TORONTO _ As the start of the NBA Finals approaches, it wouldn't be wrong if the Warriors felt a little strange as they crossed the border into Canada. After all, not only had the Raptors never been in the Finals before, but the Warriors had yet to start a series on the road in their five-year run of Finals appearances.
So ahead of Thursday's Game 1 the series has a foreign feel _ and not just because it's taking place north of the border. How will the Warriors fare as the team without homecourt advantage? And just who will be there for them when they take the court?
The one sure thing is that Kevin Durant, who was the Finals MVP in each of the last two seasons, is not going to be in uniform Thursday. Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters Monday, "KD's not playing Game 1. I think we already announced that. We'll see where it goes from here. This is where the fact that there's a lot of days in between games during The Finals helps us, so we'll see."
