How a single injury-plagued series rewrote NBA history
In short: The 2019 NBA Finals was a masterclass in chaos. Between Achilles ruptures, ACL tears, and a historic road winning streak, the series saw the Golden State Warriors' dynasty fracture while the Toronto Raptors achieved something unprecedented in North American sports.
The 2019 championship series was defined by a staggering sequence of physical setbacks for the defending champion Golden State Warriors. While the team entered the Finals as favorites, the series became a graveyard for star players. Kevin Durant returned from an injury-related absence only to suffer a ruptured Achilles tendon in Game 5. Shortly after, in the decisive Game 6, guard Klay Thompson suffered a torn ACL. These injuries left the Warriors' core depleted, forcing them to play much of the series without their primary offensive engines.
In contrast, the Toronto Raptors capitalized on this instability to secure their first NBA championship. Led by Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, who averaged 28.5 points per game, the Raptors achieved a historical milestone: they became the first NBA team based outside the United Kingdom or the United States to win a title. Their victory also ended a championship drought for Canadian teams in the four major North American sports leagues that had lasted since the Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series in October 1993.
The series was also notable for its statistical anomalies. The Raptors won the final five games of the series on the road, marking the longest string of road wins in a single NBA Finals. The competition was also marked by high-stakes drama, including a controversial incident where Warriors investor Mark Stevens was banned for a year after pushing Raptors player Kyle Lowry, and a post-game altercation involving Raptors president Masai Ujiri and a sheriff's deputy.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: 2019 NBA Finals
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