The Denver Nuggets took back control of the NBA Finals series against the Heat in an impressive fashion. The Nuggets dominated the Heat in a 109-94 win in Game 3, with their star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray making history in the process.

Jokic and Murray both had 30-point triple-doubles, becoming the first duo to achieve the feat in the NBA playoffs. Jokic had 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Murray finished the game with 34 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds to give Denver a 2-1 lead.

Nuggets’ head coach Mike Malone was full of praise for Jokic and Murray in the post-game conference.

“By far, their greatest performance as a duo in their seven years together,” Malone said.

Malone was particularly impressed with Murray, who struggled in Game 2 and missed the game-tying basket at the buzzer.

“I felt Jamal’s presence, his energy, and he was here in the moment,” Malone added. “For him and Nikola to do what they did tonight in a game that we needed to take, regain the home-court advantage of the series, was special to watch.”

Jokic and Murray will now look to do it all over again in Game 4, knowing how important it is to keep the momentum and don’t let the resilient Heat team get their grove back. The series stays in Miami, with the next game scheduled for Friday night.

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The Denver Nuggets did their best to keep the Miami Heat from stealing Game 2 on Sunday night, but their best wasn’t enough. Just like many times this postseason, the Heat found something extra late in the game to rally to a win.

The Heat entered the fourth quarter with an eight-point deficit before orchestrating a comeback to get an important 111-108 away win and tie the NBA Finals series.

Miami’s win was a true team effort, with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo scoring 21 points each and Gabe Vincent finishing the game with 23 points. Max Strus and Duncan Robinson were also in double digits in points.

“Our guys are competitors,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game. “They love these kind of moments.”

The Nuggets had another big performance by their superstar Nikola Jokic, who had 41 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. However, he had little help from the rest of the team, especially on the defensive end of the ball.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Denver’s head coach Mike Malone called out his players for lack of effort.

“Let’s talk about effort,” Malone said. “I mean, this is the NBA Finals, and we’re talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine. You guys probably thought I was just making up some storyline after Game 1 when I said we didn’t play well. We didn’t play well. … This is not the preseason. This is not the regular season. This is the NBA Finals.”

The NBA Finals series now moves to Miami, with Game 3 being scheduled for Wednesday.

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The Miami Heat didn’t allow the Boston Celtics to make history and become the first team in NBA history to return from 0-3 in a playoff series. Instead, they went to TD Garden for Game 7 and got a dominant 103-84 win that secured them a spot in NBA Finals.

The Heat made some history themselves, becoming just the second team to make the NBA Finals as the eighth seed, joining the New York Knicks did it in 1999. Miami now only have the Denver Nuggets standing in their way of winning the fourth championship in franchise history.

Miami saw another big performance from Jimmy Butler, who led the way with 28 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Caleb Martin joined in with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

Butler deservingly took home the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, having averaged 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.1 steals during the Heat’s playoff run.

“I know the work that we all put into it, so I know what we’re capable of. Nobody is satisfied,” Butler said after the game. “We haven’t done anything. We don’t play just to win the Eastern Conference; we play to win the whole thing.”

The Miami Heat are aiming to become the first eighth seed in NBA history to win the title. They finished as No. 7 in Eastern Conference at the end of the regular season and even lost their first Play-In game to the Atlanta Hawks. But what came after was nothing short of impressive.

Miami dealt with the Chicago Bulls to secure the eighth seed and then went to upset the favored Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. After they knocked out the New York Knicks in the East semis, many believed their journey ends against Boston. But the Heat once again rose up to the challenge and showed that the “Heat culture” is really something that can’t be quantified with statistics, odds, or probability. 

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The Golden State Warriors had a few scares in Game 5 of their 2022 NBA Finals clash against the Boston Celtics but still managed to walk away with a 104-94 win. The Dubs now have a 3-2 lead in the series and are just one game away from winning their seventh NBA championship in franchise history and fourth since 2015.

