Golden State was certainly impressive in Sunday’s 109-104 win, getting plenty of big contributions from a variety of sources.
Klay Thompson (25 points) and Stephen Curry (23 points) provided the scoring while Draymond Green was everywhere with 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Perhaps the most surprising contributions came from DeMarcus Cousins, who got the start and finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
If he can continue to provide that type of production, the Warriors will be even more difficult to defeat.
Adding in depth from Andre Iguodala and Quinn Cook and the fact the squad has won five straight games at Oracle Arena, it makes sense to back the defending champions in Wednesday’s game—and potentially beyond.
However, injuries could be a major story going forward.
Kevin Durant has missed the team’s last seven games, and it doesn’t appear as though he is going to return any time soon. He had yet to be cleared for full contact practice as of Sunday, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Things got even worse for Golden State in Game 2 when Klay Thompson was forced out of the contest with hamstring tightness. Kevon Looney also suffered a chest contusion in the win and was forced to leave early.
These injuries are worth monitoring, as they could play a major role in how the Warriors fare over the next few games.
With Kawhi Leonard totaling 34 points and 14 rebounds in Game 2, it would be a mistake to count him and the Raptors out against a likely shorthanded opponent.
Heavy gunfire has been heard in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, as security forces moved in to break up a protest camp thas has been the focal point of protesters’ demands for a civilian-led administration
The Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors, a medical group linked to protesters, said at least one person was killed and several were wounded in the Monday morning raid, which was still in progress.
In a post on Twitter, the Sudanese Professional Association said the country’s ruling transitional military council had assigned a large number of troops to disperse the protest camp.
The sound of heavy gunfire was heard in footage broadcast from the scene.
“We are being attacked by the Rapid Support Forces and the police,” Mamadou Abozeid, a protester in Khartoum, told Al Jazeera.
The site has become the central point of Sudan’s protest movement, which saw longtime autocrat Omar al-Bashir overthrown last month and has since been calling for the generals who replaced him to hand over power to a civilian-led administration.
The operation came days after Sudan’s military rulers had called the sit-in outside the defence ministry “a danger” to the country’s national security.
People in both of these photos on the Strand doing the same thing, waiting for Giants of Europe .@LFC and Royal Deluxe. Updated estimated figures over 500,000 have turned out. https://t.co/bJz1Lg5Aoa
People in both of these photos on the Strand doing the same thing, waiting for Giants of Europe .@LFC and Royal Deluxe. Updated estimated figures over 500,000 have turned out. https://t.co/bJz1Lg5Aoa
Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand took Fox News to task for its abortion coverage at a Fox News town hall Sunday evening. | Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand took on Fox News on the network’s own airwaves Sunday night — a potential starring moment for the New York Democrat, who has struggled to break out of the sprawling Democratic presidential primary field.
In an hour-long town hall in Dubuque, Iowa, she parried questions on President Donald Trump’s border wall, her conservative House record and the trade war with China. She even attacked the network itself for what Gillibrand called its spreading of a “false narrative” on abortion rights.
Story Continued Below
But Gillibrand’s biggest moment — and a potential viral clip — came during an exchange with Fox News’ host Chris Wallace, who asked Gillibrand to explain her tweet from December 2018, when she said the future was “female” and “intersectional.”
“We want women to have a seat at the table,” Gillibrand said. At that, Wallace jumped in and asked: “What about men?”
“They’re already there — do you not know?” Gillibrand said, greeted by one of the biggest rounds of applause of the night. “It’s not meant to be exclusionary, it’s meant to be inclusionary,” she said.
“All right, we’re not threatened,” Wallace responded.
Less than an hour after the town hall ended, Gillibrand’s campaign Twitter account posted a 10-second video of the exchange.
The moment offered the potential for a much-needed burst of attention for Gillibrand. Nearly five months into her presidential bid, Gillibrand has failed to break out of lower tier of the 23-candidate Democratic 2020 field. She’s averaging less than 1 percent in national polling, and she hasn’t crossed the 65,000-donor threshold set by the Democratic National Committee as one of two criteria to qualify to appear on the debate stages in June and July.
During her town hall, Gillibrand made an explicit plea to voters to support her bid by donating to get her on the debate stage. But she didn’t criticize the DNC for its rules, which she has said aren’t a “measure of success.” Instead, she said the DNC’s done a “fine job” and she will “play by the rules they set.”
One of the most heated moments came when Gillibrand turned her fire on Fox News itself. On a question about late-term abortions, Gillibrand attacked Fox News for what she called the “role” the network “plays” in the “false narrative” around abortion rights.
