GAME 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals between Milwaukee and Toronto would be over as you read this.
With a 2-2 series tie, a team who takes a 3-2 lead wins 82 percnet of the time. So far, it has been a great series with different players coming up big every playing night.
A visibly hobbling Kawhi Leonard is still the most valuable Raptor on the court and his value was proven in that Game 3 double overtime win, scoring 36 points in 52 minutes.
The following game, Toronto evened the series by employing the same defensive strategy on Giannis Antetokounmpo. Most importantly, the Raptor support crew were involved in the point production, especially the bench who scored a combined 48 points.
Giannis was effectively handcuffed mostly by Kawhi that he only scored an un-Giannis like 37 points the last two games but with a career-high 23 rebounds in Game 3. George Hill and the recently activated Malcolm Brogdon, who were Milwaukee’s top scorers in the Game 3 loss with 24 and 20 points respectively, only combined for nine points.
For Toronto to grab the series lead, they must have the same output, if not more, from Marc Gasol who had finally found his range, his wide body clogging the lane and in turn also had seven blocks in their two won games. Coach Nick Nurse only used eight players in the rotation but he needs consistency from Danny Green, Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Pascal Siakam and Fred Van Vleet.
Milwaukee is still favored by many to advance to the NBA Finals but with the adjustments made by the Raptors, things could get very interesting. Surely, Coach Mike Budenholzer will be modifying the Bucks’ offensive and defensive sets. Had Pau Gasol not been injured, it would also be another interesting sibling war with Marc.
Over at the West, Portland finally said goodbye to a high-achieving post season when they surrendered to Golden State in overtime. At one time, the Blazers led by as many as 17 points but the Warriors slowly crept and trimmed the lead to single digits. This is the third time in the series that Golden State overcame a large lead – a similar 17-point deficit in Game 2 and an 18-point lead in Game 3. They could have won a game or two had Jusuf Nurkic been around with his season per game averages of 15 points and 10 rebounds.
The Warriors were without Andre Iguodala who had some leg issues, the third important Warrior on sick bay following DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Durant. But it didn’t matter as Steph Curry and Draymond Green both submitted triple-doubles, a first in league playoff history when teammates recorded the statistic in the same playoff game.
A surprise top scorer for Portland was Meyers Leonard who had 30 points and 12 rebounds. Kevon Looney and Alfonzo McKinnie were Golden State’s surprise packages who also posted good numbers.
Golden State is the first team to reach the NBA Finals five consecutive times next to the legendary Boston Celtics who did the feat ten straight times, from 1957 to 1966. Likewise, Steve Kerr is also the first coach to reach the Finals five in a row next to Boston’s Red Auerbach’s streak of eight.
For the Curry brothers, someone has to go to the NBA Championships and as expected, it was the elder and more famous sibling.
The Warriors will have some needed rest and maybe will have the return of Durant and Cousins for the Finals. They now wait for the Eastern Conference titlist, be it Toronto, who could be in their first league championships or Milwaukee who last hoisted the trophy in 1971, also starring a then young seven footer named Lew Alcindor./PN
