NBA GAME 6

Resilient Raptors rally past Bucks to reach 1st NBA Finals in franchise history

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Toronto closes out series with comeback win on home court

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard hoists the trophy after the Raptors won the Eastern Conference Final in Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks in Toronto on Saturday. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

The Toronto Raptors are headed to the NBA Finals, a Canadian basketball success story 24 years in the making.

Kawhi Leonard poured in 27 points and hauled down a game-high 17 rebounds to lead the Raptors to a thrilling 100-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks that clinched the Eastern Conference finals series 4-2.

Kyle Lowry, playing through the relentless pain of a sprained thumb, had 17 points and eight assists, and grabbed the game ball after the final buzzer sounded on a spectacular comeback.

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The Raptors became just the sixth team in NBA history to win a conference final after losing the first two games.

"Beating this [Bucks] team four times in a row is almost mind boggling," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.

Pascal Siakam chipped in with 18 points, while Fred VanVleet finished with 14.

WATCH | Raptors defeat Bucks in Game 6 to reach NBA Finals:

Show more Kawhi Leonard was magical in Game 6, finishing with 27 points and 17 boards as the Raptors beat the Bucks 100-94 to reach the NBA Finals for the 1st time in franchise history. 2:56

The road doesn't get any easier for Toronto. The defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors await after dispatching the Portland Trail Blazers in four games in the west final almost a week ago. The Finals tip off in Toronto on Thursday.

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But the Raptors paused for a moment to soak it all in Saturday.

Asked what it means to finally break through after seven seasons of playoff frustration, Lowry say "it means a lot."

"It's taken a long time to get here in my career, 13 years, seven years here," he said, his baseball cap reading "NBA Finals" pulled down over his forehead. "I'm going to savour the moment, but I'm not satisfied. Our goal is to win the NBA championship."

Giannis Antetokounmpo, favoured to win the league MVP after leading the Bucks to a league-best 60-win season — two better than Toronto — had 21 points and 11 boards, while Brook Lopez had 18.

The Raptors got off to a shaky start reminiscent of Game 5, giving up a 17-2 Bucks run that straddled the first and second quarters to trail by 15 points early in the first half.

Toronto closed the third quarter with a 10-0 run capped by three Leonard free throws that sliced the Bucks' advantage to 76-71 with one quarter left to play.

"We all felt like we were still in the game," Leonard said. "We had a little bit of momentum left. We just talked amongst each other once again and said 'Let's go out here and enjoy it, and we can play better offence and defence. We ended up doing that, and we ended up winning the game."

WATCH | Kawhi Leonard discusses his journey with Raptors:

Show more After advancing to the NBA finals, Leonard touched on the importance of the Raptors system and how Kyle Lowry helped push him forward. 0:51

The Raptors continued to ride a massive wave of momentum — a 26-3 run punctuated by a massive Leonard dunk from a steal and hand-off from Lowry with 6:46 to play that prompted a roar from the crowd that rocked Scotiabank Arena. The fans didn't sit down again until the game's final buzzer blew.

"We were on a run, and the building exploded after that dunk," said Leonard, the gleaming Eastern Conference trophy sitting between him and Lowry in the post-game press conference. "Kind of got us a little bit more adrenalin to get another stop. I've been playing with [Lowry] for awhile now, and it's just chemistry right there."

The Bucks pulled to within a point with just over five minutes to play, but three-pointers by Marc Gasol and Leonard — Leonard's bouncing up off the rim before falling, in similar fashion to his conference semifinal Game 7 buzzer-beater against Philadelphia — had Toronto up by five with 3:04 to play.

Leonard, who missed all but nine games last season with San Antonio because of a serious quadriceps injury, was breathing heavily, hands on knees, after missing a dunk that Siakam tipped in with 2:06 to play.

A pair of free throws from Lopez made it a three-point game with 29.6 seconds to play, then Siakam was fouled with seven seconds left. The Cameroon big man sank one. Then Leonard was fouled with 3.9 seconds left, and with the crowd chanting "M-V-P!" Toronto's superstar sank both. Game over. Lowry could barely contain his emotions as the final seconds ticked down.

Masai Ujiri, who acquired Leonard in the off-season for much-loved DeMar DeRozan with a lofty goal of an NBA championship in mind, addressed the delirious, confetti-covered crowd after the game, saying "We came all this way to win in Toronto. And we will win in Toronto!"

