11th June, 2019
Defending champions Golden State Warriors held off a late charge by Toronto Raptors on Monday night, winning by just a point 106-105, to force Game 6.
Like a ding dong, the game returns from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto to the Oracle Arena in Orlando California on Thursday.
The Warriors are returning home now trailing 3-2 in their bid for a third successive championship.
Kyle Lowry for the hosts was one shot away from winning the championship for the Raptors, clanging a late-game 3-pointer in a loss.
The top storyline entering the night was the the return of Kevin Durant, who had been out since straining his calf in the second round.
He started off hot, scoring 11 points in his first 12 minutes on 3-of-5 shooting. But he appeared to re-aggravate his injury early in the second quarter.
He was assisted off the court and did not return in the contest. He reportedly left later in crutches. His teammate Kevon Looney also re-aggravated his injury in the matchup and left the game.
Kawhi Leonard ended up with 26 points and 12 rebounds. His personal 10-0 run in the fourth quarter was crucial for the Raptors down the stretch. Five other Raptors were double-digit scorers, but it wasn’t enough to stop the two-time defending champions.
Stephen Curry led all scorers with 31 points on five made 3-pointers. He was trailed by Klay Thompson’s 26 points and seven 3-pointers while Draymond Green flirted with a triple-double once again.
Game 6 will tipoff at 9 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena.