United States women's national team forward Alex Morgan has said she is happy ignoring criticism of her team's celebrations during a record-breaking 13-0 victory over Thailand in their World Cup Group F opener on Tuesday, and that it would have been "disrespectful" not to have given their all for the full 90 minutes.

Morgan tied a tournament record with five goals in the lopsided win, while Samantha Mewis and Rose Lavelle each added a pair of goals for the United States, which broke the record for goals and margin of victory in a World Cup game.

- Hays: Are we really blaming USWNT for celebrating?
- The Equalizer: Behind the scenes with Alex Morgan

The criticism has been about the team's relentless attack in the second half. After taking a 3-0 lead into halftime, the U.S. scored 10 more times in the final 45 minutes, with the players celebrating goal after goal even after the result was no longer in doubt.

"I think it's disrespectful if we don't show up and give our best and play our game for 90 minutes," Morgan said in an exclusive interview with ESPN on Wednesday morning. "It's disrespectful to the Thai team. And I believe they wanted us to play them straight up.

"And for the celebrations, these are goals we have dreamt of our entire life. I mean, I'm going to celebrate Mal Pugh's goal. I'm going to celebrate Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle. This is their first World Cup and I'm so proud of them. And I couldn't have dreamt of scoring five goals in a World Cup. So it's incredible for us all and I'm happy just ignoring those comments."

What couldn't be ignored was Thailand's lack of resistance against the dominant Americans, who came into the tournament as favorites to retain their world title.

Thailand manager Nualphan Lamsam apologised to fans after the match.

"We met with one of the strongest opponent in the world, but I did not think we would lose this much," Lamsam said, adding that she, the coaching staff, and the players "would like to apologise to all our fans ... and thanks for all their support."

"We will do our best in the next two games," she said.

U.S. manager Jill Ellis defended her team's aggressive style of play in the second half.

"This is a world championship, so every team here has been fantastic to get to this point. And I think that to be respectful to opponents is to play hard against opponents. It's a tournament where goal differential is important," Ellis said.

"When you get a deluge of goals like that, it's a good feeling. It builds confidence."

Abby Wambach, a veteran of four World Cups and the leading goal scorer in U.S. women's soccer history with 184, also took no issue with the team's performance.

"For all that have issue with many goals: for some players this is there first World Cup goal, and they should be excited," Wambach tweeted. "Imagine it being you out there. This is your dream of playing and then scoring in a World Cup. Celebrate. Would you tell a men's team to not score or celebrate?"

The United States, which leads Group F on goal differential after the lopsided win, will next play Chile on Sunday in Paris.

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.

Yorkshire 58 for 1 trail Surrey 313 (Foakes 62, Stoneman 61, Smith 56, Patterson 5-81) by 255 runs

Barring the sort of collapses that would do credit to a hypersensitive drama queen this match will end in a draw on Thursday. The loss of the whole of the first day already meant that neither of these two fine teams was likely to force a win on a pitch lacking obvious devil but the rain which prevented any cricket being played after lunch on this third afternoon put the tin lid on the matter. Thursday's cricket will be a matter of bonus points, averages and professional pride.

Those latter considerations are not to be disdained. Will Fraine is playing his second Championship match for Yorkshire. In his first, against Essex last week, he made 39 and 0. A few wickets for Morne Morkel tomorrow will not make a whit of difference to his reputation but an unbeaten 70 or so against this Surrey attack tomorrow could make all the difference to Fraine's career. It would also offer Andrew Gale another option as he ponders team selection over the rest of the season. The Yorkshire opener was unbeaten on 17 when the umpires came off for bad light at one o'clock on Wednesday and heavy showers prevented the players returning. "The rain for Fraine ruled out a chance of gain," as Eliza Doolittle might have put it.

And it could be worse. As Guildford's weather organised itself into unrelieved gloom in the early afternoon, one's thoughts turned to the good burghers of Welbeck Colliery CC, whose first ever Championship match was confined to just Sunday's play. The June monsoon did for the rest of it. Six months planning for six hours' cricket. Thank you, and good night miners everywhere. The good folk who are organising next week's matches at York and Tunbridge Wells must have their manicured fingers and pedicured toes crossed.

Spectators at Woodbridge Road, meanwhile, were left to make the most of not too much. They had seen Steve Patterson collect the eighth five-wicket haul of his first-class career when Jordan Clark hoisted a skier to the safe hands of substitute fielder Matt Fisher at mid-on. Then they had watched as Adam Lyth hit four of the sweeter boundaries of the season in his innings of 30. That delight was ended when Will Jacks swooped to take a low catch in the gully off Rikki Clarke. Fifteen minutes later we were off for the day.

But yes, it could be very much worse. Perhaps 30 years ago in the not-so-golden age of three-day cricket these sides might have been tempted to concoct a result with the aid of a couple of declarations and an hour's nonsense.