The Raptors president called Leonard the league's best player.

"I don't care about being the best player, I want to be the best team," Leonard said in response. "Just before the season when we made the trade Masai felt that way about me. He told me how he felt. It's turning out well now. We're in the Finals and we're not done yet."

The Raptors were making just their second Eastern Conference finals appearance in franchise history, and first since they stole two games off LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers before being ousted in six games in 2016.

Ujiri's rebuild included firing coach Dwane Casey and promoting Nurse, then swapping Jonas Valanciunas for Gasol at February's trade deadline.

If fans complained then, they aren't now.

"We've got great fans," Lowry said. "They support us through the good times and the bad times. Right now is a great time, and we're glad that they're our fans." </s> The Toronto Raptors have a chance to make history.

They host the Milwaukee Bucks at Scotiabank Arena for Game 6, one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

The Bucks will look to steal this one to force a Game 7 back in Milwaukee to keep their season alive.

For live updates, highlights and more from Game 6, we have you covered below.

The Bucks came out firing from long range and it's paid off - Milwaukee is 6-for-9 (66.7%) from beyond the arc to give them a 13-point lead after one frame. The Raptors are missing open shots on the offensive end, shooting 31.6% from the field and 20.0% from 3-point land. Something also worth noting: the Bucks outscored the Raptors 10-2 in the minutes that Giannis Antetokounmpo was on the floor and Kawhi Leonard was on the bench.

The Bucks went on an 11-0 run to build a lead but the Raptors cut into that lead quickly. Milwaukee leads 21-16 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Bucks switched to a zone defence that stifled the Raptors on a handful of possessions but Toronto has done a better job of finding the soft spots and getting open looks.

Scotiabank Arena is rocking early on. The Bucks hold a 9-6 lead on three 3-pointers - Khris Middleton is 2-for-2 from long range to get things going for Milwaukee.

No changes for the Bucks either, who will go with their same starting lineup from Game 5 - Eric Bledsoe, Malcolm Brogdon, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez.

No changes to the starting five for the Raptors - Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol.

The Raptors fans aren't messing around for Game 6. They've been lined up to get into "Jurassic Park" for hours now. </s> TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors have advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time ever.

Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points and pulled down 17 rebounds to lead Toronto past the Milwaukee Bucks 100-94 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final. </s> TORONTO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had 27 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Toronto Raptors into the NBA Finals for the first time with a 100-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.

The Raptors overcame a 15-point deficit to win the series in six games and will host the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

Pascal Siakam scored 18 points, Kyle Lowry had 17 and Fred VanVleet 14 for the Raptors, who used a 26-3 run late in the third quarter and early in the fourth to turn the game in their favor.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 21 points and 11 rebounds, but the NBA’s top team in the regular season saw its bid for a first finals berth in 45 years come to a disappointing end with a fourth consecutive defeat. </s> The Toronto Raptors are heading into the NBA Finals. They beat the Bucks in a six-game series to take the series 4-2. After being down in the series, they overcame the obstacles and reached their goal. Finally, the Raptors have reached the Finals.

The Raptors' playoff journey has been an interesting one. It involved a five-game series in the first round, a seven-game series in the second round and finally this series. Now, the Raptors are on the verge of making history. Game 6 was an exciting one that NBA fans could enjoy. It was a game that kept fans on the edge of their seats and gave them something to talk about. Here are three talking points from Game 6.

#3 The Raptors advance to the NBA Finals

With their Game 6 win, the Raptors won the series 4-2. They are the Eastern Conference champions and will advance to the NBA Finals. This is the first time in franchise history this has happened.

In Game 6, the Raptors had four players in double figures. Kawhi Leonard led the team with 27 points and 17 rebounds. He helped the Raptors overcome a 15-point deficit to win Game 6. He played well and helped Toronto win.

Pascal Siakam scored 18 points and Kyle Lowry scored 17. Fred VanVleet scored 14 points off the bench on 5-of-6 shooting. VanVleet struggled throughout the playoffs but picked up his game in the middle of this series.

In Game 4, he finished the game with 13 points. He was 5-of-6 in this game and provided a spark off the bench. He credited his sudden spark to the birth of his son. In Game 5, he scored 21 points and in Game 6 he scored 14. This is a complete turnaround from his 2-point game in Game 1. VanVleet is back to his normal self and will be a key bench player in the Finals. He stepped up at the right time.

