TORONTO (AP) — Kyle Lowry stole the ball and pushed it ahead, then waited for Kawhi Leonard to arrive before feeding his All-Star teammate for a thunderous one-handed slam over Giannis Antetokounmpo .
"The building exploded after that dunk," Leonard said.
It sure did. Now imagine how it will sound when the NBA Finals come to Toronto for the first time next week.
Leonard had 27 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Raptors into the finals for the first time with a 100-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. His big dunk with 6:46 to go in the fourth quarter was the final basket in a game-changing 26-3 run that began late in the third.
"It was kind of a momentum capper," Lowry said. "We were on a run, and why not feed the big dog? Let the big dog eat."
The Raptors overcame a 15-point deficit to win the series in six games and will host the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
It will be the two-time defending champions against a Raptors team that will finally bring the NBA Finals outside the U.S. after entering the league in 1995.
********Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, center, blocks a dunk attempt by Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard, left, during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals in Toronto, May 25, 2019.