The Warriors had a furious start to the game, taking a 27-16 lead to wrap up the first quarter. The second quarter saw a more balanced contest before the Celtics crawled their way back into the game in the third. At one point, Boston thought they would finish the period with a lead before Jordan Poole made a 33-foot buzzer-beater to swing momentum in Golden State’s favor. This set the stage for another dominant spell by the Warriors in the fourth quarter that eventually sealed the win.

An unexpected hero for Golden State was forward Andrew Wiggins, who scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds on the night. Wiggins stepping up was key for the Warriors, considering that their star guard Stephen Curry had an off night. Curry had 16 points while missing all of his nine three-point attempts. This marked the end of a 233-game streak in which the two-time NBA MVP scored at least one three-pointer.

On the other hand, the Celtics saw Jayson Tatum finish the night with 27 points and 10 boards but ended up being let down by their bench. Boston’s reserves contributed with only 10 points combined, while no bench player scored more than three points.

The Celtics and the Warriors will meet again in Boston on Thursday night for what-could-be deciding Game 6.

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The moment wasn’t too big for Chris Paul as he stepped on the court for his first career NBA Finals on Tuesday night. Instead, the 36-year-old veteran rose to the occasion and led his Phoenix Suns to a 118-105 win over Milwaukee Bucks and a 1-0 lead in the finals series.

Paul delivered an impressive performance against the Bucks, leading both teams in scoring with 32 points while adding nine assists and four rebounds. He especially came up big in the third quarter, when he scored half of his points while shooting 6 out of 7 from the floor and making all three attempts behind the arc.

While Chris Paul already compiled a Hall of Fame-worthy career, he never managed to reach the NBA Finals due to a combination of injuries, bad breaks, and tough opponents. He now has a chance to go all the way and cement his legacy while also bringing the Suns their first title in the history of the franchise.

But while the odds are in Phoenix’s favor, Paul knows that the things are far from over.

“We’ve been building all season long for these moments,” said Paul after the game. “We’re going to keep playing. This is just one game. We’ve got to stay locked in.”

Game 1 also saw All-Star Devin Booker scoring 27 points to go with six assists and three steals for the Suns, while DeAndre Ayton had a monster double-double with 22 points and 19 rebounds.

Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had 20 points and 17 rebounds for Milwaukee, playing in his first game since suffering a knee injury in the Eastern Conference Finals. Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez added 29 points and 17 points, respectively.

The NBA Finals will remain in Phoenix for Game 2, which is scheduled for Thursday night.

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When most people think of Dirk Nowitzki’s overall demeanor, the words “kind”, “loyal”, or “dedicated” may come to mind. Put it this way—he’s the last person you’d expect to have beef with any players.

Perhaps this is the reason that we’re only finding out nine years later that Nowitzki did in fact have some beef—with his 2011 NBA championship opponents, the Miami Heat’s LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

Considering the fact that Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to an upset victory over them that NBA Finals, this new information has a lot more meaning.

Someone like Nowitzki wouldn’t have allowed his thoughts to get to the surface of the media back then—but after all this time, his former Mavericks teammate JJ Barea has revealed some interesting facts from behind the scenes.

On a podcast with JJ Redick, Barea divulged: “[Nowitzki] was not going to let us lose. The way he prepared the whole year for it. He hated Miami. He hated LeBron, Wade, Bosh. He’s never going to say that, but he couldn’t stand it.”

But apparently there was some extra motivation that got Nowitzki riled up during that series.

“When LeBron and Wade started making fun of him by coughing when he got a little sick … that clip really hurt him,” Barea revealed. “He will never say it, but he really saw the tape and that tape really hurt him. That gave him a little bit extra that he didn’t need, but it gave him a little extra to finish them off.”

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Los Angeles Lakers are one step closer to winning their 16th NBA title. Carried by great defense and a stellar performance from their superstar LeBron James, the Lakers beat Miami Heat 102-96 on Tuesday night to claim a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

Game 4 was arguably the closest contest in the series, with both teams sitting at 83-83 midway through the fourth quarter. However, the Lakers started pulling ahead with James’ power drive to the basket to get and-one, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope drilled a three on the subsequent possession to discourage another Heat’s rally.

