The Toronto Raptors have snatched their first NBA title, edging out the Golden State Warriors, 114-110, in Game 6 of the finals at the Warriors' Oracle Arena in Oakland. Toronto completed the series 4-2.
With the score 111-110 and just seconds left in the 4th quarter, the Warriors' Steph Curry missed a 3-pointer. Golden State then called a timeout it didn't have and was given a technical foul. After that there was some confusion. In the end, Toronto prevailed.
It was a close-fought game from beginning to end, with the two teams trading out the lead.
A fast-paced and entertaining first half featured 14 lead changes and four ties in the last professional basketball game played in Oakland.
Toronto led 33-32 after one quarter in which the Raptors scored seven 3-point shots. But the Warriors' Klay Thompson kept the Warriors in the game scoring 10 points.
The Raptors led by three points at the half, 60-57, largely on the strength of a 21-point effort by guard Kyle Lowry. Pascal Siakam had 13 points and Serge Ibaka scored 10 for Toronto. Raptor star Kawhi Leonard had nine points, but also picked up three fouls.
The Warriors' Thompson had 18 points, followed by Andre Iguodala with 11 points. Curry had nine points.
The Warriors led 88-86 after three quarters. Golden State saw its top scorer Thompson injure his knee late in the quarter.
The Golden State Warriors, led by Splash Brothers Curry and Thompson, have won three of the last four NBA championships. They were early odds-on favorites to three-peat their way to another title and seal their claim to being one of professional basketball's historic dynasties.
But Toronto got in the way of all that.
Going into Game 6, the Raptors had already accomplished what few other teams could dream of: they'd beaten Golden State on the Warriors home court, the Oracle Arena, three times this year—once in the regular season and twice in this series.
The Warriors had hoped to stretch the series to Game 7 and give the court they've called home for 47 seasons a proper send off. Next year, Golden State will play in the new Chase Center in San Francisco. It's only a handful of miles away, but there are many die-hard Oaklanders who think their Warriors might as well be moving to Mars.
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