The Golden State Warriors returned to the summit of the NBA as Steph Curry produced one of the great performances in NBA Finals history to defeat the Boston Celtics. Curry was named Finals MVP for the first time as he put the Warriors on his back and carried them to the crown for the first time in four years, edging out their Eastern Conference opponents by a 4-2 margin.
It was a close contest and Boston could have pulled clear of the Warriors after taking a 2-1 lead in the series, and a 94-90 lead in the fourth quarter of game four. However, Curry turned the momentum in the Finals with a special performance to pull his team to level before the Warriors upped the ante in the final two games to secure the crown for the fourth time in the past seven years.
Golden State will be the team to beat in the 2022/23 season, although the Celtics could be here to stay as a perennial threat due to the form of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Other sides such as the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks are also strong contenders for the championship, and will not be going away amid the talent of each of these sides, with names that include Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic.
There should be more than a few familiar playoff battles taking the NBA back to the days of old when the Chicago Bulls faced off against the Detroit Pistons in furious battles. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers enjoyed a fierce rivalry during the 1980s with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. There have been a few outfits of late that have not managed to enjoy longevity. The Toronto Raptors had a breakthrough in the 2018/19 season with Kawhi Leonard, defeating the Warriors in the 2019 finals.
Before the breakthrough of the Raptors, basketball ranked behind hockey for sports in Canada. Even though basketball was well known in the region due to its proximity to the United States, and notoriety through games such as basketball slots on live casino Canada betting sites allowing players to enjoy the theme and features of the game while gambling. There is a diverse range of offerings online for sports-themed slots including football and fishing, but the presence of basketball among the betting options confirms its place in the gambling’s zeitgeist landscape, notably in Canada.
The success of the Raptors brought the game to the forefront of popular culture, but it was short-lived as they failed to build on their triumph. Toronto is now once again on the outside looking in, especially after a disappointing exit in the first round to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Raptors now need to work hard to press back into the elite of the NBA, although the fact that they lack a true superstar in their ranks is a concern.
The teams that are in the mix now are positioned to challenge for the long haul considering the talent in the ranks, especially considering that they’re edging towards the primes of their careers. Doncic, Giannis and Tatum are among the next generation of talent that is slowly becoming the new face of the NBA, while the old faces of Curry and Klay Thompson have proven that they are going to remain. It should make for enthralling battles to match the days of old when there was little love lost.
