2019 NBA Finals: Schedule, stats, prediction for Warriors-Raptors

Well, if Kawhi Leonard is going to bounce, bounce, bounce, bounce the Sixers out of the playoffs, the least he and the Raptors can do is win the whole thing.

The mighty Golden State Warriors and an odd little nugget dating to Michael Jordan’s glory years are all that stand in Toronto’s way.

Golden State: Beat L.A. Clippers, 4-2; Houston, 4-2; Portland 4-0

Toronto: Beat Orlando, 4-1; Sixers, 4-3; Milwaukee, 4-2

About the Warriors: In the Finals for the fifth consecutive year, but this will be the first time their opponent is not LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors are back, but Cleveland’s new coach is John Beilein. Yeah, totally saw that this time a year ago. ... First time during this run that Golden State doesn’t have home-court advantage in the Finals. ... Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston are the five Warriors players chasing their fourth championship. ... Kevin Durant (calf) will not play in Game 1, but DeMarcus Cousins (torn quad) might. Cousins hasn’t played in six weeks, so don’t expect much. ... Durant is a pending free agent (so are Cousins and Thompson). His absence seemed to rejuvenate the Warriors, who’ve won five in a row (and eight of nine this season) without Durant. ... Alfonzo McKinnie, who made the team out of training camp, started the series clincher. His professional career includes stops in Luxembourg, Mexico and the G League. Said he used to watch Warriors playoff games at a Buffalo Wild Wings while in Mexico. McKinnie played 72 games for the Raptors last season, but didn’t appear in any of their postseason games.

About the Raptors: Trailed in all three series during these playoffs, but Kawhi Leonard refused to let Toronto accept another disappointing postseason. This is the Raptors’ first Finals appearance in their 24 seasons. ... Leonard should have a little vengeance on his mind. He was with the Spurs when he suffered a sprained ankle in the opener of the 2017 Western Conference Finals after landing on Zaza Pachulia after a jump shot. San Antonio was up 23 when he went out of the game. The Warriors rallied for the win and swept the series as Leonard sat idle. ... Leonard is averaging 31.1 points. In 2014, the year he was the Finals MVP, he averaged 13.3 points during the first three series and 17.8 in the Finals, when he also did a masterful job defending James. ... Villanova/Cardinal Dougherty product Kyle Lowry is the longest-tenured Raptor (seven seasons). He’s easily drawn the most charges (13) during the playoffs. Second is Damian Lillard (7). Toronto acquired Lowry from Houston in 2012 for Gary Forbes (who?) and a 2013 first-round pick that eventually became Oklahoma City’s Steven Adams. Lowry has been an All-Star each of the last five seasons. ... The last Eastern Conference team to beat the Sixers in the playoffs and then go on to win the NBA championship was the 1990-91 Bulls, Michael Jordan’s first title. Before that, it was Larry Bird’s Celtics in 1980-81.

Toronto won both meetings, sweeping the Warriors for the first time since 2001-02. The win in Oakland was their first in 15 years.

Nov. 29, at Toronto: Leonard had 37 in the Raptors’ 131-128 win in overtime. Durant scored 51 as the Warriors played without Curry and Green.

Dec. 12, at Golden State: Lowry had 23 points and 12 assists as the Raptors, this time without Leonard, rolled to a 113-93 win. It was Toronto’s first win in Oakland in almost 15 years.

FanDuel had Toronto as a 1-point favorite for Game 1 as of Tuesday evening, yet the Warriors as hefty favorites for the series at nearly 3-1. Series prices were Golden State -290, Toronto +230.

Curry (-167) was favored to win Finals MVP with Leonard (+245) and Green (+700) right behind him.

“Klay is always someone who everybody sort of marvels at his life, the simplicity of his life. He just needs a basketball and his dog, and that’s it. And we all laugh about it. But Klay is a lot deeper than people realize, so it doesn’t surprise me that he’s meditating and he’s found ways to calm himself before games and keep himself going during the season.”

— Warriors coach Steve Kerr on Klay Thompson via the Associated Press

“Kyle helped me a lot with my transition, on the court and off the court, asking him questions, him just pushing me on the floor as well, and letting me know what to do in situations when he calls plays. All that hard work just put together; now we’re here and it’s exciting.”

— Raptors star Kawhi Leonard on Kyle Lowry via the Toronto Star

Love the Raptors’ heart. They’ve got more onions than an Italian Market produce stand. But the Warriors are just too talented and focused. Not buying the idea that they’re better without Durant, either.