It took 49 points from Kevin Durant and a climb back from a 17-point deficit for the Golden State Warriors to down the Orlando Magic on Monday night, but the Dubs appear to have a bit of their swagger back. After the rarest of four-game losing streaks, the Warriors have now won three straight, unearthing themselves from the Draymond Green-Durant drama as they await the return of their prince, Steph Curry. With the mood of the Warriors once again starting to match the sunshine that surrounds them in the Bay Area, one of their players is already starting to think about the Finals.
The Warriors are set to face the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night, one of those “the result of this game is probably meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but it’s still a big matchup” type of nationally televised games that has NBA fans frothing at the mouth as winter starts to form its grip.
The Raps are soaring, boasting the best record in the NBA at 18-4, a suddenly terrifying duo in Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry and a deep supporting casts that rivals that of, well, anyone. A reporter asked Klay Thompson after the team’s game against the Magic how much attention he’d been paying to that team up north, and Thompson’s mind was already thinking about the summer.
“Right now they’re the best (team in the East), and I expect them to be there for the whole season,” Thompson said. “Kawhi is back and playing at an MVP level.It’s going to be a great test for us. Who knows, it might be a preview of June.”
With LeBron James out of the picture, the Celtics talking like they’re close to hitting rock bottom and Leonard breathing new life into a Raptors franchise that desperately needed it, a Raps-Warriors NBA Finals isn’t all that far-fetched.
