Raptors Vs Bucks, Game 6: Serge Ibaka To The Rescue.
For those of you who missed it, nothing says we came back from 2–0 down to win the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history, quite like an monstrous put down. And to make more emphatic a statement than an emphatic Slam Dunk, an exclamation mark on the series is the 15 point deficit finally erased, the Raptors never looked back after tying the game at 78 with 10:31 left to play in the fourth.
Having not lead since the opening quarter when Toronto jumped out to a 6–3 lead, a quick exchange of baskets later and the Bucks begin to leave the the home team in the dust, and held on to the lead for most of the Game. The biggest lead of the game came in the form of a 15 point deficit in the third. A come back for Toronto seemed a tall order after that.
Outside of Serge Ibaka making yet a solid contribution coming off the bench, Kyle Lowry was there when Kahwi Leonard could not be. Exhausted from carrying the Raptors through most of the playoffs, sitting out for most of the start of the fourth, Leonard’s fatigue proved to be no detriment as the Raptors executed a meticulous comeback and never looked back once the game was tied at 78, with Kawhi left on the bench till late in the fourth.
Kahwi may have been the hero in most instances, finishing with 27 points, 17 rebounds and 7 assists, but with missing easy opportunities and free throws down the stretch, he opened the door for the Bucks to chip away at the Raptors very fragile lead. Still over the course of the game, Kahwi Leonard’s fatigue proved too little for the Bucks to capitalize on.
Kyle Lowry was there when Leonard was not, contributing with 17 points and 8 assists, as well as running a calculated fight-back, with his shared responsibilities, well balanced in every inch won and lost by Toronto’s second string. The game finished 100–96 in favor of the home team, and if the title does move to Toronto with the Warriors being the toughest test yet, this one will be for the city.
The gamble has finally been paid off, with yet another epic performance by Kawhi Leonard, the debt that brought him to Toronto has finally been paid in full. Though there has been a great many contributors in a well balanced offense and defensive spread, making the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history did not and could not happen without Kahwi.
Kawhi may be the teams new superstar but with numbers that are only consistent, with very few domineering performances, he may be lacking in that differentiation between players like Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Lebron James, but still, he is a player that gets you the numbers and gets the job done night in and night out. Let’s hope he has enough in the tank for one more push… to the title.
As for Kyle Lowry, he has been great and a cornerstone in Toronto Basketball for a few many years now. And good for him, he has been an all-star a leader and even a poster boy for the Raptors, but with all things considered maybe it is about time he had a shot at the NBA Finals just the same.
“An Olympic Gold Medal is just as tough as winning as an NBA title,” once cited Kobe Bryant. And just as well, this only reminds us that one player can in fact turn a franchise around. The only fear left to conquer is the weight of all that Kahwi has to bare, not to mention the ordeal of carrying a mid-conference team, propelling them from a second round exit to NBA Championship material. God Speed, Toronto!