But Wallace cut in mid-answer: “I understand, maybe, to make your credentials with the Democrats who are not appearing on Fox News, you want to attack us, I’m not sure it’s frankly very polite when we’ve invited you to be here,” Wallace said.
Gillibrand responded by saying she’d do it politely.
“The debate about whether or not women should have reproductive freedom has turned into a red herring debate,” Gillibrand continued. “What happens on Fox News is relevant because they talked about infanticide for six and a half hours — six and a half hours — right before President Trump’s State of the Union.”
“That is not the debate of what access to reproductive care is in this country,” she added.
Appearing on Fox News at all turned into its own test for Democratic presidential candidates this year. Four candidates — the others are Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg — held town halls on the network, while Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasted the network as a “hate-for-profit racket.” California Sen. Kamala Harris also declined to appear for a town hall.
Gillibrand’s campaign released a video ahead of her own appearance on Sunday night, opening with the line: “Kirsten Gillibrand has never been afraid to go into the ‘lion’s den,’” followed by clips of the New York senator formally launching her bid outside the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan in March.
When asked about winning over Americans who voted for both Trump and President Barack Obama — a constituency who may watch Fox News, according to Gillibrand — the New York Democrat promised to “show up, listen, hear what’s on people’s minds and then fight for them,” she said.
But Gillibrand’s most explicit pitch went to female voters, who she’s put at the center of her campaign: “I am the leading presidential candidate on women’s rights today,” she said.
In the last month, Gillibrand rolled out a slate of policies around reproductive rights and women’s health, including a national paid family leave program and universal pre-kindergarten. She waded into a congressional Democratic primary, endorsing the challenger to an anti-abortion-rights Democratic House member in Illinois. She was also the first presidential candidate to commit to a litmus test for judicial nominees by pledging only to nominate judges who consider Roe v. Wade as settled precedent.
Gillibrand defended that pledge on Fox News by telling Wallace that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “changed the rules” when he refused to hold a hearing on Obama’s final Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland.
Gillibrand also dealt with a series of questions on issues that have confronted her presidential bid from the start: Her conservative House record and her calls for Sen. Al Franken to resign, after he was accused by eight women of inappropriate touching.
In particular, Wallace drilled down on Gillibrand’s one-time A-rating from the National Rifle Association — a group she called the “worst organization in America” on Sunday night.
When asked if her shift on the issue was political opportunism, Gillibrand said that it was about “realizing that not every part of this country is like my rural, upstate New York district.”
“We have to look beyond our own backyard,” she said. “We must care about others.”
On the subject of Franken, Gillibrand repeated her rebuke of Democratic mega-donors, saying: “If a few Democratic donors are angry because I stood by eight women,” she said, “that’s on them.”
Drake showed up to Scotiabank Arena for Game 2 of the NBA Finals in a hoodie featuring Kevin McCallister, the iconic Home Alone protagonist who defended his family’s house from burglars on Christmas Eve.
Drake may feel the same as Kevin McCallister did right before he laid out a series of traps to stop the Wet Bandits.
“This is my house. I have to defend it,” Kevin said. And he did, with the help of Old Man Marley/the South Bend Shovel Slayer.
The sweatshirt is also likely referencing Warriors forward Kevin Durant, who is out with a strained right calf. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that league sources told him the 10-time All-Star is expected to return “at some point midway through the NBA Finals.”
No word if Drake ate a highly nutritious microwavable mac-and-cheese dinner or used a toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association afterward, but he’s probably looking to call the Warriors les incompetents when this series is over.
Klay Thompson off to as hot start: 11 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 3p)
Also picks up 2 fouls in less than 8 minutes.
Raptors 16, Warriors 13, 4:27 remaining in Q1
Clock Icon3 minutes ago
Blake Murphy @BlakeMurphyODC
Kyle Lowry has more offensive fouls drawn (25) than any player in a postseason since at least 2001, per https://t.co/ntQXeznJIE.
Cousins has two fouls in less than four minutes. He deserves all the credit for being able to even return this season from the quad injury — but his lateral mobility just isn’t where it needs to be right now. He’s still a step slow.
My whole point about starting Cousins is that the Warriors want him in rhythm for his most important stints — to start the second and fourth quarters. Harder to drop in cold. This might get him rolling. MIGHT.