The morning's play, you see, was properly contested, but as we watched the tussle for advantage in a match seemingly reduced to three full days some minds drifted back to the 1980s when all games were of that length and pitches were covered. If the wicket offered a fair contest between bat and ball, everything was fine. But all too often teams would contest the first two days or so before agreeing a target which rendered the fourth innings of the game a bastardised version of over-limit cricket, albeit one in which the draw was an option. To achieve this goal, runs were given away by non-bowlers to embarrassed batsmen. All too often the first session of the third day was reduced to a cheap slog which annoyed the statisticians, insulted the spectators and demeaned the players.

These matches belonged not to a golden era of a treasured memory but an age that at times was scarcely pewter. The gradual covering of pitches, which had begun in the 1970s, had both diminished the art of batting and sounded the passing bell for the three-day game; only when four-day cricket became the norm in 1993 did the wretched buffet bowling more or less disappear. You still see it occasionally towards the end of the season but generally the best team wins a four-day game of cricket.

This match, though, will not merit even 400 words in next year's Wisden. At 3.15 in the afternoon the scoreboard was turned off and half an hour later play was abandoned. The PA announcer told everyone in the ground the news, although the only folk he was informing were the players and media, who knew already. Then again, perhaps we should not be surprised by such surreal communications. After all, Lewis Carroll is buried in Guildford. Wonderland, indeed.

Jos Buttler has given England a significant boost by reporting fit for training in Southampton, following a thigh injury sustained during last week's victory over Bangladesh.

Buttler did not keep wicket in Cardiff on Saturday - Jonny Bairstow took the gloves - after sustained heavy bruising after being hit by a delivery while batting. But he has recovered well and is all but certain to play in Friday's match against West Indies.

"He'll be fine," England coach, Trevor Bayliss, said. "He'll be back and able to practice fully. It was a bit precautionary the other day. He could have kept. We just weren't really sure if he would have been able to sprint after a high catch."

Moeen Ali was absent from Wednesday's session, however. He was at the bedside of his wife, Firuza, as she gave birth to their second child, a daughter named Haadiya. He is expected to re-join the squad in time for training on Thursday morning, and is likely to return to the team for Friday's game in place of one of the seamers. Bayliss hinted that the final place in the side would probably be between the new-ball bowler Chris Woakes or middle-overs seamer Liam Plunkett.

"Southampton is somewhere where we have played two spinners in the past," Bayliss said. "If Moeen does come back in - and we'll have to have a look at the wicket first - then it is one of the pace bowlers who misses out. It is a difficult decision: you've got one guy who bowls up front [Woakes] who can get the ball to move off the seam versus a guy [Plunkett] that is the leading wicket-taker through those middle overs over the last few years. It's a difficult decision and I can't tell you right at this moment who would miss out."

ALSO READ: Archer's presence adds spice to England-West Indies clash

The statistics would suggest Plunkett might have the better chance of retaining his place. He has been England's most economical bowler in the tournament to date - he is conceding just 4.86 runs per over on average - and has claimed three wickets at an average of 24.33. Woakes has been England's most expensive bowler - he is conceding 7.71 runs per over - and has claimed three wickets at a cost of 54 apiece. Woakes is the better batsman and fielder, however, and bowls in the first Powerplay, so the comparison is not entirely valid.

A glance at the pitch - which is nowhere near as green as the surface seen in the match against Bangladesh - suggests England will recall Moeen. The playing area in Southampton is also much larger than the one in Cardiff - it is probably the largest among international grounds in England and Wales - so there is less chance of mis-hits carrying over the boundary.

While Bayliss admitted to some concerns over the form of Adil Rashid, who came into the World Cup with a shoulder injury, he also expressed confidence in his anticipated contributions in the remainder of the tournament.

"I think what he needs is more bowling whether that is in the nets or in a match," Bayliss said. "He did have a niggle in his shoulder, but over this last couple of weeks he hasn't had anywhere near as much of a problem with it. I don't think the wickets have necessarily been an advantage to the spinners yet, but the further we go through the competition and maybe get a bit of drier weather and play on used pitches, he may come into his own."

England's training session was heavily curtailed by rain on Wednesday afternoon, though West Indies were able to train in the morning. Andre Russell was a noticeable absentee - he missed the match against South Africa due to his chronic knee problem - though the team management remain confident he will be fit for Friday. Evin Lewis, however, was able to return to training after recovering from a hand injury.

Christi Viljoen, the 31-year old Namibia allrounder, has been handed a four-match suspension for breaching ICC's Anti-Racism Code during the T20 World Cup Africa Qualifiers in May.

Viljoen's sledges towards Uganda players on May 21 were deemed "inappropriate". He accepted the charges against him.

Section 2.1.1 of the code, which he breached, pertains to "engaging in any conduct (whether through the use of language, gestures or otherwise) which is likely to offend, insult, humiliate, intimidate, threaten, disparage or vilify any reasonable person in the position of a player, umpire, match referee or any other person (including a spectator) on the basis of their race, religion, culture, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin".

As per ICC's rehabilitation measures for those suspended under this code, Viljoen will have to undergo an education programme to "promote a better understanding and awareness of issues" directly relevant to the offence he has committed.

Viljoen had an impressive tournament performance-wise, picking up nine wickets in three matches, apart from making 33 in a winning cause against Uganda.

