N.B.A. Finals Live Updates: Can the Raptors Close Out the Warriors?

Thompson, whose career mark from 3-point range is 41.9 percent, is known for outrageous hot streaks, and beyond the game missed because of a hamstring injury, this whole series has been a hot streak.

Kyle Lowry is quieting the critics.

Kyle Lowry did not have the best reputation when he got to Toronto, and even in the recent past he was questioned for things like conditioning and killer instinct. His maturity has shown up throughout this series. He was a model of restraint in Game 3 when he was shoved by Mark Stevens, a partial owner of the Warriors, and he helped quiet the crowd at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena following the injury to Kevin Durant in Game 5, making his displeasure with their cheering Durant’s misfortune known loud and clear.

He’s even found a way to stay aggressive in the last few games without getting too deep into foul trouble. He was whistled for five fouls in Game 1, and he fouled out of Game 2, but he’s had no more than four fouls in a game since as he does his best, with help from Fred VanVleet, to contain Stephen Curry.

Toronto needs consistency from Kawhi.

Kawhi Leonard’s box score in Game 5 looked fine, with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, but he was playing well below his typical standards for much of the game, only to flip a switch and become unstoppable in the fourth quarter. What eventually did stop him — and may have cost the Raptors the game — was Coach Nick Nurse calling a timeout in the middle of Leonard’s one-man takeover.

Nurse explained later that if he hadn’t taken the timeout his team would have lost it, but Leonard lost his spark. On the game-sealing 3-pointer by Klay Thompson, it was Leonard who overcommitted on a pump fake, falling helplessly toward the sideline while Thompson nailed a wide-open shot.

Leonard is still averaging 29.8 points and 10.6 rebounds a game in these finals, and would be named most valuable player of the finals if the Raptors hold on to win. But on the road, Toronto will need his production to be more consistent than it was in Game 5.

Draymond Green has been clutch for the Warriors, even without scoring.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson continue to take care of the bulk of Golden State’s scoring, with a combined average of 57.4 points a game in the finals, but Draymond Green does everything else. The power forward and small-ball center is leading his team with averages of 9.2 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.4 steals a game to go along with 12.8 points. He continues to be tentative with his shot, and has passed up multiple wide-open 3-point attempts in the series, but his passing and his defensive versatility make him the second-most important player on the court for Golden State behind Curry.