Toronto Raptors’ Kawhi Leonard (2) is defended by Golden State Warriors’ Shaun Livingston (34), Stephen Curry (30), Quinn Cook (4) and Draymond Green (23) during the second half of Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals, Sunday, June 2, 2019, in Toronto. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors feel good mentally, and they are certainly in better shape physically than the Golden State Warriors.
The Raptors know they have outplayed Golden State for perhaps 90 of the 96 minutes of the NBA Finals, and they almost overcame the one brutal stretch where they didn’t. Despite being blanked for nearly half the third quarter of Game 2, the Raptors were within two points in the final seconds.
Golden State held on to win 109-104, tying the series that moves to Oracle Arena for Games 3 and 4. The Raptors lost the game and home-court advantage, but not any of their belief that they can win the series.
“We fought back and we know that going towards Game 3 we’ve got to play a lot better, and it’s going to be even harder on the road,” Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said, “but we’re capable and we know what we bring to the table.”
The Warriors aren’t quite sure, at least as it relates to their health.
They are hoping Kevin Durant is close to returning from a seven-game absence with a strained right calf, and that Klay Thompson can play after he limped off the court early in the fourth quarter Sunday. The Warriors said Thompson had an MRI exam Monday that indicated a mild left hamstring strain and that he would be listed as questionable for Game 3.
They will be without Kevon Looney, who has been their best center in the postseason. He will be out indefinitely because of a non-displaced cartilage fracture on the right side of his ribcage that he sustained in Game 2.