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It's a well-known trope that English people always talk about the weather. But it dominated the discussion among Indians and New Zealanders ahead of what should be a highly-anticipated match between the only two undefeated sides remaining in the early stages of the World Cup.

After being confined to the Trent Bridge indoor nets for two days, New Zealand are keeping their selection cards close to their chest, likely to be influenced by how many overs they think might be played on Thursday. Repeated visits to the forecasting websites suggest there is anything from a 20 to 80% chance of rain at different stages. Make of that what you will.

"I said at the start of the tournament that luck is going to play a part," Ross Taylor said, speaking before New Zealand's final indoor training session. "With the weather, England is a beautiful place, but it's not famous for good weather. In saying that, there's still a long way to go in this tournament. I'm sure there's going to be rained out games that could affect us along the way. We found that in Taunton, and there have been times where forecasts have been wrong as well. Hopefully, tomorrow is one."

Taylor is no stranger to Trent Bridge after spending the 2018 season playing for Nottinghamshire. Stints at Sussex, Durham and this year at Middlesex means he is more familiar with the conditions than most.

"We had an outstanding summer last year, so there wasn't a lot of rained out games," Taylor said. "Traditionally, when you play here at county cricket, you play on either side. You don't normally play on the middle [pitch], which is the same for internationals.

"It [Trent Bridge] is a great place to play cricket. Traditionally, it can favour the batters at times, but I'm sure that bowlers will be going to have a little bit there. It [the pitch] has been under the covers for two or three days and hasn't seen the sun."

While New Zealand have a fully fit squad to choose from, at least one change has been forced on India, with Shikhar Dhawan's thumb injury keeping him out for at least two matches. That leaves India without a left-right combination at the top order. New Zealand, conversely, have a number of combinations upon which they could settle.

"I haven't been in the bowling meetings, but obviously Shikhar is a big loss to India," Taylor said. "He plays very well at the ICC tournaments and has a very good record over here. He and Rohit Sharma have a very good partnership, and I think they complement each other well because they're left and right-handed [batsmen respectively]. In terms of our line-up, I think we've had a similar balanced side for a long time, and when you do have a right-left hand combination, it does put pressure in different ways on the bowling opposition.

ALSO READ: Pant to join Indian squad as cover for Dhawan

"A lot of these grounds in the UK have a short boundary on one side, and if you've got two right-handers or two left-handers, you can't exploit it as much, where obviously having the right- and left-hand [combination], and the communication becomes very important to target those short boundaries.

"As we see, it's traditionally a short boundary here. If that is the case, then hopefully we can exploit it with the right-left-hander [combination], as I'm sure India and other teams that are playing here will try and do that."

A fresh pitch is being used for this match, one that is closer to the midpoint between the two square boundaries than either of the two pitches that have been used so far in the tournament, although the Fox Road boundary (68 metres) is still shorter than the Bridgford Road boundary (74 metres). If the match is shortened and the T20 tactics come into play, Taylor believes the pressure could be on Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal to contain New Zealand's power hitters.

"We've faced India a lot in recent times and had some success against them," Taylor said. "Obviously, two world-class spinners on their day... We'll have to wait and see what the wicket produces tomorrow.

"Some shorter boundaries, and sometimes that can play on the mind of the spinner, but as I said, with all the weather around and so much uncertainty, we'll just have to wait and see. And I'm sure the team that adapts the best will probably get the right result."

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov shot down the possibility of a Conor McGregor rematch at a news conference in London on Wednesday morning.

Nurmagomedov, who was promoting his upcoming fight with interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier, questioned why McGregor merited a second chance at the belt.

"The last three years he has only one victory and amateur boxing. How does he deserve a rematch?" Nurmagomedov asked. "He tapped. He begged me, 'Please don't kill me.' Now he's talking about a rematch?

"Tony Ferguson [is] on the line. People who have win streaks [are] on the line. But not the guy who don't win nothing the last three years. ... Right now I'm focused on Sept. 7."

Nurmagomedov and Poirier will fight for the unified title on that date in the main event of UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi. Poirier (25-5-1) has won four in a row, most recently a unanimous decision victory against featherweight champion Max Holloway -- who had moved up in weight -- at UFC 236 in April.

Nurmagomedov, of Dagestan, has not lost in 27 professional fights. He submitted McGregor at UFC 229 last October by fourth-round neck crank. After the fight, Nurmagomedov jumped out of the Octagon and into the crowd to fight a member of McGregor's team and a brawl ensued. Both fighters were fined and suspended. Nurmagomedov is eligible to return next month.

The winner of Nurmagomedov vs. Poirier is expected to face Ferguson, who is riding a 12-fight win streak. He defeated Donald Cerrone at UFC 238 this past weekend by second-round TKO. Nurmagomedov and Ferguson have been matched up together on multiple occasions, and each time the bout has fallen through.

"He deserves a title shot, in my opinion," Nurmagomedov said. "But when the UFC asked him to fight Max Holloway, he didn't take that fight. Right now, the problem is because of him. I don't know why he didn't take that fight. He took a regular fight with Cowboy [Cerrone]. I don't understand this.

