On this day 5 years ago, the greatest championship run started

[HiJiNX]

Living basically at Yonge and Dundas was amazing during that whole run.

Once we got past Philly I knew we were gonna win the whole thing. Even going down 0-2 to the Bucks I wasn’t worried at all. Even going into double OT in game three I wasn’t worried. All of my friends were super tense and I kept telling them don’t worry, we got this. I knew the Bucks couldn’t beat us after watching the second half of game 2. I knew that we were just playing way below our level to start that series. Also, Bucks won game one on what was probably Brook Lopez’s best playoff performance of his career. And we lost game 2 after what was probably Gasol’s worst playoff performance in his time with us. In addition, I saw that Milwaukee’s entire strategy relied on blowing you out in the first half and managing Giannis’ minutes but if could keep answering their runs then they could be beaten since they weren’t a good clutch time team and Giannis would fade in the fourth. That’s essentially how we won the back four games of that series. Take the Bucks first punch, claw back, then dominate the last quarter and a half.

That team knew they could beat anybody that year. Even if KD and Klay don’t get hurt I still have us beating the Warriors in 7. Let’s remember that we would have swept the Warriors or won in five if not for Tony Brothers giving GSW game 2 and Nurse calling a horrible timeout at the end of game five, allowing GSW to erase an 8-point lead in the final two minutes of the game. We won 20 of the 24 quarters against them. Raptors had been playing GSW well for years before we even got Kawhi and then when we got him we were able to sweep the season series. KD even dropped 50 in one of those regular season games…a game that we won in OT after Kawhi single covered KD, took the ball from him, and sealed it. What I’m trying to say is we had Kawhi who could guard KD in single coverage and Nurse who could scheme GSW out of being comfortable otherwise. We were not gonna lose.

[OakleyDokely]

Almost 5 years to the day, Kawhi comes up clutch in game 4 against the 76ers down 2-1.

Watch on YouTube

[blastttOFF]

for fun, DJ Augustin for the rest of the series:

net -76 (-18 per game) and shot 38% the rest.

raps woke up and chose violence.

[tdotrep2]

kyle with 0, kawhis friend talked ish about him, then later you see him and kawhi getting donuts iirc

[Rapsin6]

Imagine the legend Kyle could have been had Dray not got a fingernail to a potential championship buzzer beater.

Anyway, I got the call in the summer 2018 that my season seat wait list was ready. I was hesitant as we hadn’t made the trade yet and I didn’t know it would be a good buy. I gave in since it was a bucket list kind of thing and thought “just 1 year”. Weeks later the trade. Almost a year later it was one of my greatest life experiences. Being there in person for “the shot” and the greatest 8 minutes in team history was unbelievable.

Anyone who says we would have lost if Durant played, **** off. Prove it. Remember we won both regular season games, one without Kawhi.

[The Duke]

In the summer, when ppl were going back and forth on trading Lowry or DD…

I had said “if we can trade DD for Kawhi, we’re winning the championship”

[will]

We've resorted to reminiscing.

[Duffman100]

We've resorted to reminiscing.

Yeah why ever enjoy any past success?

We should just forget and immediately start complaining.

[will]

We've resorted to reminiscing.

Yeah why ever enjoy any past success?

We should just forget and immediately start complaining.

Or move on and focus on what is ahead. Because there is quite a job at hand.

The past is the past.

[Duffman100]

We've resorted to reminiscing.

Yeah why ever enjoy any past success?

We should just forget and immediately start complaining.

Or move on and focus on what is ahead. Because there is quite a job at hand.

The past is the past.

Right. I forgot the hard work us fans have in building this team into a contender.

[will]

Yeah why ever enjoy any past success?

We should just forget and immediately start complaining.

Or move on and focus on what is ahead. Because there is quite a job at hand.

The past is the past.

Right. I forgot the hard work us fans have in building this team into a contender.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/9wtvXoXh0VU?si=HcxMJdlUTuZ_N58R[/youtube]

That's the link to a clip of Jose Mourinho's "If I speak I'm in trouble" clip.

[beanbag]

We've resorted to reminiscing.

Ew, this loser's back?

warned, personal attack.

[WaltFrazier]

Or move on and focus on what is ahead. Because there is quite a job at hand.

The past is the past.

Right. I forgot the hard work us fans have in building this team into a contender.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/9wtvXoXh0VU?si=HcxMJdlUTuZ_N58R[/youtube]

That's the link to a clip of Jose Mourinho's "If I speak I'm in trouble" clip.

Don't get baited into an argument Will. Take the high road

[Childs]

Yeah why ever enjoy any past success?

We should just forget and immediately start complaining.

Or move on and focus on what is ahead. Because there is quite a job at hand.

The past is the past.

Right. I forgot the hard work us fans have in building this team into a contender.

Complaining is hard

[WaltFrazier]

We've resorted to reminiscing.

Ew, this loser's back?

Gee I wonder if this personal attack on a poster with no other point to the post, will be addressed by mods.

warned. and yes it is, your protection of him is weird...

[WaltFrazier]

Almost 5 years to the day, Kawhi comes up clutch in game 4 against the 76ers down 2-1.

