OAKLAND – The Toronto Raptors were thankful to be down just four points following a subpar first half. Nobody could hit a shot save Kawhi Leonard, who kept Game 4 close while constantly cutting into deficits.
The Raptors established their first lead in a flurry that left the Warriors wondering what the heck happened.
"Kawhi Leonard came out and hit two eff-you shots to start the second half," Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet said. "There's no defense for that. There are no schemes for that. Those back-to-back 3s (in the first 46 seconds) were big-boy shots that let you know how we were going to approach the third quarter and the rest of the half."
The Raptors controlled the Warriors down the stretch and took the defending champs down with a 105-92 victory Friday night at Oracle Arena. They own a 3-1 series lead heading back to Toronto for Monday's Game 5 thanks in large part to their unflappable superstar.
Leonard's unwavering in personality and production consistent as they come, as we've seen throughout these playoffs. He has 30-plus points in eight road games this postseason, second only to Kobe Bryant's nine such efforts in 2009. He's plus-20 through four games against the Warriors. He has been the difference between a string of early playoff exits and this deep run.
Leonard has drawn lots of grand comparisons over and outstanding stretch, now one win away from his second NBA championship.
Here's another: You might call him Kevin Durant-like, in his offensive steadiness.
Sports
That's apparent in these NBA Finals, where Leonard's averaging nearly 31 points per game through four games. Durant averaged 35.2 points per game in the 2017 NBA Finals, when he was named series MVP. He scored nearly 29 per game in last year's championship series, when he earned his second straight NBA Finals MVP award.
Leonard's giving the Raptors exactly what the wounded Warriors need right now with Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney banged up and DeMarcus Cousins hurt and out of sorts and Steph Curry deadly one game and inaccurate the next.
Durant guaranteed roughly 30 points confidently tallied before tipoff, with true greatness possible every night.
Durant's calf strain in the Western Conference semifinals stole that safety net, which still hasn't returned nine games and nearly a month later.
The Raptors have thrived thanks to Leonard's consistency, even when everything else fails. That's the only way Toronto survived a horrid start Friday night. Every Raptor save Leonard went 1-for-13 in the first quarter. Kawhi was 5-for-8 for 14 invaluable points in disastrous opening, where the Raptors were down just six.
He had 17 in Toronto's third-quarter surge that essentially put the game away, including those two daggers to start the second half.
The rest of a deep, talented team rose to meet him down the stretch and pulled away from a Warriors team clearly frazzled losing two straight home games and facing a K2 climb to win a third straight title.
The Warriors could used some Kevin Durant comfort food right about now, which the Raptors are already enjoying with Leonard going strong and steady. The production is nice, as is an unflappable nature that has spread throughout the team.
"I've said it in many ways, but I really think his demeanor has taken a big part of our team," Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said. "We have some guys who are fiery and feisty, but we all just stay level headed. We never get too up, never get too down."
Toronto has never won an NBA championship, and the NBA's Canadian representative could deliver glory to the whole country. There will be pressure to clinch the title and heavy resistance from the proud and talented Warriors, but Leonard won't feel it. Bank on that from someone who doesn't get rattled, and has been consistently productive when it matters most.
"I know we say it all the time, but the dude is just great," Raptors forward Pascal Siakam said. "It's nice to have him playing like that right now."
