thestar.com- Staff Reporter 2 hrs ago
© Rick Madonik Raptors forward Pascal Siakam goes up against Warriors guard Klay Thompson. The Raptors defeated the Warriors 118-109.
NBA pundits are changing their tune following the Toronto Raptors’ 118-109 defeat against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday. The Warriors are still the favourites, but the Raptors pose a real threat
Here’s a look at what’s being said about the Raps after Game 1:
CBS Sports
Turns out there’s more to the Raptors than Kawhi Leonard, CBS Sports writer Brad Bodkin discovered Thursday night.
“If the Raptors can win with Kawhi just kind of having an average game, and Kyle Lowry not scoring in double digits, and nobody off the bench other than Fred VanVleet doing anything, you know this is going to be a heck of a tough series for the Warriors,” wrote Bodkin.
Sports Illustrated
More than anything else, the Raptors’ defense is what carried them through the night and could help them win the series, wrote NBA staff writer Rohan Nadkarni for Sports Illustrated.
“Even when Curry would start to slither free to draw multiple defenders, the paint was packed, with Kyle Lowry ready to take a charge, and Steph didn’t have great options to kick out to,” wrote Nadkarni.
USA Today
It’s just one game. No need to panic, wrote USA Today Sports columnist Dan Wolken, but the Toronto Raptors will pose real trouble for the team if they win the next one.
“If Toronto wins Game 2 to take a 2-0 lead to Oakland, the situation suddenly becomes pretty dire, and your best hope at that point is (Kevin) Durant coming back after practically a full month off and suddenly becoming the best player in the series against an all-time defender like Leonard,” wrote Wolken. “Good luck.”
All hail the Spice Lord
Pascal Siakam, who trained to become a priest until the age of 15 before turning to basketball, was on fire during Thursday’s game.
“He’s a BAAAAAAD man,” exclaimed Stephen A. Smith in an NBA Central clip that’s since made the rounds on Twitter. He meant bad in a good way.
ESPN Sports analyst Jalen Rose was all about Siakam’s performance, too.
“His nickname is Spicy P, and that’s how he played the game — hot,” said Rose. “He played defense, he got in and out of transition, he got lay-ups, he made threes, he made dunks…he was fantastic for the Toronto Raptors. This shows just how good the team has been all year when Kawhi (Leonard) doesn’t play well or doesn’t play at all.”
Drake trolls the Warriors
The NBA called the Raptors about Drake’s antics before Game 1, but that didn’t stop the rapper from taking some jabs at the Warriors on game night.
CBS Sports reporters Chris Bengel and Michael Kaskey-Blomain quickly picked up on Drake’s fashion choice of the evening: an autographed Raptors jersey of Dell Curry, former NBA player and father of Steph Curry.
But Deadspin, an American sports blog, was quick to point out that Drizzy was also wearing an armband over the tattoos of Steph Curry and Kevin Durant’s jersey numbers that he has on his body.
“Can’t have the world seeing your fanboy tattoos when the home team is facing the Warriors in Toronto’s first ever Finals appearance,” wrote Chris Thompson.
USA Today, meanwhile, interviewed an infamous NBA heckler to offer Drizzy some tips for the rest of the series.
“He’s got to get out of his comfort zone,” the heckler, who sat behind the opposing team’s bench at Washington Bullets vs. Washington Wizards games for 12 seasons, told USA Today. “He’s got to really belt it out, let it loose and focus.”
Drake didn’t leave the arena without exchanging a few words with Curry and Draymond Green.
Unsurprisingly, Green didn’t want to talk much about it in the post-game interview.
Jacob Lorinc is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @jacoblorinc