Several minutes later, Anthony Davis delivered a dagger-three point to give the Lakers a nine-point lead and remove any doubts about the winner of the game.

Lebron James was the driving force for the Lakers in this game, scoring game-high 28 points to go with 12 rebounds and eight assists. Davis followed with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Danny Green and Caldwell-Pope also finished the game in double digits.

“Felt like a finals game,” said James after the game.”Felt like both teams were desperate … and that’s what it’s all about.”

Heat was led by Jimmy Butler, who had a near triple-double (22-10-9), while Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo scored 21 points and 15 points, respectively. Miami was playing their second straight game without guard Goran Dragic, who got injured during Game 2 and probably won’t return for the series.

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When the final whistle blew on Thursday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland, history was made. Not only was Game 6 of the NBA Finals the last game in the history of the stadium, but the Toronto Raptors had been crowned champions of the NBA for the first time in their franchise’s 24-year history.

The Raptors defeated the two-time reigning champion Golden State Warriors on their home court in order to claim the title.

Thursday’s game was a tense, back-and-forth affair that the Raptors never controlled. In fact, they went into the fourth and final quarter trailing Golden State by an 88-86 score.

However, they charged ahead in the fourth quarter on the backs of a dominant Kawhi Leonard, who was named Finals MVP, and the hot three-point shooting of Raptors bench guard Fred VanVleet.

Leonard was named Finals MVP after averaging 28.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. His transcendental first season in Toronto led the Raptors to heights that had never before been experienced by the team.

It was the second Finals MVP for Leonard, after he won the award in the Spurs’ 2012 championship win.

Toronto will now celebrate their title and enjoy the fruits of a fantastic season which saw them do something that was almost unimaginable just a short time ago.

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The Golden State Warriors claimed a crucial 106-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors in a do-or-die Game 5. But that doesn’t mean that all news was good news for Steve Kerr and the two-time champions.

Kevin Durant, who had been out since the Warriors’ Western Conference semi-final series against the Houston Rockets in early May, collapsed in the second quarter, clutching the same right Achilles that he had injured last month.

While no official word has been given about the exact diagnosis of his injury, sources have suggested that Golden State fears that Durant has ruptured the tendon.

Durant went down with 9:46 to go in the second quarter after having looked sharp. He had already scored 11 points on 3-5 shooting when he suffered the injury.

Durant left the arena with crutches and a walking boot on the injured leg. While his team will travel home to Oakland for Thursday night’s Game 6, Durant will head to New York for further testing and evaluation of his injury.

It remains to be seen how Durant’s injury will affect his upcoming free agency or if the Warriors rushed the forward back too soon.

In any case, despite keeping their NBA title hopes alive, it was hard for the Warriors to celebrate after Monday night’s bad news.

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The Toronto Raptors took control of Game 3 of the NBA Finals with a crucial win in Oakland on Wednesday night.

Toronto’s 123-109 win was a crucial victory that could end up defining both the series and their season.

The Warriors, who were without three important players in Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Kevan Looney, were simply left behind by the Eastern Conference Champions all night. The crowd at Oracle Arena could hardly believe that the Raptors were having their way with the two-time defending NBA Champs.

Not even Warriors point guard Steph Curry, who did his best to pull his team towards a win with a 47-point performance, could overcome the Raptors’ team attack.

All of Toronto’s starters finished with at least 17 points in the game, creating a combined offensive attack that the short-handed Warriors simply couldn’t slow down.

Kawhi Leonard, unsurprisingly, led Toronto with 30 points. He also chipped in 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

Point guard Kyle Lowry also came up big for the beasts in the East, combining 29 points with 9 assists.

The Raptors’ road win gives them a definite advantage going into the rest of the series. They will have four opportunities to win two games in order to claim the first NBA title in franchise history.

Game 4 will be held at Oracle Arena in Oakland on Friday night.

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The Denver Nuggets took back control of the NBA Finals series against the Heat in an impressive fashion. The Nuggets dominated the Heat in a 109-94 win in Game 3, with their star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray making history in the process.

