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.

At the end of regulation on Saturday night at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the crowd went wild. Why?

Well, they saw their hometown Toronto Raptors win Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals by a 100-94 final in a back-and-forth contest and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Kawhi Leonard, who was acquired last summer in a risky move by Raptors president Masai Ujiri, came through with a huge game once again to send Toronto into pandemonium.

Leonard scored 27 points and gathered 17 rebounds to lead his team to their fourth consecutive victory in the series.

Few gave the Raptors a chance after falling down 2-0 to the #1 seeded Bucks after the first two games of the conference finals. However, a scrappy, energetic team led by one of the NBA’s biggest stars was able to completely turn the series around.

Milwaukee, led by MVP frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo, was proven to be just too young and inexperienced to get past the resolve of the NBA’s only Canadian franchise.

The Toronto Raptors’ reward for winning the series is a date with the back-to-back champion Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The series will begin on Thursday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

The post Raptors Win Nerve-Wracking Game 6 to Advance to NBA Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Toronto Raptors announced on Friday that they have fired their head coach Dwane Casey. This decision came after an early playoff exit handed to them by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. Casey had one year left on his $6.5 million worth contract.

The Toronto Raptors organization has announced they have parted ways with head coach Dwane Casey.

More: https://t.co/esTdL383Ze

Masai Ujiri press conference live NOW via Raptors mobile app. pic.twitter.com/FEqnZEhZU0

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 11, 2018

“After careful consideration, I have decided this is a very difficult but necessary step the franchise must take,” – said Raptors president Masai Ujiri in a statement. “As a team, we are constantly trying to grow and improve in order to get to the next level. We celebrate everything Dwane has done for the organization, we thank him, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future. He was instrumental in creating the identity and culture of who we are as a team, and we are so proud of that.“

Dwane Casey left the Toronto Raptors as the most successful coach in franchise’s history. He took over the Raptors in 2011 and improved the team’s record in six of the seven seasons. He also led them to the playoffs in each of the last five seasons.

The 2017-18 regular season was particularly successful for Dwane Casey since he coached the Raptors to number one seed in the Eastern Conference and 59 wins, which represent the franchise’s record. Still, Casey couldn’t translate regular season success to the playoffs, being eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the past three seasons.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Toronto Raptors are considering former Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, Raptors assistant Nick Nurse and G League coach Jerry Stackhouse for the vacant head coach position.

Dwane Casey, on the other side, has immediately become a favorite for number of head coaching jobs in the NBA including Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks.

The post Toronto Raptors Fire Coach Dwane Casey appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Toronto Raptors finished the regular NBA season as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference with a 59-23 record. They posted a franchise record for most wins in a regular season and were tied with Houston Rockets as the NBA’s best team at the home court. Still, that didn’t matter much to Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, who called the season a “wasted year” after his team was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

“We felt like we could possibly make the NBA Finals,” – said Lowry during the Raptors’ exit interviews. “That was our goal.“

Toronto Raptors’ hopes of the for NBA Finals vapored away on Monday night when the Cleveland Cavaliers won the elimination Game 4 in a big fashion, 128-93. Kyle Lowry only had five points in this game alongside four rebounds and 10 assists. This was the third straight season that the Raptors are being eliminated by the Cavs and LeBron James in the playoffs.

“To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” – Lowry added. “We’ve continuously failed against the team that made the Finals the last three years.“

His teammate DeMar DeRozan also feels bad about the defeat.

“This is probably the toughest, most frustrating, difficult, lowest feeling I’ve had,” – said DeRozan. “You get to that point where you’re standing firm through everything and you feel like you can’t get knocked down again, and you realize you do get knocked back down again. It’s kind of the worst feeling.“

It looks like all the good that Toronto Raptors did this regular season was erased with their poor performance in the playoffs. Sources close to the Raptors are reporting that the front office is preparing some major changes and are even considering replacing NBA Coach of the Year candidate Dwane Casey. There are also talks that the team might consider resetting their roster. Whether this turns out to be true or not, the Raptors are facing another challenging offseason in which they will try to find the way to beat The King.

The post Raptors’ Record-Breaking Season a “Wasted Year” After Early Playoff Exit Says Kyle Lowry appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It looks like Toronto Raptors just can’t figure out how to stop LeBron James. On Thursday night the Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Raptors in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals and suffered a convincing 128 – 110 defeat. The man who orchestrated the Cavs’ win? LeBron James, of course.

James scored 43 points and added 14 assists alongside eight rebounds to give his team 2-0 comfortable lead in the series. It isn’t like the Raptors didn’t try to stop him. They contested 26 of his 27 shots, but he managed to make 17 of them including seven fadeaways. After an unconvincing Game 1, where the Cavaliers managed to grind out a win in overtime and where James wasn’t at his best, this performance reminded everyone why he is still the best basketball player alive.

“The ball was popping, guys were feeling involved, everybody felt their comfort [zone],” – said James after the game. “No matter at home or on the road, you want to try to play that type of basketball.“

James wasn’t alone in his quest to take down the Raptors, with Kevin Love finally playing at an All-Star level he was trying to get to for better part of the postseason. Love finished the game with 31 points and 11 rebounds.

This is the eighth straight playoff game where the Cavs have beaten the Raptors and it might not be the end of it. The series will now move to Cleveland, and it is hard to expect that the Cavs will pass on the opportunity to close out the series in front of their home audience. It is worth noting that the Raptors 0-5 postseason record at the Cavs’ Quicken Loans Arena.

The post LeBron James Scores 43 Points as Cavs take a 2-0 lead in the Series Against the Raptors appeared first on SportzBonanza.

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.

At the end of regulation on Saturday night at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, the crowd went wild. Why?

