Warriors finish strong against Raptors to even series

[TORONTO] Klay Thompson scored 25 points and added five rebounds and five assists as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Toronto Raptors 109-104 Sunday night to tie the NBA Finals series at 1-1.

The Raptors had cut the lead to two points on Danny Green's three-pointer with 26 seconds remaining in the game, but Andre Iguodala nailed a three-pointer with seven seconds left to complete the scoring.

Stephen Curry added 23 points for the Warriors. Draymond Green had 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and DeMarcus Cousins added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Raptors. Fred VanVleet added 17 points, Kyle Lowry had 13 points before fouling out late in the fourth quarter and Pascal Siakam notched 12. Serge Ibaka had seven points and 10 rebounds for Toronto.

After leading by as many as 12 points during the first half, the Raptors led by five at halftime. The Warriors surged to a 34-21 third-quarter advantage to lead by eight points entering the fourth quarter.

Green's three-pointer cut the lead to four points, but the Warriors went up by 10 when Quinn Cook hit a pair of three-pointers.

The Warriors led by 12 on Andrew Bogut's dunk with 5:39 to play.

The Raptors cut the lead to eight when Lowry made one of two free throws with 4:26 to play. Lowry fouled out with 3:52 remaining.

Curry was charged with a technical foul with 1:08 to play and Leonard made the shot. Leonard then cut the lead to five when he converted both free throws on the foul charged to Cousins that had caused Curry's reaction of tossing the ball in the air.

The Raptors led 27-26 after one quarter on Ibaka's tip in with 1.6 seconds left.

Toronto took a 10-point lead with 6:34 to play in the half on Lowry's three-pointer.

Leonard's reverse layup and foul shot put Toronto ahead by 12 points with 5:16 remaining.

Curry's layup after Thompson's steal brought the Warriors to within six points with 28 seconds left in the half.

Toronto led 59-54 at halftime.

The Warriors scored the first 18 points of the second half, capped by Green's layup with 6:35 with remaining in the third quarter. VanVleet ended Golden State's run with a three-pointer 15 seconds later.

Leonard's three-pointer cut the Warriors' lead to seven with 1:59 remaining in the third quarter.

The Warriors led 88-80 after three quarters.

REUTERS