Jokic and Murray both had 30-point triple-doubles, becoming the first duo to achieve the feat in the NBA playoffs. Jokic had 32 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Murray finished the game with 34 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds to give Denver a 2-1 lead.

Nuggets’ head coach Mike Malone was full of praise for Jokic and Murray in the post-game conference.

“By far, their greatest performance as a duo in their seven years together,” Malone said.

Malone was particularly impressed with Murray, who struggled in Game 2 and missed the game-tying basket at the buzzer.

“I felt Jamal’s presence, his energy, and he was here in the moment,” Malone added. “For him and Nikola to do what they did tonight in a game that we needed to take, regain the home-court advantage of the series, was special to watch.”

Jokic and Murray will now look to do it all over again in Game 4, knowing how important it is to keep the momentum and don’t let the resilient Heat team get their grove back. The series stays in Miami, with the next game scheduled for Friday night.

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The Denver Nuggets did their best to keep the Miami Heat from stealing Game 2 on Sunday night, but their best wasn’t enough. Just like many times this postseason, the Heat found something extra late in the game to rally to a win.

The Heat entered the fourth quarter with an eight-point deficit before orchestrating a comeback to get an important 111-108 away win and tie the NBA Finals series.

Miami’s win was a true team effort, with Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo scoring 21 points each and Gabe Vincent finishing the game with 23 points. Max Strus and Duncan Robinson were also in double digits in points.

“Our guys are competitors,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after the game. “They love these kind of moments.”

The Nuggets had another big performance by their superstar Nikola Jokic, who had 41 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. However, he had little help from the rest of the team, especially on the defensive end of the ball.

Speaking with reporters after the game, Denver’s head coach Mike Malone called out his players for lack of effort.

“Let’s talk about effort,” Malone said. “I mean, this is the NBA Finals, and we’re talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine. You guys probably thought I was just making up some storyline after Game 1 when I said we didn’t play well. We didn’t play well. … This is not the preseason. This is not the regular season. This is the NBA Finals.”

The NBA Finals series now moves to Miami, with Game 3 being scheduled for Wednesday.

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The Miami Heat didn’t allow the Boston Celtics to make history and become the first team in NBA history to return from 0-3 in a playoff series. Instead, they went to TD Garden for Game 7 and got a dominant 103-84 win that secured them a spot in NBA Finals.

The Heat made some history themselves, becoming just the second team to make the NBA Finals as the eighth seed, joining the New York Knicks did it in 1999. Miami now only have the Denver Nuggets standing in their way of winning the fourth championship in franchise history.

Miami saw another big performance from Jimmy Butler, who led the way with 28 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Caleb Martin joined in with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

Butler deservingly took home the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals MVP award, having averaged 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.1 steals during the Heat’s playoff run.

“I know the work that we all put into it, so I know what we’re capable of. Nobody is satisfied,” Butler said after the game. “We haven’t done anything. We don’t play just to win the Eastern Conference; we play to win the whole thing.”

The Miami Heat are aiming to become the first eighth seed in NBA history to win the title. They finished as No. 7 in Eastern Conference at the end of the regular season and even lost their first Play-In game to the Atlanta Hawks. But what came after was nothing short of impressive.

Miami dealt with the Chicago Bulls to secure the eighth seed and then went to upset the favored Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. After they knocked out the New York Knicks in the East semis, many believed their journey ends against Boston. But the Heat once again rose up to the challenge and showed that the “Heat culture” is really something that can’t be quantified with statistics, odds, or probability. 

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The Golden State Warriors had a few scares in Game 5 of their 2022 NBA Finals clash against the Boston Celtics but still managed to walk away with a 104-94 win. The Dubs now have a 3-2 lead in the series and are just one game away from winning their seventh NBA championship in franchise history and fourth since 2015.

The Warriors had a furious start to the game, taking a 27-16 lead to wrap up the first quarter. The second quarter saw a more balanced contest before the Celtics crawled their way back into the game in the third. At one point, Boston thought they would finish the period with a lead before Jordan Poole made a 33-foot buzzer-beater to swing momentum in Golden State’s favor. This set the stage for another dominant spell by the Warriors in the fourth quarter that eventually sealed the win.

