Dull roar

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/06/2019 (1929 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TORONTO — Put the champagne on ice, folks. History is on hold, at least for a few more days.

In a game for the ages, the Toronto Raptors came one bounce short of their first NBA championship Monday night, falling 106-105 to the never-say-die Golden State Warriors before a raucous capacity crowd inside Scotiabank Arena. There were thousands more in the streets and millions of viewers across the country who were ready to explode in celebration.

Talk about raining on your own parade.

It’s not all gloom-and-doom, of course, despite the heartbreaking result. Toronto still leads the best-of-seven series 3-2, and will have another shot at sporting glory on Thursday night in Oakland. A loss and the series would shift back here for a winner-take-all finale Sunday night.

But you can’t help but wonder if they just missed their best opportunity. Either this is going to end up being a minor speed bump on the road to ultimate victory, or a crater for which they simply can’t escape.

It has been some 65 million years since dinosaurs went extinct. And it only feels that long since a Canadian sports team won a major championship, even though it’s really been 26 years since the Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series and the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup. That’s the last time a franchise north of the border in one of the big four sports won it all.

Now the question is: can the Raptors avoid getting wiped out by the NBA’s version of an asteroid?

Golden State is a beastly foe, playing in the NBA final for a fifth straight year, with three titles during that time to their name. They showed the kind of poise and presence that winners often have, which is why they can be so difficult to slay.

Just look at how Monday’s game played out. It could be a blueprint for not only every sports team in every league about how to withstand adversity, but also a good lesson for people in general about how to deal with the obstacles life often throws our way.

There was star player Kevin Durant, who rushed back from a leg injury to dress for the first time all series, writhing in pain on the court early in the second quarter after appearing to suffer a major setback. He had been a major factor, with 11 points in just over 11 minutes of play, but his night was done. His season likely, too.

A large contingent of the Toronto fans erupted in cheers as he went down, which is not only classless but also the kind of thing that can come back to bite you, for those who believe in karma. To their credit, a couple of Raptors players quickly shushed the crowd with animated hand gestures, clearly embarrassed by the reaction to seeing a fellow competitor hurt.

If Golden State can come back and win this series, mark that moment down as a major potential turning point.

“I just told the team I didn’t know what to say because on the one hand I’m so proud of them, just the amazing heart and grit that they showed, and on the other I’m just devastated for Kevin. So it’s a bizarre feeling that we all have right now,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said following the game.

“An incredible win and a horrible loss at the same time.”

After building a significant lead that at times hit double digits, the now-shorthanded Warriors were seemingly having trouble putting the Raptors away. All good things must come to an end, right? Maybe this was finally their time.

It certainly looked that way as Toronto stormed back to take a three-point lead with 1:59 to play.

The Warriors were reeling, dazed and on the ropes as the Raptors kept coming in waves. Fans were on their feet, the noise deafening. From the press box I could see league officials scrambling to set up what looked to be a trophy presentation and on-court celebration.

And then it all went down the drain. A Golden State three-pointer and we were tied. Then another, a few seconds later, and suddenly the visitors and two-time defending champs were in front again. Swish, swish. Just like that.

Toronto got one basket back, a two-pointer, and they were within one. And look at this, they actually would get the ball back, a final possession to launch themselves into the record books.

Kyle Lowry, the veteran point guard who has been through plenty of miserable seasons with this franchise, had the game in his hand. But his three-point attempt at the buzzer wouldn’t fall, and the Warriors had lived to fight another day, because that’s what champions often do.

Had Lowry made it, they might have started construction of his statue overnight. It would have been a shot for the ages, ranking up there with Paul Henderson’s goal and Joe Carter’s home run in Canadian sporting history.

“It felt great out of my hand. (Draymond Green) got a piece of it, that’s what great defenders do. He got a piece of it and we’ll continue to look at it and see how we can be better for the next game,” Lowry said following the game.

So close. And yet, winning that fourth and final game still must feel pretty far away.

“I’m super proud of the guys. Man, they played their guts out, kept on fighting, and put themselves in position to win it,” said Toronto coach Nick Nurse following the game.

There was a championship-like feel to the whole night, from celebrities like Wayne Gretzky and Sir Richard Branson and Eugene Levy looking on from the crowd. A goosebump-inducing version of O Canada set the right tone, with fans leading the way in singing the anthem.

The celebrations had started early, with fans lining up outside the arena nearly 48 hours before the game, hoping to get one of the coveted spots inside “Jurassic Park” and hopefully witness history go down.

With heavy rain in the area, it was a wet and wild scene, more like Jurassic Waterpark on this night. Masai Ujiri, the general manager of the team, even made an appearance around midnight Sunday, high-fiving fans and presenting himself as a true executive of the people.

Before the game, a video was played in the arena with fans across the world, in numerous languages, wishing the Raptors well. That certainly speaks to not only the multicultural makeup of their roster, but the reach this team has in Canada and beyond.

But all that warmth and goodwill will only take you so far. They’ve already missed one shot at becoming a champion. They have two more left. History continues to hang in the balance.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg