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The NBA Finals have arrived and the Toronto Raptors will host the Golden State Warriors for the first two games.
Y'all ready for this?
The #NBAFinals are SET. pic.twitter.com/DWJHfz3WZj
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 26, 2019
Conference Finals
The Golden State Warriors defeated the Rockets in six games in order to move on to the Western Conference Finals. They faced the Trail Blazers who had defeated the Denver Nuggets before playing against the Warriors.
Golden State later defeated the Blazers in four games and earned the title of the Western Conference Champions. The Warriors currently have an overall record of 57-25 with a conference record of 35-17.
"We don't take anything for granted. Every single night, especially once you get to the Playoffs, there's a hunger about us."#NBAPlayoffs | #StrengthInNumbers pic.twitter.com/aGYbB45eFy
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) May 23, 2019
In the Eastern Conference, the Raptors made it to the conference finals after defeating the 76ers in six games. The Milwaukee Bucks became their opponents after defeating the Boston Celtic in Game 5.
The Raptors later clinched the Eastern Conference Champions title after defeating the Bucks in Game 6. The Raptors ended their season with a 58-24 overall record and a 36-16 conference record.
Your Eastern Conference Champions #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/cEY4ZWSKYY
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 26, 2019
Notable Players
Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry, PG
Curry has been averaging 27.3 points, 5.3 total rebounds, and 5.2 assists. He has a 91.6 free throw percentage, 47.2 field goal percentage, and a 43.7 three-point field goal percentage. Curry has been a fan favorite on the last few seasons and he stepped up in the last few games after Durant left with a strained calf.
Toronto Raptors
Kawhi Leonard, SF
Leonard has an average of 26.6 points, 7.3 total rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He has a 49.6 field goal percentage and a 37.1 three-point field goal percentage. The last time he appeared in the NBA Finals he was part of the Miami Heat team.
With Durant out of Game 1, Leonard has a chance to step up on the defensive end by shadowing Klay Thompson. Leonard is also a candidate for the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player title.
Getting ready for the finals
With the finals starting Thursday at 8 pm, both teams talk about their preparations and their mindset leading towards game 1. Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr talks about the excitement that he feels about traveling all the way to Toronto to play against the Raptors.
Stephen Curry also addresses questions regarding his face-off with Kawhi Leonard. He mentions that he is a tough competitor and their best is to make it difficult for him on the defense.
As for the Raptors, Leonard talks about their strategies on how to slow down the Warriors. He also talks about how he and his team have to be able to concentrate on nothing else other than winning the finals.
The Raptors’ head coach, Nick Nurse mentioned that their positive mindset is what helped the Raptors earn a spot in the Finals.
