Golden State Warriors: The ‘Old Guard’ stands its ground one more time
The Golden State Warriors live to fight another day after the Splash Brothers led them to a Game 5 victory over Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors
Just moments after Kyle Lowry‘s game-winning 3-point attempt clanked off the side of the backboard, of which replay later showed Draymond Green miraculously got a finger on, Stephen Curry stood with Doris Burke courtside.
You could see the exhaustion on his face, mentally and physically spent, trying to formulate answers about the improbable but costly victory that just took place. After stumbling through the typical rundown of who played well, Curry told Burke:
"“I got a lot of emotions right now”."
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Those emotions were a product of a thrilling 106-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors, one that sends the Golden State Warriors back home to Oracle Arena, one last time, with a chance to tie these NBA Finals at 3 games apiece, but also saw them lose Kevin Durant, most likely for the remainder of the series.
The talk following Game 5 Monday night in Scotiabank Arena will almost certainly be centered around the injury to Durant. How Raptor fans could be heard cheering as he hobbled to his feet, the impact on the Warriors going forward, and Durant’s impending free agency. This is understandable but it doesn’t tell the whole story.
It almost seems wrong talking about it so soon after the fact, but the effort by the Warriors as a collective, should not and cannot be understated. Particularly that of the original core or the ‘Old Guard’ of Curry, Green, Klay Thompson, and Andre Iguodala. With their backs against the wall and facing elimination, the Splash Brothers and co. did just enough to extend the series and keep their aspirations of a 3rd title in four years alive.
When Durant went down just over two minutes into the 2nd quarter the Warriors were clinging to a five-point lead, up 39-34, mainly the product of a torrid shooting display to that point. With Toronto seemingly in controlling of all other areas, it would have been understandable to see that lead slip away in the immediate aftermath of Durant’s injury. But in typical Warrior fashion, as if motivated by the jeers heard throughout the arena, Golden State managed to extend the lead, at one point to as many as 13.
What happened next and till the final buzzer, is what separates the Raptors from most teams the Warriors have faced during their dynastic run; they fought back. Time after time, Toronto stayed in it, like a prized heavyweight fighter, waiting to land that one haymaker to end the fight, while Golden State swung wildly and furiously, just hoping to survive to the final bell. And then the big blow came
With just over five minutes to play in the 4th quarter and Golden State hanging on to a 2-point lead, Kawhi Leonard pulled down a defensive rebound, calmly dribbled down the court, pulled up from 3 and nailed it. He drilled a short, 2-point jumper 27 seconds after that. Then another three, followed by another2-pointer.
A personal 10-0 run by Leonard spanning less than two minutes all but seemed to nail the coffin shut, putting the Raptors up 103-97 with 3:28 to play. A Warriors dynasty that had seemed unbreakable a mere two weeks ago, was coming to an end.
What followed next should surprise nobody, the Warriors have shown time and time again the ability to dig deep and overcome even the most insurmountable odds. Following a Leonard air-ball, Thompson calmly dribbled out of a double team and drained a 3-pointer, cutting the lead to three points and breathing life into Golden State.
A DeMarcus Cousins offensive goaltending call briefly stopped the momentum, after replay showed the ball still above the cylinder, giving possession back to Toronto. But Golden State regained possession following a Lowry backcourt turnover, and Curry, like he’s done so many times before, curled off a screen on the left-wing and buried the three, tying the game at 103.
The Warriors had been dead, with no Durant who left the arena, and Leonard hitting multiple ‘bleep you’ shots as Raptors guard Fred VanVleet calls them. And then they weren’t. As vulnerable as they’d been since Game 7 of the 2016 Finals, the Splash Brothers had pulled them to the brink of an unimaginable victory.
Leonard missed another 3, the Warriors pushed and following their patented pre-Durant ball movement, the kind that spurred their meteoric rise five years ago, the ball found an open Thompson on the left-wing. Leonard charged desperately to disrupt the shot but Thompson simply pump-faked, side-stepped and effortlessly dropped in the three. Just like that, with under a minute to play, the Warriors led by three.
Following a couple of silly turnovers and a Lowry layup that cut the lead to one, the stage was set for Toronto to once and for all send the defending champs home. But Golden State was ready, sending Iguodala to help on Leonard, determined to make anyone else beat them. For a brief moment, it looked like Lowry would have a clean look from the corner but Green was able to shed Marc Gasol and disrupt the shot, his fingertip causing the ball to carom off the backboard and out-of-bounds as time expired.
Curry ran down the court, his hands in the air while yelling triumphantly. He quickly gathered himself and met Burke for his post-game interview. He seemed to be holding back tears in the ensuing moments, the weight of it all washing over him. Minutes later he walked in the tunnel uttering the words ‘stay alive’, setting the stage for a dramatic Game 6 Thursday in Oracle Arena, the final game the longtime home of the Warriors will host.
Since Durant arrived in Golden State three years ago, following a crushing blown 3-1 series lead in the 2016 Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the narratives surrounding the Warriors have been ever-changing. From Durant being a sellout, to the Warriors not being able to win without him, they’ve heard it all.
With Golden State facing a 3-1 deficit of their own, those narratives started flowing again, warranted or not. Heck, they pushed Durant to give it a go in Game 5 despite clearly not being ready to do so. But those narratives don’t do justice to those who predate Durant.
The faces on the end of the Golden State bench have changed from year to year. Key members of the coaching staff, such as Luke Walton, have moved on to bigger things. But the core remains intact, unwilling to let their dynasty fall without a fight.
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Who knows how Game 6 will go. Maybe Toronto finishes the job, winning their first title in franchise history. Maybe Golden State finds a way once again, forcing a Game 7 back in Toronto. Regardless of the outcome, the Warriors ‘Old Guard’ stood their ground, living to fight at least one more day.