"I don't want to underestimate my opponent, Dustin. He's a tough challenge for me and right now I don't want to think about other opponents."

United States women's national team forward Alex Morgan has said she is happy ignoring criticism of her team's celebrations during a record-breaking 13-0 victory over Thailand in their World Cup Group F opener on Tuesday, and that it would have been "disrespectful" not to have given their all for the full 90 minutes.

Morgan tied a tournament record with five goals in the lopsided win, while Samantha Mewis and Rose Lavelle each added a pair of goals for the United States, which broke the record for goals and margin of victory in a World Cup game.

- Hays: Are we really blaming USWNT for celebrating?
- The Equalizer: Behind the scenes with Alex Morgan

The criticism has been about the team's relentless attack in the second half. After taking a 3-0 lead into halftime, the U.S. scored 10 more times in the final 45 minutes, with the players celebrating goal after goal even after the result was no longer in doubt.

"I think it's disrespectful if we don't show up and give our best and play our game for 90 minutes," Morgan said in an exclusive interview with ESPN on Wednesday morning. "It's disrespectful to the Thai team. And I believe they wanted us to play them straight up.

"And for the celebrations, these are goals we have dreamt of our entire life. I mean, I'm going to celebrate Mal Pugh's goal. I'm going to celebrate Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle. This is their first World Cup and I'm so proud of them. And I couldn't have dreamt of scoring five goals in a World Cup. So it's incredible for us all and I'm happy just ignoring those comments."

What couldn't be ignored was Thailand's lack of resistance against the dominant Americans, who came into the tournament as favorites to retain their world title.

Thailand manager Nualphan Lamsam apologised to fans after the match.

"We met with one of the strongest opponent in the world, but I did not think we would lose this much," Lamsam said, adding that she, the coaching staff, and the players "would like to apologise to all our fans ... and thanks for all their support."

"We will do our best in the next two games," she said.

U.S. manager Jill Ellis defended her team's aggressive style of play in the second half.

"This is a world championship, so every team here has been fantastic to get to this point. And I think that to be respectful to opponents is to play hard against opponents. It's a tournament where goal differential is important," Ellis said.

"When you get a deluge of goals like that, it's a good feeling. It builds confidence."

Abby Wambach, a veteran of four World Cups and the leading goal scorer in U.S. women's soccer history with 184, also took no issue with the team's performance.

"For all that have issue with many goals: for some players this is there first World Cup goal, and they should be excited," Wambach tweeted. "Imagine it being you out there. This is your dream of playing and then scoring in a World Cup. Celebrate. Would you tell a men's team to not score or celebrate?"

The United States, which leads Group F on goal differential after the lopsided win, will next play Chile on Sunday in Paris.

Information from The Associated Press and Reuters was used in this report.

In a landmark appointment for the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers have hired University of California-Berkeley women's coach Lindsay Gottlieb to be an assistant coach on John Beilein's staff, it was announced Wednesday.

Gottlieb -- a Final Four and seven-time NCAA tournament head coach for the Golden Bears -- is the first women's collegiate head coach recruited to an NBA staff.

Sources said Gottlieb, 41, will sign a four-year contract and is expected to play a prominent role in support of Beilein and associate head coach JB Bickerstaff. Commissioner Adam Silver has been determined for the league to welcome more women's coaches into its ranks, and Gottlieb's stature and coaching credentials are unprecedented among women's coaches in the NBA.

"I am very thankful, proud and excited to be joining the Cavaliers as an assistant coach," Gottlieb said in a statement issued by the Cavaliers. "After meeting with [GM] Koby Altman, Coach Beilein and Coach Bickerstaff, I knew this was an organization I wanted to be a part of and a team I wanted to dedicate myself to. While this move provided a unique and special chance to move directly from Cal Berkeley and women's college basketball to the NBA, it was really about being part of building and growing something special and adding value to a team and organization that is focused on doing things in a way that I believe strongly in.

"The vision for the Cavs' future is compelling and I look forward to helping make it a reality. At the same time, on a personal level, I am honored to hopefully impact young girls and women to be empowered to pursue their own visions and to be inspired to turn them into reality as well."

Altman had been interested in pursuing a high-level women's college coach as part of the team's new staff. He identified and brought the idea to Beilein, sources said.

"The more we researched and got to know Lindsay, the more we came to understand that she would be an impactful part of where we want to go as a team," Altman said in a statement. "Coach Gottlieb brings a depth of basketball knowledge, leadership, perspective and approach to her craft that will fit very well with our team and staff alike. We're fortunate that she was willing to leave her role as head coach at such a solid and successful program at Cal."

Once Beilein met Gottlieb and discussed the ways that she could impact an NBA coaching staff and environment, Beilein became determined to recruit her to Cleveland, sources said. Cleveland reached a deal with Gottlieb and agent Bret Just of CAA late Tuesday night, sources said.

