This is the Hangover. We get basketball-wasted all the time. Yes, we recap the NBA every night in our own way.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images.)
#3 MIAMI HEAT 91 @ #2 TORONTO RAPTORS 99
EAST Semifinals – Game 5 – RAPTORS lead series, 3-2
Canada was fired up from the start. The much-maligned Raptors backcourt came out like gangbusters. They scored the first 11 points for Toronto as they broke away for a 13-2 start.
The Raptors got a huge lift from Bismack Biyombo. His dunks, blocks, energy, finger-wagging, and bench pressing Heat players (no, that didn’t actually happen) spurred Toronto on and the lead grew to 20 points. However, Goran Dragic scored eight straight points. Then Josh McRoberts closed the run with a lay-up. That 20-point lead was sliced in half by halftime.
This was also becoming a battle of attrition as both Luol Deng and DeMarre Carroll exited the game in the third quarter with wrist injuries. Whoever comes out of this series is probably not going to look like much of a winner.
Toronto looked like they had it wrapped up as Terrence Ross made it a 15-point game at the start of the fourth. But the Heat made a game out of it as Josh Richardson began the run with consecutive threes. Wade’s foul shots made it a 16-6 run and the deficit was cut to one.
It was a good thing that Kyle Lowry stayed awake. A three-pointer that he hoisted from Calgary put them up six. After Dwyane Wade dropped a jumper, Lowry countered with a fadeaway with 23 seconds left to put it back to a six-point game. DeMar DeRozan sank DeFree Throws to seal DeGame.
The Raptors are one win away from their first Eastern Conference Finals berth ever. But man, are both teams beat up. Like they got bruised by Balrog from Street Fighter II.
BEHIND THE LINES
DeMar DeRozan (TOR): 34 pts.
Kyle Lowry (TOR): 25 pts, 10 rebs, 6 assts, 3 stls.
Dwyane Wade (MIA): 20 pts, 7 rebs.
#5 PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS 121 @ #1 GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS 125
WEST Semifinals – Game 5 – WARRIORS WIN series, 4-1
The Oracle Arena crowd was at a high as their beloved Stephen Curry had a bit of a ceremony for his winning the MVP award before the game started. But the Blazers kept their composure. They led for most of the first half as the MVP couldn’t get it going for the Dubs. But Klay Thompson was spitting fireballs nearly the whole game.
It was fast and furious throughout. It’s not Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and The Rock but Curry, Thompson, Damian Lillard, C.J. McCollum, and Allen Crabbe ain’t so bad. Curry made a three-pointer to cap off a 13-3 run to give State the lead.
The Blazers briefly led early in the fourth quarter but the bench did their job to extend the lead. Marreese Speights and Shaun Livingston made some big buckets to keep the Blazers at bay (in the Bay Area!). Blazers then came back with a 7-0 run to stay within reach.
Portland got within two inside a minute. But when the Warriors got the ball back, of course, the two-time MVP got the ball. He danced, he shot, and sent the crowd to bedlam as he sank a signature clutch pull-up three that we have seen so many times the past few seasons. The Blazers had to go to the foul game but we knew Curry wasn’t gonna miss free throws. The Warriors are now in the Final Four.
Nobody except for the most loyal of Blazers fans expected Portland to make the postseason, let alone the second round. They gave the historic Warriors a competitive series but competitive isn’t going to be enough against the Dubs. The Blazers are gone but it was one hell of a season.
Golden State is eight wins away from more history in this watered down league. Wait. What?
BEHIND THE LINES
Klay Thompson (GS): 33 pts.
Stephen Curry (GS): 29 pts, 5 rebs, 11 assts.
Draymond Green (GS): 13 pts, 11 rebs, 6 assts.
C.J. McCollum (POR): 27 pts, 8 rebs, 5 assts.
Damian Lillard (POR): 28 pts, 7 rebs, 7 assts.
Allen Crabbe (POR): 20 pts.
WATCH THIS PLAY
When you’re having trouble finishing the game, you call on your Game Shark.
Clutch. https://t.co/bgDmTAdv1C
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 12, 2016
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA on TNT.)
Follow Rey-Rey on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass for all tweets about the NBA and terrible pop music. Also, check out his podcast, Rey-Rey Is Fundamental.
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