Luck and injuries play crucial roles in every championship run. After all, teams have no choice but to play the team in front of them, regardless of who is on the court. But when the Golden State Warriors faced off against the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals, it seemed like they were dealt a bad hand from the start.
The Warriors, who were looking to secure their third consecutive NBA championship, had already been hit with injuries throughout the playoffs. From Kevin Durant suffering a calf injury to DeMarcus Cousins getting sidelined with a quadriceps tear, the Dubs faced an uphill battle in the Western Conference’s side of the playoffs but still advanced to the Finals.
However, things took a turn for the worst when the stakes were highest, so much so that DeMarcus Cousins, a four-time All-Star during his time in Sacramento and New Orleans, felt like someone was “dying” in every game.
Survival of the fittest
While the 82-game regular season is considered a marathon, the playoffs are a gauntlet in which the team with the healthiest roster often emerges victorious. In Golden State’s case, that proved to be their biggest challenge.
KD, who averaged 32.3 points but suited up in only 12 games in the postseason, played only 12 minutes in the finals before tearing his Achilles tendon in Game 5. Then, Klay Thompson, the Dubs’ prolific sharpshooter who had been playing superbly in Game 6 with 30 points, suffered a torn ACL after landing awkwardly on a dunk attempt in the third quarter.
Additionally, Kevon Looney suffered a right first costal cartilage non-displaced fracture, while Andre Iguodala played through the pain of a calf injury he sustained in the Western Conference Finals. It got so bad that DMC began wondering who was going to go down next.
“It was like, ‘Who is going to die next?’ You really just wanted to get to the end so you could see who survived,” Cousins stressed.
No excuses
The Raptors put the Warriors out of their misery in Game 6, winning 114-110 to capture the championship and end their opponent’s dreams of a “three-peat.” However, the Dubs’ efforts to put up a gallant stand were not lost on the Raps, including former Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol.
“Even though Golden State had some tough injuries the last game and this game, they showed how much heart they have, what it means to be a championship team,” Gasol said. “They didn’t make any excuses. They kept playing.”
However, in a league where superstars often dictate the outcome of games, Golden State’s absence of big guns proved to be its downfall.
“We were dying out there, to be honest. It’s crazy. … Kevin. Klay. ‘Loon.’ Dray [Green]. No excuses. Give credit to Toronto. Toronto is a good team. But we respect ourselves. No question,” reserve guard Shaun Livingston commented.
The Warriors’ final loss foreshadowed a challenging future, as injuries and player departures led to the team missing the postseason for two consecutive years. With a healthy Klay and Steph Curry leading the way, the Warriors regained the throne in 2022, winning their fourth championship in the last eight years.
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