let’s take a look back to some of its biggest moments and takeaways.
For the first time in league history, the Larry O’Brian trophy will be going through customs. Behind a legendary postseason run from Kawhi Leonard and his supporting cast, the Raptors closed out the Warriors 114-110 in Game 6ix. Toronto’s first-ever championship epitomized the NBA’s concerted effort to stretch the game beyond the borders of the United States. Without Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka’s contributions, who are both international players, the Raptors don’t win the championship. President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri is from Nigeria and president of “basketball without borders,” where he discovered this years’ Most Improved Player, Pascal Siakam. Toronto, obviously, is in Canada. All of these factors point to the conclusion that in the coming years, the NBA will grow its already strong international presence.
In the short term, what does this mean for Leonard’s future with the Raptors? On the one hand, he knows he can win championships in Toronto if he stays north of the border. He can’t definitively say that elsewhere. He stands to make the most money in Toronto and their medical staff is a match made in heaven. On the other hand, Leonard owes Toronto nothing. He went from a one-year hired gun to folk hero, and nobody will wish ill-will upon him if he decides to ditch Toronto for his hometown Los Angeles. Toronto has everything to offer except lifestyle, and that could be the decisive factor for Leonard.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByrgPRdFIXG/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Nobody’s legacy took a bigger hit in this game than Steph Curry. The most glaring absence on his resume is a Finals MVP through five straight appearances, and with Kevin Durant out, it was his for the taking. Despite its depleted roster, the Warriors managed to keep it close. Clinging to a one point lead with 9.6 seconds left, Toronto’s Danny Green threw an errant pass out of bounds, giving Golden State new life. In the most important possession of the season, the Warriors set a flare screen to free up Steph Curry for a three-pointer. Going for his signature off-balance shot, he pulled the trigger over the outstretched arms of Serge Ibaka, the type of impossible shot he’s swished time and time again. Not this time… Game over. Season over. Dynasty over.
The second that buzzer sounded, the takes began to form. Can Curry hit the biggest shot on the biggest stage? On go-ahead shots with less than 20 seconds left, Curry is 0-8 in his playoff career. His PER falls from 27.4 to 23.7 in the postseason. Due to his height, stature, defensive deficiencies and intensive postseason game planning, Curry can only do so much in the playoffs. Now, this isn’t to say Curry will never win a title as the best player on the team. He deserved the 2015 Finals MVP, and he’ll have an opportunity next playoffs to prove people wrong.
Was there a more heart-warming story this Finals than the meteoric rise of Fred VanVleet? An undrafted free agent, VanVleet worked his way up from the G-League to a key bench player on a championship team. He had the most memorable irrationally confident heat checks in a Finals game since Jason Terry in 2011, scoring 12 of his 22 points in the final period, half of them on heavily contested 3’s. With 3:46 left, he shook Quinn Cook on a filthy step-back three that put the Raptors up for good. VanVleet even stole a Finals MVP vote from Kawhi Leonard after his stunning performance.
The fourth quarter of game six was only a microcosm of VanVleet’s impressive finals. Averaging 14 points on 40% three-point shooting, he nailed timely shots all series. His defense on Stephen Curry was phenomenal, running Curry off the three point line while somehow preventing easy looks at the rim. With VanVleet on the court, Curry’s field goal percentage dropped significantly from 54.5% to 34.5%, and his three-point percentage sunk from 45.5% to 28.9%. VanVleet was crucial on both ends for the Raptors.
A reoccurring narrative of the Raptors’ previous playoff runs was the inconsistent play of Kyle Lowry. There was “regular season Lowry” and “playoff Lowry,” the former much more effective than the latter. Lowry put those criticisms to bed in the biggest game of his career. Scoring the first 11 points of the game for the Raptors, Lowry finished the half with 22 points and six assists. He wrecked havoc defensively, translating defense into easy offense. Exorcising his past playoff demons, Lowry set the tone and put Golden State on notice; Toronto isn’t waiting for Game 7. Lowry finished the game with 26 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.
Once the honeymoon ends, the Raptors have some serious decisions regarding Lowry moving forward. He’s 33 years old, missed almost 1/4 of the regular season, and is an unrestricted free agent next summer. He doesn’t fit in with their idealistic future core of Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Fred Van Vleet, all of whom are under 27. Realistically, re-signing Lowry would fiscally irresponsible, but he’s been there since the beginning. His legacy as one of the greatest Raptors of all-time should stand for something. As the years pass, the memory of his first half will fade into the annals of finals history, but his impact was immutable. Without that performance, ‘We the North’ isn’t ‘We the Champs‘.
Murphy’s law states, “anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” This adage certainly rang true for the Golden State Warriors this finals, first with Kevin Durant then with Klay Thompson. On a fastbreak opportunity with 2:22 left in the 3rd quarter, Thompson went up for a dunk and landed awkwardly on his left leg. He was ruled out for the rest of the game, and the basketball world was shocked to learn it was a torn ACL. In a span of three days, two of the Warriors best three players, both of whom are unrestricted free agents, suffered career-altering injuries.
How should the Warriors proceed? As unfortunate as it is, the Thompson and Durant injuries are intertwined. Now they’re potentially diving into the luxury tax for two players who, likely won’t return to 100%. That’s a $300 million gamble, but truth is it’s worth it. As expensive as it is to sign both players to the five-year max, the upside is too high. Klay is set for a return in February/March, and Durant will be only 32 when he returns after next season. With patience and proper rehab, chances are he’ll still be cranking out at least a few more All-Star caliber seasons. Not to mention that other teams are salivating at the chance for a meeting with either of these players. Golden State can lock them down now, and come back in 2020-2021 with a vengeance.
HE’S A FUN GUY! pic.twitter.com/oKiMp9uzKw
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) June 17, 2019
Kawhi Leonard’s season finished the same way it started: with a laugh. We all remember his robotic, eerie chuckle at his introductory press conference with the Raptors, and social media had a field day with it. One year later and he’s an NBA champion, and nobody’s laughing now.. Except for him of course. This time, on stage at the Raptors first championship parade in front of 1.5 million Canadians.
Leonard came into this season with something to prove. After an injury riddled 2018 and a nasty breakup with the San Antonio Spurs, basketball pundits questioned his health and heart. Slowly but surely Leonard returned to full form, and he took it to a new level in the postseason. Over 24 games, Leonard averaged 30.5 points and 9.1 rebounds on 55% effective field goal percentage. The only other players to reach that rare air are Lebron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O’Neil. Not bad company to be in. Wherever Leonard decides to play next season, he’s earned the right to choose. 2019, however, will always be remembered as the year of the ‘Klaw’.