Watch on YouTube

What a team. Sixers were so loaded then too. The East was powerful that year with these two and Bucks and Celtics

[mrdressup]

Wow, 5 years already, and Boucher is the last man standing.

Evidence of continued asset mismanagement. He should have gone years ago.

[mrdressup]

It may be the thing that set us back so much. It's like we thought we had it made after. The entire thing is so ephemeral.

[SFour]

Living basically at Yonge and Dundas was amazing during that whole run.

Once we got past Philly I knew we were gonna win the whole thing. Even going down 0-2 to the Bucks I wasn’t worried at all. Even going into double OT in game three I wasn’t worried. All of my friends were super tense and I kept telling them don’t worry, we got this. I knew the Bucks couldn’t beat us after watching the second half of game 2. I knew that we were just playing way below our level to start that series. Also, Bucks won game one on what was probably Brook Lopez’s best playoff performance of his career. And we lost game 2 after what was probably Gasol’s worst playoff performance in his time with us. In addition, I saw that Milwaukee’s entire strategy relied on blowing you out in the first half and managing Giannis’ minutes but if could keep answering their runs then they could be beaten since they weren’t a good clutch time team and Giannis would fade in the fourth. That’s essentially how we won the back four games of that series. Take the Bucks first punch, claw back, then dominate the last quarter and a half.

That team knew they could beat anybody that year. Even if KD and Klay don’t get hurt I still have us beating the Warriors in 7. Let’s remember that we would have swept the Warriors or won in five if not for Tony Brothers giving GSW game 2 and Nurse calling a horrible timeout at the end of game five, allowing GSW to erase an 8-point lead in the final two minutes of the game. We won 20 of the 24 quarters against them. Raptors had been playing GSW well for years before we even got Kawhi and then when we got him we were able to sweep the season series. KD even dropped 50 in one of those regular season games…a game that we won in OT after Kawhi single covered KD, took the ball from him, and sealed it. What I’m trying to say is we had Kawhi who could guard KD in single coverage and Nurse who could scheme GSW out of being comfortable otherwise. We were not gonna lose.

I also had Raptors taking a healthy Warriors to game 7....at that point it's a 50/50 tossup but Raptors would at least be playing that game in Toronto. People act like beating them would be impossible but they forget that the Harden/CP3 Rockets were also on the verge of beating the KD Warriors, and I think they've would've got it done if CP3 didn't get injured.

[ontnut]

Living basically at Yonge and Dundas was amazing during that whole run.

Once we got past Philly I knew we were gonna win the whole thing. Even going down 0-2 to the Bucks I wasn’t worried at all. Even going into double OT in game three I wasn’t worried. All of my friends were super tense and I kept telling them don’t worry, we got this. I knew the Bucks couldn’t beat us after watching the second half of game 2. I knew that we were just playing way below our level to start that series. Also, Bucks won game one on what was probably Brook Lopez’s best playoff performance of his career. And we lost game 2 after what was probably Gasol’s worst playoff performance in his time with us. In addition, I saw that Milwaukee’s entire strategy relied on blowing you out in the first half and managing Giannis’ minutes but if could keep answering their runs then they could be beaten since they weren’t a good clutch time team and Giannis would fade in the fourth. That’s essentially how we won the back four games of that series. Take the Bucks first punch, claw back, then dominate the last quarter and a half.

That team knew they could beat anybody that year. Even if KD and Klay don’t get hurt I still have us beating the Warriors in 7. Let’s remember that we would have swept the Warriors or won in five if not for Tony Brothers giving GSW game 2 and Nurse calling a horrible timeout at the end of game five, allowing GSW to erase an 8-point lead in the final two minutes of the game. We won 20 of the 24 quarters against them. Raptors had been playing GSW well for years before we even got Kawhi and then when we got him we were able to sweep the season series. KD even dropped 50 in one of those regular season games…a game that we won in OT after Kawhi single covered KD, took the ball from him, and sealed it. What I’m trying to say is we had Kawhi who could guard KD in single coverage and Nurse who could scheme GSW out of being comfortable otherwise. We were not gonna lose.

I also had Raptors taking a healthy Warriors to game 7....at that point it's a 50/50 tossup but Raptors would at least be playing that game in Toronto. People act like beating them would be impossible but they forget that the Harden/CP3 Rockets were also on the verge of beating the KD Warriors, and I think they've would've got it done if CP3 didn't get injured.

...and if playoff Harden didn't...playoff Harden.

Like HiJiNX, I too was not too fazed by the Bucks. I remember watching most of that series during a week+ trip to Vegas after going down 0-2. I won some healthy bets taking the Raptors outright from that point on. When we were down late in games (156 pts in game 6) I wasn't even worried, knowing that Giannis and Bledsoe couldn't hit a 3 or a free throw, and knowing that we had beaten the Bucks without Kawhi and Gasol in previous years. I was honestly more worried about George Hill cuz that guy always killed us. When we won game 1 vs GSW that's when I knew we'd be ok and were likely to win the chip. KD coming back did worry me, but knowing he was hobbled, I felt better. Not winning game 5 at home though, that sucked in multiple ways - not being able to have the Raptors guys celebrate in the city immediately, and the whole Masai vs. police thing, both would've made it an A+++ experience.