Raptors Take Game Three of NBA Finals from Injury Depleted Warriors

by Julian Spivey
You hate to see a championship series affected by injuries, but at the moments that’s what is happening in the NBA Finals as the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors look like the inside of a M*A*S*H unit. Missing Kevin Durant for the entirety of the Western Conference Finals and at least the first three games of the Finals was bad enough, but the Warriors were dealt more heavy blows in game two of the series on Sunday night when Klay Thompson strained a hamstring and Kevon Looney suffered a fracture of his collar bone. Thompson missed tonight’s game three and Looney is out for the remainder of the Finals. It also doesn’t help that DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Iguodala aren’t at 100 percent. Effectively five of the Warriors seven best players are out or playing hobbled right now in this series.
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Without Durant, Thompson and Looney this team shouldn’t have been expected to win game three.

And, they didn’t.

The Raptors won the game 123-109 to take a 2-1 series lead.

Unfortunately for all involved, though I’m not sure the Raptors nor their fan base truly care a whole lot, it felt like a game that was predetermined for them to win due to injury. I truly hate typing that because I hate taking things away from the winning ball team, but there’s no doubt in my mind this game was settled by injuries more than it was on the court on Wednesday night. I think you have to look no further than the play of multiple-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry. Curry had a playoff career high with 47 points and the Warriors still lost the game by double digits. I told my wife before the game began that I believed Curry could score 50 tonight and Golden State still lose the game and it just about happened. The Raptors had a complete game from their team and still struggled to put the Warriors away until late in the fourth quarter. If Curry had his usual help – whether in the form of Thompson or especially Thompson and Durant I don’t believe the Warriors lose this game.

ABC/ESPN announcer Jeff Van Gundy, is one of the worst announcers currently in any pro sport but did say something smart late in game three: “This Warriors starting five wouldn’t even have made the Western Conference playoffs.”

The Raptors had double-digit scoring nights from six different players, including all of the starters, with Kawhi Leonard leading the way with 30 points. Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol, who played well in game one but kind of disappeared in the Raptors game two loss, stepped up big again scoring 18 and 17 points respectively. Point guard Kyle Lowry had his best game of the Finals with 23 points. Danny Green shot 60 percent (6-for-10) from behind the arc and hit some big shots in the third quarter winding up with 18 points. Fred VanVleet added 11 points off the bench.

Curry got very little help offensively from his teammates on Wednesday night as he scored 43 percent of their total points on his own. The only other Warriors in double-digits scoring wise were Draymond Green, who had 17, and Andre Iguodala with 11.

The Warriors are going to need to see at least Thompson, and likely Durant, to walk through those locker room doors on Friday for game four of the series or else they could be staring down a relatively early loss in the Finals.

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