"I am excited to have a coach with Lindsay's experience as a part of the new coaching staff with the Cavaliers," Beilein said in a statement. "Lindsay truly values and embraces player development and a culture of winning basketball habits. Her success at Cal Berkeley speaks for itself and her insight in our meetings, practices and games will hold tremendous value.

"After sitting with her, it was easy to see how she will connect quickly with our staff and our players, and we all benefit because of that connection. I'm looking forward to merging all of her years of experience and vision for the game with our current and future coaching staff."

Gottlieb advanced to seven NCAA tournaments in her eight seasons at Cal, including a trip to the 2013 Final Four. She constructed a 179-89 (.668) record and coached several future WNBA players. Prior to Cal, Gottlieb had a 56-39 record, including an NCAA bid, in three seasons as coach of University of California-Santa Barbara. She's also coached with national teams for USA Basketball.

Gottlieb is believed to be the eighth female to share either an assistant coaching or player development role on an NBA, but joins the Cavaliers from the most prominent coaching perch of any of her predecessors -- a Power 5 college program with consistent Top 25 presence and a college salary believed to be the $700,000-plus range.

She is expected to have a level of staff prominence comparable to only two female coaching peers in the NBA: San Antonio's Becky Hammon and former Sacramento Kings assistant Nancy Lieberman.

Gottlieb has long had an intrigue with the NBA. She has been a regular visitor to Golden State Warriors practices as a guest of Bob Myers and Steve Kerr, and previously spent time at a LA Clippers training camp.

"I also want to thank Cal for what has been an amazing job, and really my home and family, for the better part of 15 years," Gottlieb said. "It is very difficult to say goodbye. The university leadership, the athletic department, my fellow coaches, staff and, most of all, our players have been wonderful and inspiring to work with. The program is in great shape and I have no doubt it will continue to have a high level of success."

The Toronto Raptors got so close to the championship on Monday, only for the Golden State Warriors to stave off elimination in a whirlwind final three minutes. A loss like that would rock most teams. Game 6 of the NBA Finals -- the Warriors' last game at Oakland's Oracle Arena -- on Thursday will test Toronto's resolve.

Toronto kept an even temperament through an unusual regular season and sometimes dramatic playoffs. That should serve it well now.

As the Raptors -- up 3-2 in the series -- prepare to chase the title in a hostile environment, the specter of a possible Game 7 looming, they can look back at the steadiness with which they handled what most within the team consider the closest thing to a pivotal moment in this postseason run.

In the locker room before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Philadelphia, with the Raptors trailing the 76ers two games to one, Nick Nurse, Toronto's coach, readied his players for a film session meant to both point out their failings in a very personal way and inspire them.

He cued up clips of each rotation player -- Nurse can't remember the exact number; he thinks it was his top eight -- failing to match the physicality of a huge 76ers team that had bullied them in a 116-95 Game 3 romp.

"They were what I called out-of-character plays," Nurse told ESPN.com. "And I put them back-to-back with in-character plays. It was something where maybe Kyle [Lowry] was on his guy, and that guy broke out and Kyle didn't even move and let him score. And the next clip was Kyle flying over and taking a charge. Or Pascal [Siakam] getting shoved out of the way by Ben Simmons, and Simmons laying it in. And then Pascal blocking him out, taking the ball and going the other way."

Nurse didn't yell or raise his voice, players and coaches recall. He played that card in a film session after the Orlando Magic upset the Raptors in Game 1 of their first-round series. Nurse plays those cards sparingly.

"He showed us clips that were us not being ourselves," Danny Green said. "'You guys weren't into people. You weren't making them feel you.' And then he showed us clips of games we won. 'This is how physical you gotta be. This is how you guard people.' And remember: Nick isn't really a defensive coach."

The Raptors didn't panic after that Game 3. They aren't wired that way. But it got their attention. It unnerved them a bit. It still stands as the best game the current Sixers core has ever played together -- and one of the three or four finest performances by any team in this postseason. Ask anyone around these Raptors to identify when they felt vulnerable during this title run and they will almost unanimously name those two days between Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia -- and not when they trailed the Milwaukee Bucks 2-0 in the conference finals.

"It was a little later in the series [than against the Bucks], so it felt a little different," Nurse said. The Raptors were also on the road. "We strolled past them in Game 1, and [the media] was like, 'Here comes the sweep.' And then they snuck out Game 2 and kicked our ass in Game 3. We didn't bring it. It was regroup or pack-the-bags time."

Green offered his take.

"I'm not saying Milwaukee isn't talented, but Philly has so many talented guys across the board," Green said. "They are much bigger. We weren't sure we were going to be able to find our rhythm against them. With Milwaukee, we knew the [fast] pace they played was in our favor. They weren't as big. We knew we could defend them."

(One of the big takeaways of the second round is that for all their fit issues -- Simmons' lack of shooting, all the stars jostling for touches -- the Sixers as currently constituted are really good. They are a problem.)

The Raptors still had all their home games in hand when they trailed Milwaukee 2-0. They already had surrendered home court to the Sixers as they prepared for Game 4 in Philadelphia.