An unexpected hero for Golden State was forward Andrew Wiggins, who scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds on the night. Wiggins stepping up was key for the Warriors, considering that their star guard Stephen Curry had an off night. Curry had 16 points while missing all of his nine three-point attempts. This marked the end of a 233-game streak in which the two-time NBA MVP scored at least one three-pointer.

On the other hand, the Celtics saw Jayson Tatum finish the night with 27 points and 10 boards but ended up being let down by their bench. Boston’s reserves contributed with only 10 points combined, while no bench player scored more than three points.

The Celtics and the Warriors will meet again in Boston on Thursday night for what-could-be deciding Game 6.

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The moment wasn’t too big for Chris Paul as he stepped on the court for his first career NBA Finals on Tuesday night. Instead, the 36-year-old veteran rose to the occasion and led his Phoenix Suns to a 118-105 win over Milwaukee Bucks and a 1-0 lead in the finals series.

Paul delivered an impressive performance against the Bucks, leading both teams in scoring with 32 points while adding nine assists and four rebounds. He especially came up big in the third quarter, when he scored half of his points while shooting 6 out of 7 from the floor and making all three attempts behind the arc.

While Chris Paul already compiled a Hall of Fame-worthy career, he never managed to reach the NBA Finals due to a combination of injuries, bad breaks, and tough opponents. He now has a chance to go all the way and cement his legacy while also bringing the Suns their first title in the history of the franchise.

But while the odds are in Phoenix’s favor, Paul knows that the things are far from over.

“We’ve been building all season long for these moments,” said Paul after the game. “We’re going to keep playing. This is just one game. We’ve got to stay locked in.”

Game 1 also saw All-Star Devin Booker scoring 27 points to go with six assists and three steals for the Suns, while DeAndre Ayton had a monster double-double with 22 points and 19 rebounds.

Two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had 20 points and 17 rebounds for Milwaukee, playing in his first game since suffering a knee injury in the Eastern Conference Finals. Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez added 29 points and 17 points, respectively.

The NBA Finals will remain in Phoenix for Game 2, which is scheduled for Thursday night.

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When most people think of Dirk Nowitzki’s overall demeanor, the words “kind”, “loyal”, or “dedicated” may come to mind. Put it this way—he’s the last person you’d expect to have beef with any players.

Perhaps this is the reason that we’re only finding out nine years later that Nowitzki did in fact have some beef—with his 2011 NBA championship opponents, the Miami Heat’s LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.

Considering the fact that Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to an upset victory over them that NBA Finals, this new information has a lot more meaning.

Someone like Nowitzki wouldn’t have allowed his thoughts to get to the surface of the media back then—but after all this time, his former Mavericks teammate JJ Barea has revealed some interesting facts from behind the scenes.

On a podcast with JJ Redick, Barea divulged: “[Nowitzki] was not going to let us lose. The way he prepared the whole year for it. He hated Miami. He hated LeBron, Wade, Bosh. He’s never going to say that, but he couldn’t stand it.”

But apparently there was some extra motivation that got Nowitzki riled up during that series.

“When LeBron and Wade started making fun of him by coughing when he got a little sick … that clip really hurt him,” Barea revealed. “He will never say it, but he really saw the tape and that tape really hurt him. That gave him a little bit extra that he didn’t need, but it gave him a little extra to finish them off.”

The post Dirk Nowitzki Reportedly “Hated Miami” During 2011 NBA Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Los Angeles Lakers are one step closer to winning their 16th NBA title. Carried by great defense and a stellar performance from their superstar LeBron James, the Lakers beat Miami Heat 102-96 on Tuesday night to claim a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

Game 4 was arguably the closest contest in the series, with both teams sitting at 83-83 midway through the fourth quarter. However, the Lakers started pulling ahead with James’ power drive to the basket to get and-one, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope drilled a three on the subsequent possession to discourage another Heat’s rally.