Well, they saw their hometown Toronto Raptors win Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals by a 100-94 final in a back-and-forth contest and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Kawhi Leonard, who was acquired last summer in a risky move by Raptors president Masai Ujiri, came through with a huge game once again to send Toronto into pandemonium.

Leonard scored 27 points and gathered 17 rebounds to lead his team to their fourth consecutive victory in the series.

Few gave the Raptors a chance after falling down 2-0 to the #1 seeded Bucks after the first two games of the conference finals. However, a scrappy, energetic team led by one of the NBA’s biggest stars was able to completely turn the series around.

Milwaukee, led by MVP frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo, was proven to be just too young and inexperienced to get past the resolve of the NBA’s only Canadian franchise.

The Toronto Raptors’ reward for winning the series is a date with the back-to-back champion Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. The series will begin on Thursday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

The post Raptors Win Nerve-Wracking Game 6 to Advance to NBA Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Toronto Raptors announced on Friday that they have fired their head coach Dwane Casey. This decision came after an early playoff exit handed to them by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. Casey had one year left on his $6.5 million worth contract.

The Toronto Raptors organization has announced they have parted ways with head coach Dwane Casey.

More: https://t.co/esTdL383Ze

Masai Ujiri press conference live NOW via Raptors mobile app. pic.twitter.com/FEqnZEhZU0

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 11, 2018

“After careful consideration, I have decided this is a very difficult but necessary step the franchise must take,” – said Raptors president Masai Ujiri in a statement. “As a team, we are constantly trying to grow and improve in order to get to the next level. We celebrate everything Dwane has done for the organization, we thank him, and we wish him nothing but the best in the future. He was instrumental in creating the identity and culture of who we are as a team, and we are so proud of that.“

Dwane Casey left the Toronto Raptors as the most successful coach in franchise’s history. He took over the Raptors in 2011 and improved the team’s record in six of the seven seasons. He also led them to the playoffs in each of the last five seasons.

The 2017-18 regular season was particularly successful for Dwane Casey since he coached the Raptors to number one seed in the Eastern Conference and 59 wins, which represent the franchise’s record. Still, Casey couldn’t translate regular season success to the playoffs, being eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the past three seasons.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Toronto Raptors are considering former Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, Raptors assistant Nick Nurse and G League coach Jerry Stackhouse for the vacant head coach position.

Dwane Casey, on the other side, has immediately become a favorite for number of head coaching jobs in the NBA including Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks.

The post Toronto Raptors Fire Coach Dwane Casey appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Toronto Raptors finished the regular NBA season as the number one seed in the Eastern Conference with a 59-23 record. They posted a franchise record for most wins in a regular season and were tied with Houston Rockets as the NBA’s best team at the home court. Still, that didn’t matter much to Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, who called the season a “wasted year” after his team was swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

“We felt like we could possibly make the NBA Finals,” – said Lowry during the Raptors’ exit interviews. “That was our goal.“

Toronto Raptors’ hopes of the for NBA Finals vapored away on Monday night when the Cleveland Cavaliers won the elimination Game 4 in a big fashion, 128-93. Kyle Lowry only had five points in this game alongside four rebounds and 10 assists. This was the third straight season that the Raptors are being eliminated by the Cavs and LeBron James in the playoffs.

“To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best,” – Lowry added. “We’ve continuously failed against the team that made the Finals the last three years.“

His teammate DeMar DeRozan also feels bad about the defeat.

“This is probably the toughest, most frustrating, difficult, lowest feeling I’ve had,” – said DeRozan. “You get to that point where you’re standing firm through everything and you feel like you can’t get knocked down again, and you realize you do get knocked back down again. It’s kind of the worst feeling.“

It looks like all the good that Toronto Raptors did this regular season was erased with their poor performance in the playoffs. Sources close to the Raptors are reporting that the front office is preparing some major changes and are even considering replacing NBA Coach of the Year candidate Dwane Casey. There are also talks that the team might consider resetting their roster. Whether this turns out to be true or not, the Raptors are facing another challenging offseason in which they will try to find the way to beat The King.

The post Raptors’ Record-Breaking Season a “Wasted Year” After Early Playoff Exit Says Kyle Lowry appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It looks like Toronto Raptors just can’t figure out how to stop LeBron James. On Thursday night the Cleveland Cavaliers faced the Raptors in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semi-finals and suffered a convincing 128 – 110 defeat. The man who orchestrated the Cavs’ win? LeBron James, of course.

James scored 43 points and added 14 assists alongside eight rebounds to give his team 2-0 comfortable lead in the series. It isn’t like the Raptors didn’t try to stop him. They contested 26 of his 27 shots, but he managed to make 17 of them including seven fadeaways. After an unconvincing Game 1, where the Cavaliers managed to grind out a win in overtime and where James wasn’t at his best, this performance reminded everyone why he is still the best basketball player alive.

“The ball was popping, guys were feeling involved, everybody felt their comfort [zone],” – said James after the game. “No matter at home or on the road, you want to try to play that type of basketball.“

James wasn’t alone in his quest to take down the Raptors, with Kevin Love finally playing at an All-Star level he was trying to get to for better part of the postseason. Love finished the game with 31 points and 11 rebounds.

This is the eighth straight playoff game where the Cavs have beaten the Raptors and it might not be the end of it. The series will now move to Cleveland, and it is hard to expect that the Cavs will pass on the opportunity to close out the series in front of their home audience. It is worth noting that the Raptors 0-5 postseason record at the Cavs’ Quicken Loans Arena.

The post LeBron James Scores 43 Points as Cavs take a 2-0 lead in the Series Against the Raptors appeared first on SportzBonanza.