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May 31, 2019

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Raptors offer new challenge, vibe for champion Warriors

Source: Agencies | 00:10 UTC+8 May 31, 2019 | Print Edition

The Toronto Raptors are playing in their first NBA Finals, and that makes the Golden State Warriors’ fifth consecutive appearance slightly different.

The Warriors will visit the Raptors today (China time) for Game 1 after playing the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James in the previous four NBA Finals.

The Warriors won three of those encounters and are going for their third consecutive NBA championship.

“Well it’s different,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

“On the other hand, that was the exception. This is more the rule. When you (go) into the playoffs and in the finals, you’re not supposed to play the same team every year. So that was a special era, a special rivalry and we’re thrilled to be back, and obviously Cleveland has moved on.”

Golden State’s Stephen Curry — who attended middle school in Toronto for two years when his father Dell played for the Raptors — embraces the change.

“Different energy, different city, different views, everything should prepare us to lock in, understanding that we have a prime opportunity to start off this finals series on the road and get a win and set the tone for how it’s going to be,” Curry said. “I like the challenge and the unfamiliarity of this kind of schedule and flow. We’ve been there before, and we’ve experienced a lot, and this is, I think, something we’re capable of doing.”

The Raptors are making franchise history with their visit to the finals, but there is no indication that they are happy just to be there. “Obviously, it’s a great accomplishment, and we’re happy to be taking that next step, but you want to win a championship, and you want to win the whole thing,” Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said.

The Raptors won both meetings with the Warriors during the regular season. Of course, Raptors coach Nick Nurse said he expects them to be different this time. “A better team playing harder. I think both teams playing harder and playing better.”

The Warriors are dealing with injuries to DeMarcus Cousins (torn left quadriceps) and Kevin Durant (strained right calf). Durant has been ruled out of Game 1, while the status of Cousins was uncertain, Kerr said.

While the opponents will be different for the Warriors, so, too, is opening on the road.

“I think we have always been good on the road, but starting on the road presents a different challenge,” Kerr said. “There’s a different rhythm to the series. It helps having gone through this last year against Houston where we started on the road and split the first two games and had to win a Game 7 on the road.”

The Raptors have faced a series deficit in each round of the playoffs this year.

“Well, it would be nice not to face a series deficit; that’s for sure,” Nurse said. “But again, I think you’ve just kind of got to take it as it comes. I think you certainly didn’t want to lose the first game against Orlando, but for some reason it ended being a really good thing for us because we looked pretty good the next four times out.

“And I don’t know, we lost embarrassingly in (Philadelphia) and played pretty good from there on out. We dropped two (in Milwaukee), and I wasn’t really that despondent about it.”

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