TORONTO — The Warriors trailed by six with 2:32 remaining in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, their season, maybe even their dynasty, on the verge of extinction.
Their best player, Kevin Durant, wasn’t even in the arena. He suffered an Achilles injury in the second quarter, later hobbling out of the building on crutches. He fought to play Monday night after missing nine straight playoff games with a strained calf, his latest injury leaving the Warriors emotionally drained and without a generational talent to help thwart elimination.
The Toronto Raptors held a 3-1 series lead, and 10 straight points from Kawhi Leonard in the fourth quarter transformed Scotiabank Arena from dead to deafening in mere minutes with a franchise on the cusp of its first-ever championship.