Raptors on verge of first championship after Game 4 victory

The Toronto Raptors are now just one win away from their first-ever championship following a 105-92 win in Game 4 against Golden State

The Toronto Raptors did their job and got a split in Oakland with a Game 3 victory over the Golden State Warriors, but they weren’t done there.

Instead of settling for just a single win over the two-time defending NBA champions, the Raptors finished up their business trip with a 105-92 win in Game 4.

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The game was a tale of two halves for the visitors. Toronto got a massive start from Kawhi Leonard, who singlehandedly had 14 of the team’s 17 points in the opening frame. The rest of the Raptors went 1-for-13 from the field and 0-for-6 from 3-point.

Klay Thompson, who returned after missing Game 3 with a hamstring injury, led the Warriors with 14 first-half points. Leonard was held off the scoresheet in the second quarter, but despite that – and the team shooting 34 percent from the field and 12 percent from three – the Raptors only trailed by four heading into the break.

Unlike Game 2, the Raptors didn’t allow a massive run by the Warriors to open the second half. Instead, Leonard stuck two triples to give Toronto its first lead of the entire game. From there, the Raptors would outscore Golden State 37-21 in the third frame and carry a 79-67 lead into the fourth.

In the third, the Raptors were plus-17 for the first coming out of halftime, according to Sportsnet’s Arash Madani.

Just minutes into the final quarter, Fred VanVleet was left bloody following an inadvertent elbow from Shaun Livingston on a drive to the basket.

VanVleet immediately left the game to be stitched up and go through concussion protocol. The Raptors’ point guard also left a tooth behind.

Seven stitches later, the 25-year-old returned to the Toronto bench and was available to play.

He wasn’t used down the stretch, however, as Nick Nurse stuck with veteran Danny Green who, despite a disappointing shooting performance, did a good job at covering Warriors superstar Steph Curry.

The Warriors cut the Raps’ lead to as low as eight on multiple occasions, but the Dinos were able to counter every run to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Serge Ibaka had his best game of the series by far, finishing with 20 points, four rebounds, one assist, and a pair of blocks while shooting 9-of-12 from the field.

On one particular sequence, Ibaka denied Alfonzo McKinnie at the rim before splashing a three in transition at the other end.

Leonard finished with a game-high 36 points on 50 percent shooting to go along with 12 boards, two assists, four steals, and a block.

Thompson and Curry were the offensive leaders for the Warriors, scoring 28 and 27 points on the night, respectively.

“I don’t play hero basketball. I’m not playing for fans … I’m just playing to win,” Leonard said to ESPN’s Doris Burke following the victory. “I’m not out here trying to break records … as long as I try to help my team win, I’m satisfied with it.”

The Raptors will now have a chance to win their first championship in franchise history, and on home floor to boot. The Larry O’Brien Trophy will be in Scotiabank for the first time ever, and the excitement in the city of Toronto will be at a level that hasn’t been seen since the early 90’s.

Make sure to have your calendar open on Monday. It could be one of the biggest nights in Toronto sports history.