Raptors put sole focus on Game 6
Kyle Lowry is obviously aware that the Raptors must win the next two games to get back to the Eastern Conference finals.
He doesn’t want the Raptors thinking pastWednesday, however.
The season is on the line for the reigning NBA champions, who trail the Celtics 3-2 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series and face a win-or-go-home Game 6 matchup Wednesday night at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
The third-seeded Celtics controlled start to finishonthe way to a 111-89 win in Tuesday’s Game 5, putting the secondseeded Raptors on the brink.
Lowry, above, said the Raptors can’t be thinking about winning two games. Game 6, he said, is all thatmatters.
“We’ve just got to work on one,” Lowry said. “I’m very confident in our group. Our group is very tough-minded, tough-spirited and we’re a good team. We know what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to take one game at a time, one possession, one minute, one second at a time and just go out there and play.”
The Celtics are 6-3 against the Raptors this season, with four of those wins coming by at least 15 points. Celtics guard Kemba Walker was “checking hearts” before Game 5— he did so by slapping teammates in the chest before they took the court — and the person dubbed “Cardiac Kemba” had to like what he saw as the Celtics reclaimed the lead in the series.
“I knowwhatwe’re capable of,” Walker said. “We’re capable of playing hard. That’s a skill. Alot of guys on that team have that skill and have that ability. So, I checked my guys’ heart. We showed it. Big time.”
In theWestern Conference, it’s Game 4 on Wednesday of the semifinal matchup between the second-seeded Clippers and third-seededNuggets.
The Nuggets led 97-90 in the fourth quarter Tuesday before things fell apart and the Clippers prevailed 113-107 to take a 2-1 series lead.