Several minutes later, Anthony Davis delivered a dagger-three point to give the Lakers a nine-point lead and remove any doubts about the winner of the game.

Lebron James was the driving force for the Lakers in this game, scoring game-high 28 points to go with 12 rebounds and eight assists. Davis followed with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Danny Green and Caldwell-Pope also finished the game in double digits.

“Felt like a finals game,” said James after the game.”Felt like both teams were desperate … and that’s what it’s all about.”

Heat was led by Jimmy Butler, who had a near triple-double (22-10-9), while Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo scored 21 points and 15 points, respectively. Miami was playing their second straight game without guard Goran Dragic, who got injured during Game 2 and probably won’t return for the series.

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When the final whistle blew on Thursday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland, history was made. Not only was Game 6 of the NBA Finals the last game in the history of the stadium, but the Toronto Raptors had been crowned champions of the NBA for the first time in their franchise’s 24-year history.

The Raptors defeated the two-time reigning champion Golden State Warriors on their home court in order to claim the title.

Thursday’s game was a tense, back-and-forth affair that the Raptors never controlled. In fact, they went into the fourth and final quarter trailing Golden State by an 88-86 score.

However, they charged ahead in the fourth quarter on the backs of a dominant Kawhi Leonard, who was named Finals MVP, and the hot three-point shooting of Raptors bench guard Fred VanVleet.

Leonard was named Finals MVP after averaging 28.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. His transcendental first season in Toronto led the Raptors to heights that had never before been experienced by the team.

It was the second Finals MVP for Leonard, after he won the award in the Spurs’ 2012 championship win.

Toronto will now celebrate their title and enjoy the fruits of a fantastic season which saw them do something that was almost unimaginable just a short time ago.

The post Toronto Raptors Beat Golden State Warriors in Game 6 to Win NBA Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Golden State Warriors claimed a crucial 106-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors in a do-or-die Game 5. But that doesn’t mean that all news was good news for Steve Kerr and the two-time champions.

Kevin Durant, who had been out since the Warriors’ Western Conference semi-final series against the Houston Rockets in early May, collapsed in the second quarter, clutching the same right Achilles that he had injured last month.

While no official word has been given about the exact diagnosis of his injury, sources have suggested that Golden State fears that Durant has ruptured the tendon.

Durant went down with 9:46 to go in the second quarter after having looked sharp. He had already scored 11 points on 3-5 shooting when he suffered the injury.

Durant left the arena with crutches and a walking boot on the injured leg. While his team will travel home to Oakland for Thursday night’s Game 6, Durant will head to New York for further testing and evaluation of his injury.

It remains to be seen how Durant’s injury will affect his upcoming free agency or if the Warriors rushed the forward back too soon.

In any case, despite keeping their NBA title hopes alive, it was hard for the Warriors to celebrate after Monday night’s bad news.

The post Kevin Durant Goes Down with Achilles Injury in Golden State’s Game 5 Win appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Toronto Raptors took control of Game 3 of the NBA Finals with a crucial win in Oakland on Wednesday night.

Toronto’s 123-109 win was a crucial victory that could end up defining both the series and their season.

The Warriors, who were without three important players in Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Kevan Looney, were simply left behind by the Eastern Conference Champions all night. The crowd at Oracle Arena could hardly believe that the Raptors were having their way with the two-time defending NBA Champs.

Not even Warriors point guard Steph Curry, who did his best to pull his team towards a win with a 47-point performance, could overcome the Raptors’ team attack.

All of Toronto’s starters finished with at least 17 points in the game, creating a combined offensive attack that the short-handed Warriors simply couldn’t slow down.

Kawhi Leonard, unsurprisingly, led Toronto with 30 points. He also chipped in 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

Point guard Kyle Lowry also came up big for the beasts in the East, combining 29 points with 9 assists.

The Raptors’ road win gives them a definite advantage going into the rest of the series. They will have four opportunities to win two games in order to claim the first NBA title in franchise history.

Game 4 will be held at Oracle Arena in Oakland on Friday night.

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