The Raptors outscored the Warriors 37-21 in the third quarter of Game 4 on Friday at Oracle Arena. They dominated the final 36 minutes by an 88-69 margin. Toronto got key contributions from Pascal Siakam (19 points), Serge Ibaka (20 points off the bench) and Kyle Lowry, who didn't have a great shooting night (3 of 12 from the field) but seemed to make every correct decision in the second half.
And yet, when this game began, it looked as though the Warriors were ready to feed off the energy of the Oracle crowd and sprint out to an early lead against a Raptors team that couldn't buy a bucket. It could have quickly turned into a blowout, but Kawhi Leonard simply wouldn't let that happen as he led his team to an eventual 105-92 victory and a 3-1 series lead.
MORE: Takeaways from Raptors' Game 4 win over Warriors
Outside of a Lowry floater and a Siakam free throw, Leonard was the only source of offense in the opening frame.
| First-quarter stats | Leonard | Rest of Raptors |
| Points | 14 | 3 |
| FG-FGA | 5-8 | 1-13 |
| 3PT FG-3PT FGA | 2-4 | 0-6 |
| FT-FTA | 2-2 | 1-2 |
| Rebounds | 3 | 3 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 2 |
The final seven minutes of the first quarter: Leonard free throws (6:04), Leonard 3-pointer (4:52), Leonard fadeaway jumper (3:37), Leonard turnaround jumper (44.2 seconds), Leonard pull-up 3-pointer (27.6).
In all, Leonard was responsible for the final 12 Toronto points of the period. His last two field goals cut down the deficit to a manageable eight points.
"Well, obviously, [Leonard is] playing great," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said after Game 4, "and he's lifted us a lot of times with big buckets or runs of buckets or just that settling bucket when the place is going crazy, and he'll calmly sink one to kind of quiet the crowd."
Leonard preventing the Golden State flood and keeping the Raptors afloat allowed his teammates to bounce back and overwhelm the Warriors down the stretch. Ibaka, Siakam and Lowry came alive. Marc Gasol battled inside. Fred VanVleet added eight points and six assists off the bench, plus seven stitches after taking a Shaun Livingston elbow to the face.
"We were missing a lot of wide-open shots," Leonard said when asked about the first quarter. "Obviously I was getting to my spots and shooting the ball, but like you said, as the quarter went on towards the last four, five minutes, I tried to stay as aggressive as possible, get to my spots, be confident, shoot the basketball. And within that first quarter, I still was passing the ball.
"I wanted my teammates to stay in a rhythm and know that I'm going to give them the ball when they're open."
And when the Raptors came out of the locker room for the third quarter, Leonard established himself as the best player on the floor once again. He drained two, in VanVleet's words, "big eff-you shots" as part of a 17-point period, finishing with 36 points, 12 rebounds and four steals in the win.
Through four Finals games, Leonard is averaging 30.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from 3-point range. He is operating on the same level as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, where even his off games mean 30-plus efficient points.
Leonard is the rare star who can not only separate his team from the pack but also become a run-stopper when the situation calls for it. Game 4 wasn't won in the first quarter, but Leonard ensured the Raptors didn't lose it.
That's why the Raptors are heading back to Scotiabank Arena just one more win away from the NBA championship.
