Golden State Warriors vs Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors have drawn first blood in the NBA Finals. Led by a masterful performance by Pascal Siakam coupled with amazing team defence, the Raptors dealt the Warriors their first Game 1 defeat in the Finals during their dynastic five-year run.
The Warriors swept aside the Portland Trail Blazers without Kevin Durant, but they missed the two-time Finals MVP in a big way in Toronto as no one apart from the Splash Brothers could get going offensively.
The defending champions now face a big Game 2 as they look to avoid going down a 2-0 hole which would significantly swing the NBA Finals 2019 betting odds in the Raptors’ favour.
Talking Points
Warriors’ injury woes
To those who were wondering whether the Warriors even needed Kevin Durant to win another NBA championship, Game 1 was overwhelming proof that they certainly do.
While Stephen Curry (34 points, 8-18 FG) and Klay Thompson (21 points, 8-17 FG) both played well, the Warriors clearly lacked that third scoring option against the Raptors, who were able to keep the non-Splash Brother Warriors in check.
Draymond Green, who had a terrific offensive series against the Blazers, was completely shut down as he went just 2-of-9 from the field. Meanwhile, DeMarcus Cousins went without a field goal in eight minutes in his first game back from a lengthy lay-off due to a quad injury.
And to make matters worse for the Warriors, Andre Iguodala appeared to pick up another leg injury late in Game 1. Although he looks set to play in Game 2 according to the latest NBA Finals 2019 updates, it remains to be seen whether he will be limited in any way by that injury.
With Durant still ruled out for Game 2, the Warriors desperately need their defence to pick up. Green needs to do a much better job on Siakam, while Iguodala must continue to help keep Kawhi Leonard quiet, which will obviously be much easier said than done.
But the Warriors without Durant just don’t seem equipped to outscore the Raptors, so they’ll need their defence at its best to stand a chance of stealing Game 2.
Raptors’ suffocating defence
Pascal Siakam received the majority of the plaudits after Game 1, and rightly so. With the Warriors clearly keen on preventing Kawhi Leonard from beating them, the Cameroonian stepped up and dropped 32 points (14-17 FG), eight rebounds, and five assists to lead the Raptors offensively.
But the Toronto defence was the key to their Game 1 success. They did a tremendous job limiting the Warriors’ offence, which was dearly missing Durant’s presence.
It was particularly impressive how the Raptors completely stymied the Stephen Curry-Draymond Green pick-and-roll that picked the Blazers apart in the last round.
Marc Gasol, who was brilliant offensively with 20 points, was equally as valuable on defence as he consistently wreaked havoc on the Warriors’ pet play. And Leonard made up for his unusually inefficient shooting (5-of-14 from the field) by providing his usual excellent defence.
It speaks to the Raptors’ depth that they still scored 118 points despite off shooting nights from Leonard and Kyle Lowry (seven points on 2-of-9 shooting).
Danny Green finally rediscovered his shooting touch and hit three 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Fred VanVleet continued his fine play from the Bucks series with 15 points off the Raptors bench.
But even if the Raptors’ shooting falls back down to earth — they shot 50 per cent as a team in Game 1 — their defence is more than good enough to keep them competitive.
History
The Warriors find themselves in unfamiliar territory down 1-0 in the Finals; they had won Game 1 in their previous four trips.
But despite losing Game 1, don’t expect the Warriors to panic just yet. Don’t forget, this is a team that’s won at least one road game in 22 consecutive playoff series, which is an NBA record.
They are still more than capable of going into Toronto and stealing home-court advantage away from the Raptors in Game 2.
What are the odds?
SBOBET odds currently have the Raptors priced at 1.74 on the money line to win Game 2, while the Warriors are at 2.19.
Meanwhile, the options on the Asian Handicap market are between 1.00 and 2.50 points. Raptors -2.50 is priced at 1.99, and Warriors +2.50 is 1.91.
At this point, the smart money seems to be on the Raptors taking a commanding lead in the series. Their defence is locked in at the moment and as good as Golden State are, they don’t appear to have the tools to score consistently on that defence without Durant in the lineup.
Having said that, though, it wouldn’t at all be surprising if the Warriors were to somehow earn a split in Toronto heading back to Oakland for Games 3 and 4.
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