NBA

Warriors hang on to stay alive, win Game 5 of NBA Finals

Jun 10, 2019, 9:15 PM
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) celebrates in front of Toronto Raptors' Fred VanVleet (23...
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) celebrates in front of Toronto Raptors' Fred VanVleet (23) at the final buzzer as the Warriors defeated the Raptors 106-105 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto on Monday June 10, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
(Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO — Stephen Curry scored 31 points, Klay Thompson added 26 and they led a season-saving surge that gave the Golden State Warriors a 106-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Monday night in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

The Splash Brothers combined for three straight 3-pointers in the closing minutes after Toronto had taken a six-point lead with under 3½ minutes remaining in front of a raucous, red-shirted crowd.

The Warriors lost Kevin Durant barely a quarter after getting him back but got the win, cutting Toronto’s lead to 3-2 and sending the series back to Oracle Arena for Game 6 on Thursday.

Kawhi Leonard scored 26 points for the Raptors but couldn’t get the final shot, having to give the ball up.

The two-time defending champion Warriors were minutes away from their title reign ending, having lost Durant and a 14-point lead during an emotionally exhausting game. They had controlled Leonard for three quarters, but he scored 10 straight Toronto points in the fourth and the Raptors were close to their first championship and a celebration that would have stretched coast to coast in Canada.

But even after everything the Warriors had lost, they still had two of the best perimeter shooters in the world on the floor. Thompson hit a 3, and Curry followed with one to tie it at 103. Golden State got it back to Thompson and the Raptors lost sight of him just long enough for the tiebreaking shot with 57 seconds to go.

Toronto cut it to one when Kyle Lowry was credited with a basket and the Raptors got a final chance when DeMarcus Cousins was called for an illegal screen. Leonard had the ball but the Warriors forced him to pass and it ended up in the corner to Lowry, who was way off as the buzzer sounded.

Cousins had 14 points for the Warriors and Draymond Green finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Golden State is the only team to lose a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals, when Cleveland came back to win in 2016.

Now the Warriors have a chance to pull off the feat themselves, but it became more difficult after Durant limped off in the second quarter after he had missed the previous nine games with a strained right calf.

Fans watch Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors at a viewing party in Montreal, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Peter McCabe/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors centre Marc Gasol (33) fouls Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr watches the action against the Toronto Raptors during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors center Serge Ibaka (9) loses control of the ball by Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins (0) during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) battles for the ball against Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) Two Toronto Raptors fans react during the second half of Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Raptors and the Golden State Warriors while watching it on a big screen inside Leon's Centre in Kingston, Ontario, Monday June 10, 2019. (Lars Hagberg/The Canadian Press via AP) Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) leaves after being injured as Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) talks to him during first-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) Raptors fans react outside of Scotiabank Arena during Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors center Serge Ibaka (9) dunks as Golden State Warriors forward Jordan Bell (2), Quinn Cook (4) and Klay Thompson look on during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Golden State Warriors guard Quinn Cook, left, passes the ball around Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors center Serge Ibaka (9) dunks as Golden State Warriors forward Jordan Bell (2), Quinn Cook (4) and Klay Thompson look on during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Fank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) draws a foul as he drives to the net against Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins (0), forward Draymond Green (23) and forward Andre Iguodala (9) during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Rapper Drake reacts during the second half of basketball action between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto on Monday, June 10, 2019. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins (0) grabs a rebound in front of Toronto Raptors center Serge Ibaka (9) during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) shoots over Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) drives to the net against Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins (0) and forward Draymond Green (23) during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) drives to the net against Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins (0) corrals the ball under pressure from Toronto Raptors centerSerge Ibaka, right, during second-half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant (35) goes down with a leg injury against the Toronto Raptors during first half action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto on Monday, June 10, 2019. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors fans react during the last seconds of Game 5 of the NBA Final between the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors on a big screen inside the Leon's Centre in Kingston, Ontario, on Monday June 10, 2019. (Lars Hagberg/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) drives past Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) during second half basketball action in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto on Monday, June 10, 2019. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors fans react during the final seconds of Game 5 in the NBA Finals between the Raptors and Golden State Warriors on a big screen inside the Leon's Centre in Kingston, Ontario, on Monday June 10, 2019. (Lars Hagberg/The Canadian Press via AP) Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) celebrates at the final buzzer as his team defeated the Toronto Raptors 106-105 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto on Monday June 10, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) celebrates in front of Toronto Raptors' Fred VanVleet (23) at the final buzzer as the Warriors defeated the Raptors 106-105 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto on Monday June 10, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, right, celebrates in front of Toronto Raptors' Fred VanVleet at the final buzzer as the Warriors beat the Raptors 106-105 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto on Monday, June 10, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Raptors' Kyle Lowry, left, Kawhi Leonard, center, and Marc Gasol leave the court after the Raptors lost 106-105 to the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto on Monday June 10, 2019. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP) Fans watch Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Toronto Raptors and the Golden State Warriors at a viewing party in Montreal, Monday, June 10, 2019. (Peter McCabe/The Canadian Press via AP)

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