The Raptors know Warriors reinforcements are coming. But Pascal Siakam said of his team:
OAKLAND, Calif. — When the Golden State Warriors laid a crushing 18-0 run on the Toronto Raptors in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, their leader, Stephen Curry, declared it one of those moments when „our DNA shows up.“
It’s a daunting thing, that championship DNA. If you’re not careful, you can suffocate under the weight of the possibility of that dominance. Many playoff opponents have fallen victim to a franchise loaded with stars who, when they are rolling, seem invincible.
Yet one thing was abundantly clear on Wednesday at Oracle Arena: Toronto had no intention of wilting under the pressure of the championship pedigree of its undermanned opponents. When the Warriors charged, the Raptors fended off their run with clutch shooting. During stretches when the Raptors faltered offensively, they righted themselves with defensive stops.
Find everything you need to know about the NBA Finals here.
• Schedules, matchups and more
• Four questions that will decide the Finals
• How Draymond Green found his zen
• Toronto’s best pitch to keep Leonard
• Predictions: Favorites and likely MVPs
• What’s next for eliminated teams?
In fact, in the wake of their 123-109 Game 3 victory in one of the most intimidating buildings in the NBA, the Raptors might be in the process of crafting some promising genetic coding of their own.
„That’s true,“ said Serge Ibaka, who blocked six shots in the game and knocked down a monster wing jumper with 10 minutes to play. „We are working on our own DNA, and it’s defense. There are some nights when you’ll make all your shots, but it won’t happen every night. One thing for sure that we can do is defend.“
No one had to explain to the Raptors what was at stake. Kevon Looney is out for the remainder of the series. Klay Thompson was a very late scratch with a balky hamstring. Kevin Durant missed his eighth consecutive game with a strained calf. For Toronto, there was no option but to win.