The regrouping started at practice the day after Game 3. On a whiteboard inside the arena locker room, Nurse wrote a half-dozen tactical changes the Raptors needed to make on both offense and defense. They changed their pick-and-roll coverage against the Jimmy Butler/Joel Embiid two-man game and adjusted to take away Embiid's hard rolls to the basket, Nurse said. He also wrote out a third column on the board: effort.

"It was, 'Guys, I hate to say this, but we just gotta play harder, better, more physical,'" Nurse recalled.

Nurse also rejiggered his rotation, including matching Marc Gasol's minutes with those of Embiid -- so that Embiid did not have chances to overpower Serge Ibaka.

The next night, the team had to change hotels and stay in Delaware because of a conference that had overtaken downtown Philadelphia. The team had known about the change weeks in advance, but any disruption of routine in the playoffs can add unwanted discomfort. A month later, it was a detail the team chuckled about.

The film session came in the hours before Game 4. "It was necessary," Gasol said. "You have to show guys, and not just tell them."

Nurse had never been an NBA head coach before this season, but he has two decades of experience in the lead seat in minor leagues across the world. He managed the season with an unusual calm for a first-year NBA head coach. He did not over-practice. He did not overwhelm the team with film. On some days, even after bad games, he did not show them any film at all.

He understood the wear and tear of the 82-game grind. He knew he would need to inundate the players with X's and O's details when it really mattered.

"There were a lot of games where I knew we didn't play well and we won, and I just kind of filed the win away and got the hell on with it and didn't really address it," Nurse said. "Now in this long playoff run, we were able to address some problem areas."

All the mental and tactical preparation didn't exactly flip the Philly series on its ear. Toronto eked out Game 4 101-96, behind 39 points from Kawhi Leonard on 13-of-20 shooting -- including 5-of-7 from deep. It felt as if the Raptors needed every ounce Leonard could give -- every point, every shot -- as they wheezed toward the finish line of a game they had to have.

(It also helped Toronto that Embiid was wheezing a bit; he scored 11 points on just seven shot attempts while dealing with what the team termed a respiratory infection. If he is healthy, who knows how the rest of the postseason unfolds.)

With 1:01 left and Toronto clinging to a 91-90 lead, Leonard dribbled right around a Gasol screen and hit an off-the-dribble 3 over Embiid's outstretched arm to put Toronto up by four. It was not a game winner or a buzzer-beater. It did not bounce on the rim four times for dramatic effect. But it was nearly as big a shot as Leonard's legendary Game 7 corner heave that broke a tie, avoided overtime and ended the series.

"We were pressing late and needed a bucket," Nurse said. "We had nothing going. It was not open. It was just a monster shot."

One team official said he even considers it a bigger shot than Leonard's Game 7 clincher.

Toronto for the most part had an even-keeled, businesslike regular season. The Raptors took the long view of the regular season and followed the lead of their coach and stone-faced superstar. But if there was a moment when it all felt rickety to them -- when the season seemed on the brink -- it was those two days between Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia.

Toronto survived. Thursday night brings a new test.

Everyone who attended Game 5 of these strange NBA Finals, a series that has swung wildly from dull (Game 3) to incredibly intense (Game 5), is still shell-shocked to some degree.

The game, and probably the series, will be remembered for Kevin Durant's ruptured Achilles -- the decision to play him, the public tears from Bob Myers, the Golden State Warriors' president of basketball operations, and the private ones from other Golden State staffers.

In the immediate aftermath of the injury and a classic Golden State comeback, it was difficult to discuss the implications of a potential Achilles tear on the broader league landscape. It could change so many things for so many teams and players: the Knicks, Clippers, Warriors, Nets, Celtics, maybe Kyrie Irving, maybe Anthony Davis, but obviously for Durant more than all of them combined.

Durant will come back from this, but he might never be the same player. The history of Achilles injuries, as detailed by ESPN's Kevin Pelton, suggests Durant returning as something less than his old self is the most likely outcome.

Durant is not just a superstar. He is maybe the best player in the league, though Kawhi Leonard has asserted his claim -- and looked ready to cement it with a one-man, 10-point scoring run that catapulted the Toronto Raptors into a late six-point lead in Monday's game.

Durant has been there. He is a two-time Finals MVP. He is already, at age 30, 31st all time in scoring with 22,940 career regular-season points. Tall shooters age well. With good health, Durant could have ended up second or third on the scoring list. With pristine health and longevity, he could have challenged Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time record. He is a few rebounds and assists away from becoming the 18th player with at least 22,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 3,500 assists.

Again: He is 30. He is on pace to be one of the 10 greatest players ever, and that is probably underselling how his statistical résumé and postseason accomplishments would have looked in a decade had Monday night not happened.

Durant is more than a superstar. He is a historic giant.

As everyone tried to digest the shock of Durant crumbling, a classic Finals game unfolded. We will forget much of the basketball, and that is human and understandable, but here are eight moments I will try to freeze in my brain:

Klay's first crunchtime 3

This was Golden State's first possession after the now-infamous Nick Nurse timeout. Nurse's decision seemed strange in real time, with Toronto up 103-97 and all the momentum in its favor. But in the light of day, it feels as if we are perhaps attaching too much importance to a decision that is easy to see. If Nurse thought the Raptors were gassed, they probably were. The Warriors made only one substitution -- Quinn Cook for Andre Iguodala -- and it weakened their defense for a possession that could have put the game almost out of reach.

