Kawhi Leonard and Serge Ibaka starred as Toronto Raptors moved into a 3-1 series lead to put them on brink of their first NBA title with a 105-92 victory over Golden State Warriors.
Leonard scored 17 of his 36 points in a decisive third quarter, while Ibaka emerged from the bench to score 20 points at Oracle Arena on Friday night to leave the Raptors heading back to Canada needing just one more victory to claim an historic championship.
Leonard’s 36 points were the product of 11-for-22 shooting overall and 5-for-9 accuracy on 3-pointers. It was his 14th 30-point game of the post-season and third straight in the Finals. He also found time for a game-high 12 rebounds.
Ibaka, who had totaled just 18 points in the first three games of the series, finished with his biggest playoff output since scoring 23 in the first round last season against Washington.
Pascal Siakam added 19 points and Kyle Lowry 10 for the Raptors, who improved to 4-0 in Game 4’s this season while Klay Thompson, returning from a one-game absence due to a strained hamstring, led the Warriors with 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting. He made six of his 10 three-point attempts.
Curry, who poured in 47 points in Golden State’s Game 3 loss, finished with 27.
The teams set a defensive tone early on, with the Warriors holding the Raptors to 12 points in the first 11 minutes en route to as much as an 11-point lead.
But Toronto were tough on Curry throughout the first half, limiting him to eight points and no 3-pointers. In the process, the visitors kept Golden State at arm’s length, trailing just 46-42 at the break.
Durant remains a possibility to remain in Game Five but the Warriors now face the prospect of winning out if they are to claim a third successive championship while Toronto will return to a frenzied Ontario hoping to make history.
For Citizen TV updates
Join @citizentvke Telegram channel
Video Of The Day: CBK's guidelines on how to return 1000 notes
