NGAYON NA SA RAPTORS?

SISIKAPIN ng Toronto Raptors na makumpleto ang kanilang makasaysayang misyon sa harap ng kanilang home crowd sa Lunes ng gabi (Martes sa Manila) laban sa Golden State Warriors sa Game 5 ng NBA Finals.

Makaraang magwagi sa dalawang laro sa  Oakland, ang Raptors ay may 3-1 bentahe sa best-of-seven series at ­maaaring kunin ang kanilang kauna-unahang NBA title sa isa pang panalo.

Naging kalmado lamang ang Raptors matapos ang 105-92 panalo noong Biyernes (Sabado sa Manila).

“We haven’t done anything,” wika ni Raptors guard Kyle Lowry matapos ang laro. “We won three games. It’s the first of four. We understand that. They’re the defending champs, and they’re not going to go out easy. They’re going to come and fight and pre-pare to play the next game, and that’s how we’re preparing ourselves, that we have to — we got to prepare ourselves to play the next game.”

Naranasan ng Warriors ang magkabilang panig ng 3-1 series margin. Lugmok sila sa Oklahoma City Thunder noong 2016 sa Western Conference semifinals at nagwagi, pagkatapos ay abante sa NBA Finals sa 3-1 sa parehong taon kontra Cleveland Cava-liers at natalo.

“We go to Toronto and we try to win a game,” pahayag ni Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “It’s as simple as that. So we’re not thinking about winning three games, we’re thinking about winning one game and that’s the task. So I know we’re capable. We got a lot of talent and we got a lot of pride, and these guys have been to the Finals five straight years for a reason. They’re unbelievably competitive. And they’re together, and they’re going to fight. They’re going to fight the whole way.”

“We’ve got to win one game,” sabi ni Warriors forward Draymond Green.  “We win one, then we’ll build on that. But I’ve been on the wrong side of 3-1 before, so why not make our own history?”

Nabuhayan ang Golden State sa  Game 4 nang bumalik sa lineup sina Klay Thompson at Kevon Looney at naglaro nang husto makaraang lumiban sa Game 3 dahil sa injuries.

Subalit hindi pa rin natapatan ng Warriors ang lakas ng Raptors, sa pangunguna ni Kawhi Leonard.

Samantala, kuwestiyonable pa rin kung lalaro si Kevin Durant sa Game 5. Ang two-time Finals MVP ay hindi nakapaglaro sa huling siyam na games dahil sa calf injury, subalit balik-ensayo noong Linggo.