Warriors edge Raptors to keep NBA title hopes alive

The 3 pressure points of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson allowed the defending champion Golden State Warriors to beat Toronto 106-105 on Monday and maintain their hopes of winning a third consecutive NBA final.

However, all the joy of victory was tempered by Achilles' injury to Kevin Durant 12 minutes into his first game, after being out for a month with a right calf injury.

Curry scored 31 points, while Thompson added 26 when the Warriors were 3-2 in the best-of-seven series, forcing a sixth game Thursday in Oakland, Calif., With seven games if necessary in Toronto on Sunday. .

"Do or die," Curry said. "It was not pretty in the second half, but we made the shots."

The expected return of Durant ended with the help of the All-Star Forward off the field.

"You may feel that life is going," said Warriors forward Draymond Green. "But to Steph's credit, he gathered the troops.

"He talked to everyone, he turned the group around and told everyone to stay locked up and do this for Kevin." And I think we did a good job of coming together. "

Durant, the most valuable player in the NBA finals of 2017 and 2018, came out of the arena with crutches, but became an inspiration to his teammates.

"We do it for Kevin," Thompson said. "He wants us to compete at the highest level and think about him every time we step on hardwood."

Durant posted on Instagram: "The deepest part of my soul hurts right now, I can not lie, but seeing my brothers get this victory was like having a drink of tequila."

He also gave life to the search for the Golden State title, said Curry.

"We understand the moment and I think we can unite, considering how the second half was," Curry said.

Durant, Golden State's top playoff scorer with 34.2 points per game, will have an MRI on Tuesday.

"On the one hand, I'm very proud of them, just because of the incredible heart and strength they showed, and on the other, I'm devastated by Kevin," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

"It's a strange feeling that we all have now, an incredible victory and a horrible loss at the same time."

The Warriors are looking for their fourth title in five seasons, while the Raptors suffered an agonizing experience in their bid for the first title in their 24-year history.

History is on the side of the Raptors. Only once in 34 previous situations, a team led the NBA Finals 3-1 and lost the title, that is, in 2016, when Cleveland, led by LeBron James, recovered to defeat Golden State.

I need a couple of moves

Kawhi Leonard, who led Toronto with 26 points, sank a triple and a jumper to give the Raptors, who lost 14 points in the third quarter, their biggest lead with 103-97 with 3:28 to play.

"In this day and age, six minutes to the end, it does not mean much," said Raptors coach Nick Nurse. "I felt good at that moment, I just needed to make a couple more plays."

Golden State responded with Thompson and Curry sinking 3 points and Thompson defeated another that put Golden State ahead to stay at 106-103 with 57 seconds left.

Kyle Lowry reduced the lead to the final margin with 30 seconds left and, after DeMarcus Cousins ​​of Golden State was whistled for a foul when trying to set up a screen, the Raptors had one last chance to pass the title.

But the Warriors, Leonard and Green, double team, blocked a 3-point shot from Lowry's corner in the bell.

The best warriors win.

"He has to be the best," Green said when asked to compare the victory to others in Golden State history.

"Down six minutes with a couple of minutes to eliminate these guys and win a championship, we could have thrown in the towel." We could have folded, but we did not. "

Durant had missed nine playoff games, but briefly made the Warriors look like the team that dominated the last two NBA finals.

The disaster occurred at 2:14 in the second quarter when Durant planted his right foot and stopped, then sat on the court and grabbed his leg. Durant got help off the field, his dramatic comeback ended too soon.

France Presse Agency