Kawhi Leonard’s 36 Leads Raptors to Stunning 3-1 NBA Finals Lead over Warriors

The Toronto Raptors are one win away from capturing their first championship after a 105-92 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the 2019 NBA Finals on Friday night at Oracle Arena. 

With the exception of Golden State’s 20-0 run in Game 2, the Raptors have dominated the series to this point. They have taken full advantage of Kevin Durant‘s absence and Klay Thompson’s limited availability to put themselves on the cusp of history. 

Kawhi Leonard will be a lock for NBA Finals MVP if Toronto hangs on to win the series. He finished with a game-high 36 points and 12 rebounds. Serge Ibaka was a revelation off the bench with 20 points in 22 minutes. 

Klay Thompson showed no lingering effects from his hamstring injury. The five-time All-Star led the Warriors with 28 points on 6-of-10 shooting from three-point range. Stephen Curry added 27 points, but he went just 9-of-22 from the field.

Raptors’ Ugly Win Confirms This is Their Year

There is always that one game that the eventual NBA champion wins during the finals that they seemingly have no business winning. 

An example would be when the Warriors stole Game 3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017 by going on an 11-0 run in the final three minutes. 

The Raptors had a similar moment in Game 4 Friday night. They didn’t have a miraculous late run like that Golden State squad, but the Eastern Conference champions overcame a horrendous opening quarter in which they scored just 17 points to take a commanding lead in the series. 

Leonard, as has been the case often in the postseason, was the only Toronto player scoring consistently for a long time in the first half. 

Even though the Raptors were only down 46-42 at halftime, it somehow felt worse than that. Thompson was exactly what Golden State needed in his return with 14 points through two quarters. 

A funny thing happened after halftime: The Raptors used Golden State’s patented third-quarter run to take complete control of the game. They outscored the Warriors 37-21, including a 20-6 run over the final 5:11 to take a 12-point lead into the fourth. 

Leonard and Ibaka outscored the Warriors on their own in the decisive third quarter, combining for 24 points. 

Another reason the Raptors were able to shake off that cold start is that their defense once again stepped up to the challenge. Thompson got his, but Curry went from having the best game of his playoff career in Game 3 with 47 points to seemingly unable to buy a basket. 

Head coach Nick Nurse has pushed all the right buttons with his team throughout this postseason. Leonard has solidified his standing as one of the few superstars worth putting on the short list for best player in the NBA. 

Even when the pieces around Leonard are struggling to put the ball in the basket, Toronto has a chance to win because of its defense. These factors all add up to a franchise one win away from becoming NBA champions. 

Only Kevin Durant Can Save Warriors from Disaster

The one big caveat hanging over everything in this series is Kevin Durant’s status. There was a brief glimmer of hope he could return for Game 4, but the two-time NBA Finals MVP was unable to take part in a scrimmage Thursday. 

Head coach Steve Kerr continues to be coy about Durant returning when talking to reporters about his injured star:

“It’s just about when the training staff tells me he’s ready. He’s been doing individual work on the court, he’s been in the training room, in the weight room. He’s been doing lots of different things, training staff said he’s not ready to play in a game yet, so that’s all.

“I was hoping that today would be the day when he could get out on the floor. It’s not going to be today. It’s going to be probably (Thursday), the following day, the next couple of days. So the hope would be that he could still make it back at the end of the series.”

If Durant is able to return for Game 5, the Warriors still have a glimmer of hope to win.

One reason Toronto was able to briefly run the box-and-one defense that Stephen Curry hated in Game 2 is that Golden State didn’t have another go-to scorer with size who could pick that set up apart. 

Andre Iguodala‘s last-second three allowed the Warriors to steal a win in Toronto, but the past two games have proven the Warriors’ current setup isn’t good enough to compete with this team. 

The Warriors’ usually-potent offense hasn’t figured out Toronto’s defense. They’ve been held to 42 percent shooting overall, including 20-of-63 from three-point range, in their two games at Oracle Arena. 

If nothing else, this series should put an end to any discussion that the Warriors might be better without Durant. 

The Warriors got two of their three key injured players back in Game 4. Thompson was excellent and Kevon Looney contributed 10 points to take a lot of pressure off DeMarcus Cousins. 

Yet even with that duo back and looking close to full strength, Golden State is still struggling to find an answer against the Raptors. 

Heading back to Scotiabank Arena for Game 5 in front of a raucous crowd hoping to see their team win a championship, the Warriors’ last best shot at a three-peat is getting Durant back. He’s the best scorer in the league and allows Steve Kerr to play the kind of small lineup that runs opposing teams off the court. 

Up to this point, it’s seemed as if the Warriors were just being coy about Durant’s status to keep Toronto guessing. 

Now, though, Golden State needs its superstar back if it wants to get one more game at Oracle Arena and put the pressure back on the Raptors in this series. 

What’s Next?

The Warriors and Raptors will return to Scotiabank Arena for Game 5 on Monday at 9 p.m. ET.