And then Steve Kerr unleashed this beauty. It is a variation of a typical action: big guy sets a screen for ball handler, and as his defender pauses to address that problem, darts away to set a pindown for another shooter. On most such plays, the screener -- Draymond Green -- cuts toward the hoop to screen for a shooter flying up from the baseline.

Kerr designed this set so that Green slices across the 3-point arc. The Warriors anticipated Toronto would have Green's man trap Stephen Curry, meaning no defender would be near Thompson as he curled around Green's second pick.

Toronto had been sending two bodies at Curry for most of the game, but they were in ideal position here to switch instead. They were playing small, with Pascal Siakam on the bench, Leonard at power forward, and Kyle Lowry defending Green. Lowry and Fred VanVleet are tailor-made to switch. But Toronto was in "trap" mode, and this deep cut caught the Raptors off guard.

Leonard does well meeting Thompson on the other side of Green's pick. Thompson and Green one-up him with a nice bit of improvisation: Green flips around for a second screen, and Thompson dribbles into pay dirt.

A stickler might argue Norman Powell should scramble up from the left corner, but he's on Cook -- a good shooter playing over Iguodala precisely because he merits this sort of respect.

This was in some ways a classic Splash Brothers win. The Warriors hit 20-of-42 from deep; Toronto clanked to an 8-of-32 mark. Golden State outscored Toronto by 36 points from 3-point range. That is really hard to overcome even if you win almost every other statistical category. It reminds a little of Game 4 on the 2016 Finals, when Golden State hit 11 more 3s than Cleveland in an 11-point win that seemed like a gut punch before the severity of Green's other sort of punch became known.

Golden State also got five 3s combined from Green, Iguodala, DeMarcus Cousins and Cook. They are going to need some threshold of open makes from those guys to win Games 6 and 7.

Klay gives Golden State the lead

It is the passing I'll remember most. Guys who see the game ahead of everyone else -- guys like Iguodala -- vibrate with a certain antsiness. They want the ball fast, because they already know where they are going with it, and if you wait an extra half-second to pass to them, the window they see -- but you don't -- will close. Iguodala jumps to meet the ball so he can get some extra oomph on what is otherwise almost a touch pass to Green.

"That's what Andre does," Thompson told me after the game.

Iguodala and Green fling the ball around so fast, Leonard cannot close out on Thompson without flying by him.

Perhaps Leonard should have stayed closer to Thompson, and wagered Marc Gasol could snuff Iguodala at the rim without help. But when the Warriors move the ball like this, opponents don't have time to think beyond a crisis response.

A very Klay off-the-dribble 3

How many guys dribble out of post-ups, toward half court, and pivot into contested off-the-dribble 3s? That is ridiculous. Thompson told me after the game he practices that exact shot. "It's a rhythm shot for me right there," he said.

The Raptors began doubling Thompson in the post in Game 4, probably to test his hamstring by making him dribble out of tight confines. The Raptors also like to spring traps on actions they have not trapped in prior games just to keep opponents off-balance.

One downside of putting Lowry on Thompson: Thompson is six inches taller than Lowry, and comfortable shooting over him.

Aside from some hiccups in Toronto's defense over the first 18 minutes, Game 5 was largely well played on both ends -- two great teams forcing each other to stretch themselves. Golden State had 52 points halfway through the second quarter; it had scored 54 over the next 30 minutes, and to get there required that crazy run of late-game shot-making.

When Danny Green got the Curry assignment, he did well (at least after the early going) hounding him all over the floor, and using his length to close gaps. VanVleet has managed well against Curry all series.

When Toronto switched, it mostly did so without exposing wide openings. Watch as three different Raptors guard Curry in the span of five seconds:

The Raptors often left Golden State only one profitable off-ball screening option: running the Splash Brothers off picks from Gasol's guy (or Serge Ibaka's), banking on Toronto's centers being a step slow lunging beyond the arc. For most of that possession, Gasol strikes the right balance -- no small thing -- in defending a Warriors non-shooter (Iguodala). He sags away from Iguodala to deter a potential Durant cut, and then returns to press when Iguodala gets the ball.

When Iguodala swings it to Curry, Gasol stays close -- knowing Thompson lurks nearby. But he turns to peek at Curry, and in that moment, Thompson zooms off of an Iguodala screen. Lowry slithers around it almost unscathed, but "almost" isn't quite enough given Thompson's height advantage and transcendent shooting. (Thompson is 20-of-35 from deep in this series.)

There are no great answers. If Gasol leaps to double Thompson, Iguodala rolls free to the rim, and Golden State's ping-ping-ping playmaking takes over from there. Forcing Golden State to make more passes is probably preferable to even semi-contested Thompson/Curry triples given the depleted state of the Warriors' roster, but the Warriors know how to do that.

