RAPTORS MAGTATANGKA ULIT SA KORONA

OAKLAND, Calif. – Muling tatangkain ng Toronto Raptors na kunin ang kanilang kauna-unahang NBA title sa Game 6 ng best-of-seven series sa Huwebes ng gabi (Biyernes sa Manila) laban sa Golden State Warriors.

Ang Raptors ay dalawang minuto na lamang ang layo sa pagkopo ng kauna-unahang NBA title ng Canada sa Game 5 noong Lunes (Martes sa Manila) bago pinaulanan ng 3-pointers nina Klay Thompson at Stephen Curry sa 9-2 finish upang makahulagpos ang pagkakataon.

Ang kasaysayan ay nananatiling nasa panig ng Raptors papasok sa Game 6, bagama’t bumalik ang serye sa Oakland. Sa 34 teams na umabante sa Finals sa 3-1, 33 ang nagtagumpay at nasikwat ang kampeonato. Ang tanging exception ay ang Warriors noong 2016, nang humabol ang Cleveland Cavaliers upang manalo sa pitong laro.

“We understand that the moment is the moment, but we still are staying in it,” wika ni Raptors guard Kyle Lowry noong Miyerkoles. “We’re not too up, we’re not too down. We’re just one game, hey, we lost it, now we got to move on to the next one.”

Nagawang magwagi ng Warriors sa kabila ng pagkawala ni Kevin Durant, na bumalik mula sa calf injury at umiskor ng 11 points sa loob ng 12 minuto sa Game 5, su­balit nagtamo ng ruptured Achilles sa parehong binti. Abante ang Warriors sa  39-34 nang matamo ni Durant ang season-ending injury.

Kinumpirma ni Durant noong Miyerkoles mula sa New York na sumailalim siya sa operasyon para sa napunit na Achilles tendon.

“I expect our fans to be the loudest they have ever been, especially in the name of Kevin and bringing his type of spirit he would bring to the fight and the competitiveness,” sabi ni Warriors guard Klay Thompson. “I know our fans will do that because we deserve it, but more importantly, Kevin does for what he gave this team, this organization. There wouldn’t be banners if it wasn’t for his presence.”

Ang laro ay magiging huli ng Warriors sa Oracle Arena, na binuksan bilang Oakland Coliseum Arena, 47 taon na ang nakalilipas. Lilipat ang Golden State sa Chase Center sa San Francisco sa susunod na season.

“This has been just an incredible environment in which to coach and play back in the day,” sabi ni Warriors coach Steve Kerr. “Even when the Warriors weren’t any good, to come in here as a visitor and feel the energy in this building, you could tell that the fans loved the game.

“This was a basketball hotbed. And just the atmosphere out there, the energy, the noise, over the last five years with our team’s rise, combined with that organic energy that this place has always had, it’s just been an incredible experience to coach here.”