Starting DeMarcus Cousins is such an intriguing move by Steve Kerr. It might mean less switching and more dropping pick-and-roll coverages by the Warriors, possibly with Cousins on Pascal Siakam—Cousins could sag off Siakam, similar to what Joel Embiid did in the second round.
Clock Icon2 minutes ago
Tim Kawakami @timkawakami
Clock Icon2 minutes ago
Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
June 2, 2019
Clock Icon38 minutes ago
NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
Pascal Siakam will win Finals MVP Draymond Green will have a triple-double in every game of the #NBAFinals
The #HoopStreams squad is dishing on all the HOT TAKES
Klay Thompson off to as hot start: 11 points (4-6 FG, 2-2 3p)
Also picks up 2 fouls in less than 8 minutes.
Raptors 16, Warriors 13, 4:27 remaining in Q1
Clock Icon3 minutes ago
Blake Murphy @BlakeMurphyODC
Kyle Lowry has more offensive fouls drawn (25) than any player in a postseason since at least 2001, per https://t.co/ntQXeznJIE.
Cousins has two fouls in less than four minutes. He deserves all the credit for being able to even return this season from the quad injury — but his lateral mobility just isn’t where it needs to be right now. He’s still a step slow.
My whole point about starting Cousins is that the Warriors want him in rhythm for his most important stints — to start the second and fourth quarters. Harder to drop in cold. This might get him rolling. MIGHT.
Starting DeMarcus Cousins is such an intriguing move by Steve Kerr. It might mean less switching and more dropping pick-and-roll coverages by the Warriors, possibly with Cousins on Pascal Siakam—Cousins could sag off Siakam, similar to what Joel Embiid did in the second round.
Clock Icon2 minutes ago
Tim Kawakami @timkawakami
Clock Icon2 minutes ago
Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
June 2, 2019
Clock Icon38 minutes ago
NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBA
Pascal Siakam will win Finals MVP Draymond Green will have a triple-double in every game of the #NBAFinals
The #HoopStreams squad is dishing on all the HOT TAKES
Qatar said on Sunday it had reservations about hardline statements on Iran made at emergency summits in Mecca organised by Saudi Arabia.
“The statements condemned Iran but did not refer to a moderate policy to speak with Tehran,” Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s foreign minister, told Al Jazeera.
The summits “adopted Washington’s policy towards Iran and not one that takes the neighbourhood into consideration”, he added.
He questioned the unity called for by neighbouring countries amid an ongoing blockade against the Gulf country.
The Gulf summit statement talked about a unified Gulf, but where is it amid the continuation of Qatar’s blockade?
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatar’s foreign minister
“The Gulf summit statement talked about a unified Gulf, but where is it amid the continuation of Qatar’s blockade?” he said.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani attended the event that saw participation of member countries from Organisation of Islamic Countries, Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council.
The three emergency summits, which Saudi Arabia hosted in the holy city of Mecca over the week-end, came following attacks on oil assets, including two Saudi oil tankers off the United Arab Emirates (UAE) coast.
King Salman blasted Iran for what he called its “naked aggression” against the region’s “stability and international security”.
Tehran rejected the accusations as baseless, saying that Saudi Arabia had jointed the United States and Israel in a “hopeless” effort to mobilise regional opinion against it.
In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE cut off ties with Qatar and imposed a land, sea and air blockade on the Gulf state.
The quartet accuses Qatar of supporting “terrorism” and “destabilizing the region,” accusations that Doha has consistently denied.
Doha turned to Tehran to ease its economic isolation, sourcing key imports from Iran and re-routing many flights by its flag carrier Qatar Airways over the Islamic republic.
Not consulted
Earlier in the day, the Qatari foreign minister told the UK-based Al-Araby broadcaster that the meetings’ final statement were made without his country’s input.
“The statements of the Gulf and Arab summits were ready in advance and we were not consulted on them,” Abdulrahman told Al-Araby.
“Qatar has reservations on the Arab and Gulf summits because some of their terms are contrary to Doha’s foreign policy,” he added.
The Mecca summit backed Saudi Arabia over escalating tensions with Iran.
“We hoped the Mecca summits would lay the groundwork for dialogue to reduce tensions with Iran,” the foreign minister added in comments reposted on Twitter by his ministry.
“The Mecca summit ignored the important issues in the region, such as the Palestine issue and the war in Libya and Yemen.”
Qatar: Beyond the Blockade – Featured Documentary (46:31)
@Alissonbecker 
Bobby is boss. Be more like Bobby.
Drake 
is a nice way to start things off 
#NBAonABC 
Daily Trends Hunter 