NBA Finals 2019: 3 Talking points from Toronto Raptors vs Golden State Warriors

The NBA 2018-19 season came to an end last night with the Toronto Raptors defeating the Golden State Warriors for the third time on the road this series. After some really good back-and-forth action, the Raptors held on to their lead to record a four-point victory and the crowd at the Jurassic Park erupted in joy while the fans at the Oracle Arena hit early exits.

Kawhi Leonard was named the Finals MVP and he has successfully stopped the Warriors' three-peat attempt. This is the second time that he has stopped a team from three-peating and there is no doubt in my mind that he will go down as one of the greatest two-way players to ever play this sport. In this article, we take a look at three talking points from the Raptors' title-winning Game 6 in Oakland.

#3 Klay Thompson's tears ACL after landing awkwardly on a dunk attempt

The entire NBA free agency situation changed last night

The Warriors lost Kevin Durant, who tore his Achilles tendon couple of nights back and were low on confidence in Game 6. With Stephen Curry struggling, Klay Thompson was their only reliable scoring option and he was on fire knocking three-pointers with ease.

He scored 30 points in 32 minutes of action going 8-for-12 from the field, including 4-for-6 from downtown. However, he injured his knee with 2:22 remaining in the third quarter after landing awkwardly on a dunk attempt.

What is more impressive is the fact that Thompson made both his free-throw attempts and told Steve Kerr that he would continue before getting subbed out. It was later revealed that he has torn his ACL and the entire free agency situation changed last night due to his injury.

Thompson missed the entire fourth quarter but still finished the night as the Warriors' highest scorer and this shows how effective he was. He was also in his elements on the defensive end and accumulated 2 steals.

#2 Fred VanVleet's unforgettable night

Fred VanVleet had a performance that he will never forget

Stat line: 22 points, 2 rebounds and a steal on 42.8% shooting

People have been sleeping on Fred VanVleet for much of the season and while he did have several impressive performances and showed immense potential, no one really expected him to perform the way he did in this series.

Whenever the Raptors needed a bucket, VanVleet delivered and has been a major scoring option for the team, off the bench. His scoring ability allowed Nick Nurse to send Kawhi and Lowry to the bench without worrying too much about the offense.

After scoring 11 points in the loss in Game 5, VanVleet scored 22 points in the series-clincher and played like he has been in the league for so many years. Everytime the Warriors cut the deficit or took the lead, VanVleet would score and answer back to keep the Raptors afloat.

The 25-year-old just finished his third season in the NBA (all with the Raptors), and is getting better every season.

#1 Kyle Lowry's stellar performance

Stat line: 26 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 steals on 56.25% shooting

Love him or hate him, Kyle Lowry is one of the best point guards in the league and he has shown everyone why he is a five-time All-Star once again last night. With Kawhi Leonard just not feeling himself early on in the game, Lowry exploded for 15 first quarter points to give the Raptors a hot start.

Lowry did pretty much everything for the Raptors and had a stellar all-around performance. The 33-year-old used his vision to make life easier for the teammates around him and was one of the main reasons why the role players were able to pour in so many points.

He finished the night with 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting and also had 10 assists to go along with 7 rebounds for an impressive double-double.