After several disappointing years, the Raptors are in the Finals. Last year, they were swept by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. LeBron James averaged 34 points against them including a 43-point game in Game 2. After the sweep, the Raptors fired their head coach (Dwane Casey). It was the second straight year they were swept by the Cavs and the third straight year they lost to the Cavs. The Raptors needed a change and took action.

The Raptors are in the Finals for the first time ever. Since the franchise's origin, they've waited for this moment. Throughout the years, they had stars such as Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Chris Bosh, and DeMar DeRozan. Now, they have Kawhi Leonard, who is a gifted player on both ends of the floor and he's helped them get to this point. He (and teammates such as long-time Raptor Kyle Lowry) can make history. It is up to them to achieve their goal. </s> Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) is called for a defensive foul against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during second half action in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference final in Milwaukee on Thursday, May 23, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

MILWAUKEE — The Toronto Raptors are in uncharted territory. One win from the NBA Finals.

Kawhi Leonard scored 35 points to lead the Toronto Raptors to a thrilling 105-99 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday in the most important game in franchise history.

The Raptors can book their ticket to the finals with a win Saturday in Toronto.

It was Leonard’s 11th 30-plus performance for the Raptors, who took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals with their historic win. Never before has Toronto won three games in a conference final.

Three days after his girlfriend gave birth to their son, Fred VanVleet had seven three-pointers as part of a playoff career-high 21 points. Kyle Lowry, playing through what he called “pretty bad” pain with a sprained thumb, had 17 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Pascal Siakam had 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points to lead Bucks, who with 60 wins (two more than Toronto) had the best record in the league in the regular season. The Bucks hadn’t lost three straight games all season.

RELATED: Raptors beat Bucks 120-102 to even series at 2-2

The Raptors stumbled out at the start, digging themselves an early 14-point hole with horrible shooting. But, thanks to their stifling defence, they clawed their way back to take their first lead late in the second quarter. The Bucks led 75-72 with one quarter to play.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter </s> The 2019 NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors will be historic in several ways.

Toronto is making its NBA Finals debut, and it will be the first time the league’s championship series will feature games played outside of the United States. Golden State has reached the Finals for the fifth consecutive season, a feat accomplished only by the Boston Celtics, who went to 10 Finals in a row from 1957-66.

Game 1 is tonight at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto (9 p.m., ABC).

The Warriors, the top seed in the Western Conference, can become only the third franchise to win three consecutive titles in the past 50 years (the others are the Bulls from 1991-93 and 1996-98 and the Lakers from 2000-02). Golden State has won the title in three of the past four seasons.

The Warriors have won six NBA Championships, tied with the Bulls for third place all-time, behind the Celtics (17) and Lakers (16).

The Raptors, who finished second in the Eastern Conference but defeated top-seeded Milwaukee in six games in the conference finals, have won at least 50 games in each of the past four seasons and swept the two-game season series from the Warriors for the first time in 17 years.

Warriors star Kevin Durant will miss Game 1 due to the calf injury that has idled him the past five games (Golden State is 5-0 without him). DeMarcus Cousins (torn quad) is listed as questionable.

Kawhi Leonard is averaging 31.2 points per game in the playoffs for Toronto. Stephen Curry is averaging 27.3 points for Golden State.

Join the conversation in the comments </s> The Toronto Raptors are getting a second chance at a first NBA Title when they tip-off against the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals in Thursday in Oakland.

The Raptors were two minutes away from securing Canada's first-ever NBA title Monday in Game 5 before falling victim to a barrage of 3-pointers from Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry in a 9-2 finish that was historic on several levels.

Monday's 106-105 final not only produced the first one-point Finals margin since 2007, but it also made the Warriors just the sixth team in NBA history to win a potential elimination game on the road.

History remains on the Raptors' side entering Game 6, even though the scene has shifted back to Oakland. Of the 34 teams that have led a Finals 3-1, 33 have gone on to win the championship. The only exception was the Warriors in 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to win in seven games.

'We understand that the moment is the moment, but we still are staying in it,' Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said Wednesday. 'We're not too up, we're not too down. We're just one game, hey, we lost it, now we got to move on to the next one.'

Exacerbating matters for Golden State has been the loss of Kevin Durant, who returned from a calf injury to score 11 points in 12 minutes in Game 5, only to sustain a ruptured Achilles in the same leg. Durant is expected to miss the majority of next season, if not the entire 2019-2020 campaign.

