Game 1 of the NBA Finals is Thursday night in Toronto, which will become the first city outside the U.S. to play host to a finals game.
Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors forward Jordan Bell during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018. The first NBA game was in Toronto.The NBA Finals are set after the Toronto Raptors won the Eastern Conference championship on Saturday night and earned the right to play the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors.
"They're the champions," Raptors star Kawhi Leonard said of the Warriors. "We've got to go in, have the mental focus, enjoy the moment and take the challenge." By the time Game 1 rolls around, the Warriors will have been off for 10 days. They scrimmaged Saturday to break up the monotony. "It's not like we've come to expect it, but we're veterans of this experience and this run and our guys know how to finish games," Kerr said. "They know how to win playoff series, and so there's a sense of confidence going into every round. There's still a sense of joy and accomplishment getting to the finals. It's so hard to do."And it only continues to prove that his first year in Toronto was a complete and total success.
"He's been great," Kerr said of Leonard. "Not surprising, though. He's got his finals MVP a few years ago. One of the best players in the league, so he's been great."Either Game 4 or Game 6 -- on June 13, if it goes that far -- will be the final time the Warriors call that building home. They're leaving Oakland after this season for the brand-new Chase Center in San Francisco.
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