Leading up to Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse was content in getting one of two road victories.
Kawhi Leonard was eager for more.
“F**k that,” Leonard said. “Let’s get both.”
The exchange between player and coach exemplified the Raptors championship mindset heading into their Game 3 matchup against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena.
The @Raptors WIN Game 3, topping the @warriors 123-109!
Leonard: 30 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 2 BLK
Lowry: 23 PTS, 5 3PT, 9 AST
Green: 18 PTS, 6 3PT, 5 REB
Siakam: 18 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST
Gasol: 17 PTS, 7 REB, 4 AST
VanVleet: 11 PTS, 3 3PT, 3 STL
Ibaka: 6 PTS, 6 BLK, 5 REB #RapsRewind pic.twitter.com/6akqGxQ3FY— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) April 10, 2020
From the opening tip, the Raptors’ intensity never tapered off, as they defeated the Warriors 123-109. It was thanks to a balanced offensive attack that not even a 47-point performance from Warriors point guard Steph Curry could overcome.
“They outplayed us. They deserved it,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
***
All five Raptors starters registered double-digit points. Raptors point guard Fred VanVleet put up 11 points in 33 minutes played off the bench.
The Raptors knew their offense needed to raise its level of play. In Game 2, the Warriors held the Raptors to 37.2 percent from the field. Toronto players had opportunities to make shots that just did not fall through.
Game 3 flipped the script.
Kawhi Leonard tallied 30 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL & 2 BLK in the @Raptors 123-109 Game 3 victory over Golden State!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀#RapsRewind pic.twitter.com/oS7sbgmPmf— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) April 10, 2020
The Raptors’ fast pace of play on the offensive side caught the Warriors defense off guard. Whether it was Pascal Siakam driving to the basket or Leonard making a mid-range jump shot, the Raptors shot 52.4 percent from the field.
The key to the Raptors’ offensive success was the play of their backcourt. Guards Kyle Lowry and Danny Green combined for 41 points an 11 made threes.
For Green, this was his signature performance in the NBA Playoffs. After going 4-23 from the field in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks, Green was due to for a bounce-back series. The NBA Finals has proven to be his comfort zone over the years and Game 3 was no exception.
With his performance, highlighted by a late three down the stretch in the third quarter, Green is now shooting 51.6 percent from beyond the arc for his career in the NBA Finals. He also moved into ninth overall in NBA history for made threes in the Finals, passing six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan.
“Danny’s buckets I think boosted our whole team’s confidence because we’re kind of used to most of the year relying on those,” Nurse said. “I think that when he banked a couple there and then he kind of kept it going, I think it was just a huge confidence boost all around.”
***
Lowry brought his usual ferocity in Game 3, attacking at both ends of the floor. Whether it was a block out that forced Draymond Green to commit a foul in the third quarter to splitting the Warriors defense in transition for a layup, the longest-serving Raptor made the critical shots to give his team the victory.
“He came out firing tonight and he was big,” VanVleet said. “I think putting him on Steph early got his juices going a little bit as a competitor. He was unbelievable for us tonight. Every time we needed a bucket, he gave us one. Every time they made a run, he had an answer. Kyle was unbelievable.”
Game 3 demonstrated the ceiling the Raptors could reach then their offense was firing on all cylinders.
Maybe Leonard’s “let’s get both” proclamation was not that big of a stretch.