Warriors players and fans were outraged during Game 5 when a contingent of Raptors supporters appeared to cheer Durant's injury, even as Toronto veterans Serge Ibaka and Kyle Lowry attempted to hush them and pat the rival star on the back.

'I expect our fans to be the loudest they have ever been, especially in the name of Kevin and bringing his type of spirit he would bring to the fight and the competitiveness,' Warriors guard Klay Thompson said Wednesday. 'I know our fans will do that because we deserve it, but more importantly, Kevin does for what he gave this team, this organization. There wouldn't be banners if it wasn't for his presence.'

The game will be the Warriors' last at Oracle Arena, which opened as the Oakland Coliseum Arena 47 years ago. Golden State will move to the Chase Center in San Francisco next season.

'This has been just an incredible environment in which to coach and play back in the day,' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Wednesday. 'Even when the Warriors weren't any good, to come in here as a visitor and feel the energy in this building, you could tell that the fans loved the game.

'This was a basketball hotbed. And just the atmosphere out there, the energy, the noise, over the last five years with our team's rise, combined with that organic energy that this place has always had, it's just been an incredible experience to coach here.'

That energy wasn't enough to prevent Raptors wins in Games 3 and 4 after the Warriors earned a split in the two series-opening games in Toronto.

Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday he's not surprised the road team has won four of the first five games in the best-of-seven.

'Both teams are really good road teams and have been all season,' he said. 'Two really tough-minded teams playing, and you got to be a little more tough-minded on the road. And I think a lot of those games probably could have went either way.'

The team that had the upper hand in 3-point shooting has prevailed in the first five games of the series.

The Raptors outscored the Warriors 120-96 from beyond the arc in their three wins, while Golden State had a 99-57 dominance in long-range points in its two victories.

As for Durant, the former NBA MVP is likely to start rehabbing his surgically-repaired Achilles tendon almost immediately. And according to a specialist at the Mayo Clinic, he should be back to full strength within a year.

There are no guarantees, however, that Durant will ever feel quite the same after Wednesday's surgery, said Nancy Cummings, an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic and head orthopedic surgeon for the Minnesota Lynx Women's NBA team.

'It takes about a year to get all your strength back in that muscular complex,' she said in a telephone interview with Reuters.

'I think it's fair to say athletes will put higher demands on it when it's recovered, so that will take a longer time and some people will never feel totally the same after this injury.'

Recent history of NBA players who have ruptured an Achilles shows that they are out of action for about nine months on average.

So even if Durant makes a speedier-than-normal recovery, he is unlikely to be back much before the start of next season's playoffs.

Durant, 30, has the option to become a free agent this summer, so there is no guarantee the two-times NBA Finals' most valuable player will even be with the Warriors next season.

Cummings said knowledge of the best way to rehabilitate a ruptured Achilles had advanced in recent years.

'When I started my training in the '80s it was more 'we'll fix it and immobilize it' (but) tendons like to move,' she said.

'A functional rehab is better than a static rehab.'

Which is good news for professional athletes like Durant.

'Pro athletes have nothing but time afterwards to rehab so they're at an advantage,' she said.

'It starts almost straight away. We give them 10 days to let the incision calm down and then start to have them put weight on it in a functional brace or boot that allows tendon to see some stress.

'You start some exercises such as toe curls and things like that to get muscles around the Achilles moving.

'At about three months we start doing some light jogging if all looks well, and gradual return to sports specific activity, but that tissue that is repaired has to mature some and that typically is about the six-month mark.'

Cummings knew immediately when Durant sustained the injury that it was a ruptured Achilles.

'You see his heel drop down and calf muscle reverberate,' she said. 'It looks very ballistic. I knew the diagnosis the second I saw it.'

Durant's injury not only devastated Warriors fans, but also the supporters of the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Los Angeles Clippers, all of whom were reportedly interested in signing the two-time NBA Finals MVP this summer.

The only fans who did not seem upset over Durant's Achilles injury were few who cheered after the 7foot forward went down on Monday in Toronto.

'It was bulls***,' Warriors guard Klay Thompson said after Game 5. 'That was freaking ridiculous. I can't even put into words how mad I was about that.'

Some Raptors fans have attempted to make amends, including one anonymous Canadian who decided to send flowers instead.

According to NBC Sports, the Raptors fan sent a floral arrangement to the Warriors offices in downtown Oakland to apologize 'on behalf of Canada'.

