Video of the Toronto Raptors' players walking through the tunnel into the locker room Friday night after their 105-92 victory in Game 4 of the NBA Finals revealed a common theme.
No emotion. No high fives. No gloating. Heads bowed or looking straight forward. From Kawhi Leonard to Marc Gasol to Kyle Lowry, to Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam. It was a commonality that revealed one singular thing about this group.
They are locked in, wanting that NBA title. And it showed Friday night.
Heading into Game 4, the only blemish on a so far great series effort by the Raptors was a classic Warriors' run in Game 2 - 18-0 - that proved too big a hole for the team to dig out of.
Friday night, though, they made sure no such thing happened.
In the quarter where the Warriors are known for making their run, the Raptors had other plans. Particularly, Kawhi Leonard had other plans. The Raptor superstar took it upon himself to ensure that his team would maintain a stranglehold on this NBA Finals.
After scoring 14 in the opening quarter and not scoring in the second, Leonard blitzed the Warriors in the third, scoring 17 points. He would finish the game with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 steals, and, after starting the game 5 for 14, was a perfect 6 for 6 from the field the rest of the way.
The silent intensity, calm nature, and business like attitude of Leonard has seemed to rub off on his teammates. When the media story lines in the conference semi finals and conference finals were that he did not have enough help, those story lines have now been replaced by a collective team effort that is led by the 2014 Finals MVP.
Serge Ibaka, whose 6 blocks in Game 3 were massive in the Raptor win, was magnificent again in Game 4. The big man scored 20 points in 22 minutes on 9 for 12 shooting. His production and activity on both ends of the floor, and his mobility have given the Warriors problems - a problem they seem to not have an answer too. In a game where the Raptors as a team shot 42% to the Warriors' 45%, Ibaka was one of the two - along with Leonard - to shoot over 50% for the road team. Pascal Siakam also added 19 points and 6 rebounds on 6 for 14 shooting. Though Lowry, Gasol, and Danny Green were a combined 7 for 28, they made their impact defensively. Lowry and Green had 3 steals each, which Gasol had 1 along with 7 rebounds, 5 of which came on the defensive glass.
When past games have been about total team efforts offensively, this one for the Raptors was a grinder where they played outstanding defense and took the game over in one quarter. Down 46-42 at halftime, they outscored the Warriors 63-46 in the second half, including 37-21 in that all important third quarter. After Steph Curry's 47 points in game 3, he was 9 for 22, including 2 for 9 from three, though he did finished with 27. Klay Thompson was the Warriors catalyst - playing after missing Game 3 with a hamstring strain - going 11 for 18 and finishing with 28.
When they would fold under pressure in past seasons, the additions of Leonard, Green, and Gasol to this Raptor group have brought experience and a heightened level of intensity and focus. It has enabled them to win 7 of their last 10, and on the verge, if they can win one more game, of stopping a dynasty in its tracks.
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