If you would’ve asked me if I saw this finals matchup at the start of the season, or even before the playoffs, I would’ve laughed in your face. The Raptors have been elevated from mediocre to a finals appearance for the first time in franchise history, all thanks to the “fun guy” Kawhi Leonard, aka The Klaw.
Although you can thank Kawhi for a finals appearance, all props for Game 1 go to Pascal Siakam. In case you missed it, Spicy P went for an incredible 32 Pts, 8 Reb, 5 Ast, and 2 Blk. Follow that up with a 20 bomb from Marc Gasol, and 15 from VanVleet off the bench, Kawhi had plenty of help despite having an okay game.
On the other hand, the Warriors had virtually no offense outside of the Splash Brothers. Steph went for another 30+ game, going for 34, while Klay went for 21. Draymond had a shaky night offensively, turning the ball over 6 times, yet still managing to obtain a triple-double, with 10 across the board for points, rebounds, and assists. Although Looney scored 9 off the bench, the rest of Golden State’s roster only managed 6 Pts or less.
Although I believe the Warriors still have the edge in a 7 game series, you cannot count out The Klaw, or not mattering the opponent. With Cousins on a time restriction, and KD still out with his leg injury, Golden State needs some solid performances from the likes of Iggy, Jordan Bell, and the rest of their bench if they plan to even the series come Game 2. And for Toronto, if they want to take a 2-0 series lead, we need to expect better games out of Kyle Lowry, and Serge Ibaka off the bench.
Box Score Highlights
Raptors: 118 (W)
Pascal Siakam – 32 Pts (14-17 FG, 2-3 3PT), 2-2 FT, 8 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 Blk
Kawhi Leonard – 23 Pts (5-14 FG, 3-6 3PT), 10-12 FT, 7 Reb
Marc Gasol – 20 Pts (6-10 FG, 2-4 3PT), 6-6 FT, 7 Reb
Warriors: 109 (L)
Steph Curry – 34 Pts (8-18 FG, 4-9 3P) 14-14 FT, 5 Reb, 5 Ast
Klay Thompson – 21 Pts (8-17 FG, 3-6 3P) 2-2 FT, 5 Reb
Draymond Green – 10 Pts (2-9, 0-2 3P) 6-6 FT, 10 Reb, 10 Ast
Featured Image – Toronto Raptors celebrating a game 1 victory against the Golden State Warriors. Photo Credit Raptors Rapture.