The basket contained an assortment of carnations and a ribbon reading, 'Canada is sorry KD.'

'Dear KD and the Warriors: I can't even believe those dumba** Raptors fans cheered when they saw you were injured,' the card read, according to NBC Sports. 'I was watching the game and felt horrible. It was a total disgrace. I hereby apologize on behalf of Canada. Prayers for recovery.'

A GoFundMe page launched by a suburban Toronto man has raised nearly $30,000 for the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation.

The organizer, Hamzah Moin, said he started the fundraiser to support Durant after some Toronto Raptors fans seemingly reacted with joy when the Golden State Warriors star ruptured his Achilles in the second quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night. Durant had surgery to repair his Achilles on Wednesday.

The Raptors lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 heading into Game 6 on Thursday night in Oakland, Calif.

'On behalf of the level-headed and true fans of Raptor Nation - from Toronto to Vancouver to Iqaluit to St. John's, and any fans living outside Canada: we wanted to say `sorry',' Moin wrote.

'We're sorry that some fans of Raptor Nation at the Scotiabank arena, Jurassic Park, and in some bars/restaurants showing the game, displayed an ugly side of fandom when they cheered on the injury of Kevin Durant.

'This isn't cool. This isn't right. This isn't what I expect from fellow Canadians.'

Moin set a goal of $40,000 for the fundraiser. Through mid-day Thursday in Toronto, it had taken in $27,649 from more than 1,000 donors.

On its website, the Kevin Durant Charity Foundation says its mission 'is to enrich the lives of at-risk youth from low-income backgrounds through education, athletic and social programs.' </s> TORONTO — Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 32 points and the Toronto Raptors won the first NBA Finals game played outside the U.S., beating the Golden State Warriors 118-109 on Thursday night.

The Raptors hardly looked like newcomers to the NBA’s biggest stage, controlling the action most of the way against a Golden State team beginning its fifth straight NBA Finals appearance.

Kawhi Leonard added 23 points and Marc Gasol had 20 for the Raptors.

Stephen Curry scored 34 points and Klay Thompson had 21 for the Warriors, who had won all four Game 1s in the last four years. All those had come at home, but this time Golden State doesn’t have home-court — or home country — advantage.

Game 2 is Sunday night in Toronto, which is hosting an NBA Finals game for the first time after the Raptors entered the league as an expansion team in 1995.

The Raptors were perhaps a little jittery at the start, with Kyle Lowry firing a pass well out of bounds on their first possession.

But they quickly settled in afterward, building a 10-point lead by halftime. surging to an 18-11 lead before the Warriors came right back with eight in a row. Siakam then went 6 for 6 in the third quarter to keep Golden State from gaining much ground, and the Raptors kept their lead around double digits for much of the final quarter, countering every attempt the Warriors made to catch up.

All four of the Warriors’ previous finals were against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and they struggled to figure out a new opponent. Toronto shot 50.6 percent from the field and the Warriors never found an answer for Siakam, the finalist for Most Improved Player who has a nice start for an NBA Finals MVP resume.

The player nicknamed Spicy P was red hot, shooting 14 for 17 from the field — and he tipped in his own shot on the last of those misses with 54 seconds to play.

The party 24 years in the making started early, with fans arriving at Jurassic Park outside the arena in the morning. There were lengthy lines at the arena entrances hours before the game, with some of the few fans who weren’t wearing Raptors red sticking to their original purple uniform with the dinosaur logo.

The Raptors introduced some of their former players after the first quarter, a group that included perennial All-Stars such as Tracy McGrady and Chris Bosh.

But it wasn’t until they went out and got Leonard in a trade with San Antonio that Toronto was finally good enough to get to the NBA Finals.

He wasn’t the dominant force he was in the first three rounds, when he averaged 31.2 points. But he had eight rebounds and five assists in his first NBA Finals game since winning MVP of the 2014 championship with the Spurs.

DeMarcus Cousins made it back from a torn left quadriceps to come off the bench in his first NBA Finals game, but the Warriors remained without Kevin Durant, the MVP of the last two NBA Finals. He traveled to Toronto but it’s unclear if he’ll play before the series returns to the Bay Area, with coach Steve Kerr saying he would have to go through a practice first.

The Warriors had won every game since he got hurt in the second round but sure missed him against the Raptors, who are on a roll after falling behind 2-0 to Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference finals.

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The Toronto Raptors defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in the team's history.