Trapping also unlocks offensive rebounding rim-runs for Golden State's centers:

Golden State was on its "A" motion game on Monday. The two days off revived tired legs.

Curry jogs toward Thompson in the corner as if they are settling in for an off-ball screening dance -- another thing Toronto handled well in Game 5 -- only to accelerate into a U-turn around Kevon Looney. VanVleet loses a little ground veering around that pick. Still, that is good defense.

(Leonard, weirdly guarding Looney there, could switch, though that would require some high-level improv. His half-lurch toward Curry is useless, and yields Looney a head start.)

Expect Golden State to attack Gasol and Ibaka this way a lot in Game 6. It is one of the few fail-safes left in their bag. Toronto could try a few responses, including selling out even more dramatically off those screeners -- and any other non-shooter who happens to be nearby.

Another fail-safe: the Curry-Green pick-and-roll, the foundational play of the Warriors' dynasty. Golden State is scoring an ungodly 1.36 points per possession on any trip featuring such a play, per Second Spectrum data. Toronto hasn't quite gotten the rhythm of defending it; Green's defender often loiters in no-man's land, a traffic cone for Curry to scoot around. Curry's pick-and-roll volume is down slightly in this series. A small uptick might not solve everything given the paltry shooting around him, but it might help.

Kyle Lowry's moment

For about eight minutes bridging the third and fourth quarters, Lowry enjoyed one of the finest high-stakes stretches of his career in keeping Toronto close enough for Leonard to take the Raptors home.

He mostly attacked Cousins on switches, shaking him with start-and-stop dribbles, and setting up Ibaka on the pick-and-roll. Before the hectic endgame -- including that missed corner 3 for everything, and another wide-open missed triple with 2:15 left everyone has already forgotten -- that stretch looked to be Lowry's crowning moment.

He planted seeds for it early. Even amid a slow start in which he (and Gasol) appeared to pass up some decent 3s, Lowry was dialed in with his playmaking:

What a combination of ball fakes and pivot moves. Lowry notices Curry ducking under the pick, and instead of pulling up for an ultra-long triple, he beats Curry to the other side. That forces Looney to rotate farther from Gasol.

Lowry fakes one pass, steps through into a shot fake that coaxes Looney toward the rim, and finishes with a little water balloon drop-off to Big Spain.

Every bounce counts for three

Until Leonard's run, Golden State had an answer every time Toronto crept to within three or four points. (The Raptors also missed some open looks in those scenarios, including toward the end of the first half.)

One such answer:

I mean, come on. When are you allowed to turn your head against these guys, or start transitioning into offense? Never? That must be a horrible feeling for Green -- watching that rebound ricochet over three Raptors, and right back to Curry, knowing you have abandoned Thompson. (It must be a freaking awesome feeling for Thompson: Gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme!) If this were a movie, someone -- probably Nurse -- would be screaming "NOOOOOOOOOO!" in slow motion.

Quinn Cook's fake timeout

Hold up: Did Cook use a fake timeout in the fourth quarter of an elimination game in the NBA Finals? "I did," he told me. "I practice that in my mind. Anytime Steve tells me to take [a timeout], I think about doing it." (Cook said Kerr indeed asked for a timeout, and you can see Kerr signaling for one.) "It's an NBA thing. You kinda point at the ref. But when I went to point the ref, Norman Powell cut me off, so I made a move."

I have long advocated that every team should have the fake timeout in its playbook. Cook says Curry does it now and then, but Cook has been a little wary of stepping out of his lane. He also worried this column might put Toronto onto the scent. I don't think so. The fake timeout works.

Block man, board man

OK, Kawhi. If Toronto had clinched the title, that sequence goes on a highlight reel in Springfield. It probably should anyway.

Boogie gets some help

The Warriors do not win without 14 points and six rebounds from Cousins, who sat on the bench until Durant's injury forced Kerr to rework Golden State's rotation. In the early part of the second quarter, Cousins set good screens, finished around the rim, and dished some nice passes.

Kerr drew this bad boy up out of a timeout. Draymond Green's hockey check nudges Toronto into switching Siakam onto Cousins. Siakam fronts Cousins, but the lob is clear because every help defender who might deter it is transfixed by the threat of Curry popping off a screen on the right wing.

Toronto attacked Cousins on the other end on almost every possession. It worked, though Cousins held his own on two pick-and-rolls -- one each by Leonard and Lowry -- with about 1:45 to go on the trip that ended with Lowry heaving the ball into the backcourt.

Cousins will have to dig deep in Game 6 -- especially if Looney is limited. (Golden State found some success switching against pick-and-rolls with Looney, though it felt tenuous. Their switching has been uneven overall; the Raptors have rumbled to the rim ahead of them too often. The team's remaining core four and Looney are minus-10 in 41 minutes, and have allowed Toronto a fat scoring number in that time, per NBA.com.)

Toronto will come at Cousins. Can he produce enough on offense to even things out again? Can the Warriors notch the first home win in this series since Game 1?

It feels dangerous predicting anything in the most off-kilter Finals in recent memory.