Resilient Raptors rally past Bucks to reach 1st NBA Finals in franchise history
Toronto closes out series with comeback win on home court
The Toronto Raptors are headed to the NBA Finals, a Canadian basketball success story 24 years in the making.
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.
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:
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.
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."
Calendar check 🗓<br><br>Game 1: May 30, at Toronto | 9 ET <br>Game 2: June 2, at Toronto | 8 ET <br>Game 3: June 5, at Golden State | 9 ET<br>Game 4: June 7, at Golden State | 9 ET<br>*Game 5: June 10, at Toronto | 9 ET<br>*Game 6: June 13, at Golden State | 9 ET<br>*Game 7: June 16, at Toronto | 8 ET
—@cbcsportsGiannis 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.
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:
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.
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.
The party ain’t stopping. <br><br>Fog rolling into the streets. This is a surreal scene. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeTheNorth?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeTheNorth</a> <a href="https://t.co/nmZJasU179">pic.twitter.com/nmZJasU179</a>
—@Devin_HerouxA 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."