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A20 SPORTS
Saturday 15 June 2019
Raptors earn 1st NBA title, top injured Warriors in Game 6

By JANIE McCAULEY are always part of the NBA
AP Sports Writer season — any professional
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — sport, injuries play a huge
Kawhi Leonard raised his role,” Warriors coach Steve
arms high in triumph and Kerr said. “It’s just the nature
celebrated Canada’s first of these injuries, the severity
NBA championship. of these injuries. And we’ll
“We the North!” is now “We know more about Klay.
the Champs!” But we can sit here and
Leonard and the Toron- say, well, if this hadn’t hap-
to Raptors captured the pened or that hadn’t hap-
country’s first major title in pened, that doesn’t mat-
26 years with their most re- ter. What matters is Kevin
markable road win yet in Durant is going to miss next
the franchise’s NBA Finals season with an Achilles tear
debut, outlasting the bat- and Klay suffered a knee
tered and depleted two- injury.”
time defending champion In their best Bay Area ver-
Golden State Warriors 114- sion of Jurassic Park — To-
110 on Thursday night in a ronto’s jam-packed gath-
Game 6 for the ages. ering spot to cheer the
“I wanted to make history Raptors — hundreds of red-
here. That’s what I did,” a clad fans stayed long after
soaking wet Leonard said, Toronto Raptors players and coaches celebrate after the Raptors defeated the Golden State the game ended to watch
ski goggles perched on his Warriors in Game 6 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, June 13, 2019. the Larry O’Brien trophy
forehead and sporting a Associated Press ceremony. They waved the
fresh black champions hat. Golden State bench as the the Raptors did it with the changes, nine ties and nei- Maple Leaf and sang “O
Stephen Curry missed a crowd chanted “Warriors! very kind of depth that ther team going ahead by Canada” just as they did
contested 3-pointer in the Warriors!” after a sensa- helped define Golden more than nine points. here after winning previ-
waning moments before tional send-off at Oracle State’s transformation into Curry scored 21 points but ously this series.
Golden State called a Arena. a dynasty the past five sea- shot just 6 for 17 and went 3 Lowry’s hot start was almost
timeout it didn’t have, giv- Curry walked away slowly, sons. of 11 on 3s. Iguodala add- fitting. It was the Toronto
ing Leonard a technical hands on his head on a This time, the Warriors were ed 22 for his biggest game guard who got shoved on
free throw with 0.9 seconds night Splash Brother Klay wounded. this postseason as the War- the sideline in Game 3 by
left to seal it. Leonard, the Thompson suffered a torn Golden State already riors did everything until the Warriors minority owner
NBA Finals MVP for a sec- ACL in his left knee and de- was down two-time reign- very last moment to leave Mark Stevens, now banned
ond time, then got behind parted with 30 points. ing NBA Finals MVP Kevin a lasting legacy at Oracle. by the league and team
Andre Iguodala for a la- Fred VanVleet rescued the Durant, who had surgery Thompson provided his for a year.
yup as the buzzer sounded, Raptors down the stretch Wednesday for a ruptured own dramatic memory. The Raptors went 8 for 32
but it went to review and with his dazzling shoot- right Achilles tendon. Then, He injured his knee when on 3s in a 106-105 Game
the basket was called off ing from deep to score the Warriors lost Thompson fouled by Danny Green on 5 defeat as the Warriors
before Leonard’s two free 22 points with five 3s off — and they couldn’t over- a drive at the 2:22 mark of staved off elimination Mon-
throws. That only delayed the bench, while Leonard come just one more heart- the third, was helped off the day in Toronto. They started
the celebration for a mo- wound up with 22 points. breaking injury. court and walked partially 5 of 6 from long range in
ment. Kyle Lowry scored the “A lot of bad breaks in the down a tunnel toward the this one and finished 13 of
When it actually ended, game’s first eight points finals, to be honest,” Rap- locker room, then — shock- 33 and converted 23 of 29
the typically stoic Leonard and finished with 26 in all to tors coach Nick Nurse said. ingly — re-emerged to free throws.
could let it all out. A Ca- go with 10 assists and seven “Like us, they kept on play- shoot his free throws before Curry and these Warriors
nadian team — and we’re rebounds. ing. We just had to keep going out again at 2:19. He never, ever count them-
not talking hockey here Fans poured into the streets on playing no matter who didn’t return and left the selves out. Yet down 3-1 in
— stood on top of one of in Toronto, screaming and was out there. And I think arena on crutches, and the their fifth straight NBA Finals,
the traditional major sports honking horns after the they were super intense Warriors announced that they didn’t have the health
leagues for the first time Raptors pulled off a third high-level games and both an MRI had confirmed the it took to win the past
since the Toronto Blue Jays straight win on Golden teams desperately trying to torn ACL. two titles and three of the
won the 1993 World Series. State’s home floor that said win.” “More than the what-ifs past four against LeBron
Serge Ibaka pulled his head goodbye to NBA basket- This thrilling back-and-forth is just feeling bad for the James and the Cleveland
up through the hoop by the ball after 47 seasons. And game featured 18 lead players involved. Injuries Cavaliers.q

Loyd hits late jumper, Storm rally to beat Mystics 74-71

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jewell Loyd 71-all it with 49.3 seconds remain- that give the Storm (5-3) a 73-71 19 points. She made a driving la-
scored 14 points, including the go- ing. On the ensuing Mystics pos- lead, its first since early in the sec- yup to close the third quarter and
ahead jumper with 8.6 seconds left, session, Loyd tipped a cross-court ond quarter, with 8.6 seconds left. a jumper to open the fourth that
and the Seattle Storm overcame a pass that, after video review, was The Mystics (4-3) called a timeout, gave Washington its biggest lead
13-point fourth-quarter deficit to ruled to have deflected off Wash- advancing the ball to midcourt, at 65-52. The Storm scored 12 of the
beat the Washington Mystics 74-71 ington’s LaToya Sanders before and Elena Delle Donne, double- next 14 points to pull within three
on Friday night in a rematch of last going out of bounds. Alysha Clark’s teamed on the inbound pass, with four minutes to go.
season’s WNBA Finals. errant inbound pass was nearly sto- tipped it to Aerial Powers, who Howard had 19 points and 11 re-
Loyd made a fast-break layup len but Loyd controlled the loose missed a potential tying runner in bounds for Seattle. Mercedes Rus-
and Natasha Howard hit a run- ball and called timeout, setting up the lane. sell added 15 points and 11 re-
ning floater in the lane to make it her 17-footer from straightaway Delle Donne led Washington with bounds — both career highs.q