The Toronto Raptors beat the Golden State Warriors on Thursday in a highly anticipated, highly entertaining TNT game that featured Kawhi Leonard having a vintage game, Pascal Siakam having a breakout game, and T-Dot surviving a hilariously vicious Kevin Durant explosion.
The Raptors are bound for the NBA Finahahahaha — nope not doing this again
We have that and more in Friday’s NBA newsletter.
Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Raptors are now 19-4, at least three games better than every other team in the NBA, with a signature win over the two-time defending champs, proving that we can finally expect to see them in the NBA Finahahahahahahahahaha — nope not doing this again.
I picked the Raptors to make the NBA Finals in each of the past two years. Toronto was the best team in the East each of the past two years. They were so deeply thrashed and embarrassed by LeBron James last year that it made me physically unable to believe in the Raptors again. It will take years of therapy for me to regain my trust in Toronto, not a Thursday night game with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green in street clothes.
”It’s different now, they have former Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard now,” they said. Prove it in May. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.
Scores
Warriors 128, Raptors 131 (OT)
Pacers 96, Lakers 104
Clippers 133, Kings 121
Schedule
Selections from Friday:
Jazz at Hornets, 7 p.m. ET, League Pass
Wizards at Sixers, 7 p.m. ET, League Pass
Rockets at Spurs, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Mavericks at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET, League Pass
Nuggets at Blazers, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Selections from Saturday:
Warriors at Pistons, 7 p.m. ET, League Pass
Celtics at Timberwolves, 8 p.m. ET, NBA TV
Pacers at Kings, 10 p.m. ET, League Pass
Selections from Sunday:
Pelicans at Hornets, 5 p.m. ET, League Pass
Grizzlies at Sixers, 6 p.m. ET, League Pass
Clippers at Mavericks, 7 p.m. ET, League Pass
Blazers at Spurs, 7 p.m. ET, League Pass
Links
Matt Ellentuck talked to three high-end basketball prospects who took non-traditional paths to the NBA that didn’t include college. What’s interesting is that none of them say they would have taken the G League’s new select contracts if they’d been available. The NBA has a marketing challenge on its hands.
Marc Stein on Brook Lopez becoming Splash Mountain in Milwaukee.
LMAO — right before their big national TV game Dave Joerger kicked assistant GM Brandon Williams (with whom he is feuding over Marvin Bagley’s playing time and leaks) out of shootaround. Sam Amick has the details in The Athletic. What a mess. Who could POSSIBLY have seen this coming?
538’s NBA model is even fancier now. It gives the Raptors a 40 percent likelihood of making the Finals.
A combo so great it should be pizza order or a sneaker collab: Katie Baker x Buddy Hield.
And finally: a girl’s letter to Stephen Curry got Under Armour to change the way it sells youth shoes. Really heartwarming story.
Be excellent to each other.
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