Ann Killion: After gutwrenching win in Toronto, Warriors return for a real farewell.
Warriors, devastated by Durant injury, extend Finals
TORONTO — An incredible win. A horrible loss.
The Warriors recorded an epic, gut-wrenching victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, perhaps the toughest in the history of their dynasty on Monday. In one of the most emotional wins ever, they staved off elimination to fight for at least one more game but lost teammate Kevin Durant in the process.
Stephen Curry, whose 3-pointer in the waning seconds helped seal the 106-105 win, was tearing up in a postgame interview.
“I have a lot of emotions right now,” he said, pulling his jersey over his eyes to wipe away tears.
It’s back to Oracle Arena on Thursday for a definitive farewell.
“It’s going to be a rough go, in terms of recalibrating,” Curry said. “The biggest advantage is being at Oracle one more time, where our fans can really get behind us.”
The winning team looked like the losing team. General manager Bob Myers wept at the podium as he described Durant’s injury as an Achilles and said, “blame me.” Curry was still flushed with emotion as he left the building.
“On the one hand, I’m so proud of them,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “But I’m just devastated for Kevin. It’s a bizarre feeling ... an incredible win and a horrible loss.”
The Warriors started the night with the boost of Durant returning. They weathered the gut punch of Durant going down after reinjuring his leg in the second quarter. They withstood the furious rally of a tal
ented Raptors team, the emotional roar of an arena, a city, a country. And they survived. None of it went as expected. In the first quarter, Durant, cleared by the medical staff to play, looked like his old-time, all-world self in leading the Warriors out of the gate to a significant lead.
In the second quarter, Durant fell onto the court with an injury.
In the third quarter, Durant left the arena on crutches and a walking boot.
In the fourth quarter, the Warriors held off the Raptors in the final seconds for the win.
It took a collective effort, but it mostly took Curry and Klay Thompson reverting to their Splash Brothers way on a rainy Canadian night. They combined for 12-of-27 three-pointers. The Warriors hit 20 3pointers in all.
And now the entire tenor of the series has shifted. They don’t want to admit this in Toronto, where they were ready for a party. But it has.
The pressure has flipped onto the Raptors, even with Durant out. The Raptors have to fly across the country and try to win a third game at Oracle Arena, which will be more emotional than ever. They know they can do it. But they also know how hard it will be.
And then, if the Raptors lose that, it’s a Game 7 against the two-time defending champions for everything.
“One game turns the series,” Kerr said. “It changes the momentum. It changes the feel.”
The feel of everything has changed and no one is sure of the emotional toll. Durant was back and you could not only see the lift it gave his team, you could feel it. The Warriors were energized, crisp, themselves; the best version of what they have been all season. Durant was fully engaged, clearly enjoying himself.
Then, with 9:46 to play in the second quarter, the roof caved in. The good feelings came to a screeching halt. The worst that anyone had imagined happened. Serge Ibaka stole the ball from Durant, who fell to the ground and grabbed low on his right calf. Exactly where he had been injured before.
You knew instantly: his evening, his season, perhaps his Warriors career — done. He limped off the floor, helped by trainer Rick Celebrini and Andre Iguodala with Curry trailing behind them. Not long after, he left the arena on crutches and in a walking boot.
The shocking impact of the injury was multiplied by the sound of Raptors fans applauding when Durant went down and the image of some Toronto fans waving goodbye to him. The behavior of those fans tainted the feel-good vibe this series has carried to this point. Though Raptors players quickly turned and told their fans to be quiet, and some fans responded with a “KD, KD” cheer, the damage was already done. The feeling of mutual respect between opposing fans in part vanished because of the crass behavior of some of the Toronto fans.
“I was very confused around that reaction,” said Curry, who called Toronto home for a time. “It’s not my experience with the people and the city ... I just hope that ugliness doesn’t show itself again as we go forward.”
The mood of the series has changed. The feelings of the opponents have shifted. The victors are heartbroken. The leading team is on its heels.
The series stands at 3-2. Gut wrenching. Emotional. Unpredictable. But the Warriors are still alive.
“I think we’re done with proving people wrong or making bold statements with our play,” Curry said. “People know who we are.”