2-0 TARGET NG RAPTORS

ANG PANALO sa Game 2 sa Linggo (Lunes sa Maynila) ng NBA Finals ay maglalapit sa Raptors ng dalawang hakbang sa titulo. Subalit hindi ito kinasasabikan ng Raptors o ikinababahala ng  defending champion Golden State.

Kapwa pinag-aralan ng dalawang koponan ang videos ng 118-109 panalo ng  Raptors sa opener ng best-of-seven showdown upang makapagsaga-wa ng adjustments, kung saan may mga nakitang butas si Toronto coach Nick Nurse sa kabila ng tagumpay.

“There’s plenty we need to do better if we want to win another game in this series. So we have to fix those things,” sabi ni Nurse.

“They were in a coverage the other night I had never seen before. They do a lot of innovative stuff. They probably got other things we haven’t seen that we’re going to have to adjust to on the fly.”

Nalimitahan ng depensa ng Golden State si Raptors star Kawhi Leonard sa 5-of-14 shooting mula sa floor,  kung saan ang kanyang 23 points ay ku-lang ng walo sa kanyang  average.

“I’m expecting him to play a lot better tomorrow,” ayon pa kay Nurse.

Tumipa si Pascal Siakam ng 32 points at nagdagdag si Marc Ga­sol  ng 20 sa katuwaan ng Canadian fans sa NBA Finals debut ng Toronto.

“The team that gets beat gets really determined,” ani Nurse.  “They try to fix things. They mostly play a lot harder and more physical.”

Naipasok ni Came­roonian forward Siakam ang 11 sunod na tira, ang pinakamahabang finals run sa loob ng dalawang dekada, at naging unang fi-nals debutante na may 32 points, 8 rebounds at 5 assists magmula nang gawin ito ni  Michael Jordan noong 1991.

“They’re going to make adjustments,” wika ni Siakam.  “I have to be ready for whatever comes at me.”

Inaasahan namang babawi ang Warriors, nagwagi sa 12 naunang playoff openers, para mapatatag ang kampanya para sa ikatlong sunod na NBA crown at ika-4 sa limang seasons.

“I know we’ll be better so that’s always a good thing,” wika ni Warriors guard Klay Thompson. “It’s first to four, not first to one. So still a lot of basketball to be played.”

“We understand it’s a long series,” sabi naman ni Raptors reserve Fred VanVleet. “It’s going to take a concerted effort. We just need to keep our focus. It’s one win. Nobody’s overreacting.”

“You’ve got to protect home court,” dagdag ni Raptors guard Danny Green. “Can’t give them any type of life or confi-dence.”