Hanging in the Toronto Raptors dressing room before Games 3 and 4 in the Bay Area was a simple quote.
Three words.
Scattered across the team’s whiteboard.
Representing the team’s mantra for the NBA Finals.
“Let it rip.”
Game 4 began in a gritty fashion. It took almost three minutes for either team to convert a basket. The Warriors were exemplifying their newfound confidence, as guard Klay Thompson returned from a hamstring injury.
The Raptors, on the other hand, had good shots in the first half that weren’t going in. Kawhi Leonard, in his superstar fashion, kept the Raptors alive with 14 first-half points.
It wasn’t until the third quarter where the Raptors “let it rip,” arguably playing their most complete half of basketball the entire 2018-19 season.
“The key to tonight’s win was defense,” Leonard said after the game. “We were confident. We’re on the road, down four, we wanted to come in and have a good third quarter coming out the first five minutes, stay aggressive on both ends of the floor, keep our energy up.
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Leonard played a pivotal role in the third quarter, scoring 17 points on a Raptors 20-6 run. He shot 5-of-8 from the field including two threes. The Raptors forward also recorded five rebounds, showcasing his intensity on the defensive glass against the physical Warriors.
Kawhi Leonard finished with 36 PTS, 5 3PT, 12 REB & 4 STL as the @Raptors win Game 4 and take a 3-1 series lead!
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀#RapsRewind pic.twitter.com/ABBXCTaGB0— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) April 11, 2020
Serge Ibaka, coming off the bench, was cooking up a chef’s special in the second half. Not only was he using his size inside the post to get rebounds and block shots but also shooting with confidence, including a three-pointer late in the third quarter. His 20 points for the game on 9-of-12 shooting demonstrate the impact he brings off the bench.
“When Serge is at his best, it’s on that defensive end,” Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry said. “And when he brings that intensity and that fierceness, it’s kind of tough to stop him on both ends of the floor. It makes a big difference when he can do that.”
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The guard play of Lowry and Fred VanVleet also contributed to the Raptors’ complete performance in the second half. From Lowry taking a charge or driving the basket, to VanVleet’s “box-and-one” on Curry and losing a tooth on an elbow to the face, the Raptors backcourt was relentless.
The @Raptors take a 3-1 series lead, topping the @warriors 105-92 in Game 4!
Leonard: 36 PTS, 5 3PT, 12 REB
Ibaka: 20 PTS, 4 REB, 2 BLK
Siakam: 19 PTS, 5 REB
Lowry: 10 PTS, 7 AST, 3 STL
Gasol: 9 PTS, 7 REB, 3 AST
VanVleet: 8 PTS, 6 AST, 4 REB#RapsRewind pic.twitter.com/DU7IeIMr0g— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) April 11, 2020
“If that’s what being Canadian is, I’m not sure I want it,” VanVleet joked about his lost tooth. “I don’t play hockey. I’ve got a lot of respect for those guys and what they do, but losing a tooth is not fun.”
In the 105-92 win, the Raptors held Curry to just 9-of-22 shooting from the field and a 2-of-9 three-point percentage. With the Raptors one win away from an NBA championship, there was no cause for celebration.
The Raptors were unsatisfied. As they prepared for Game 5 back on their home court in Toronto, the phrase that scattered across the whiteboard in the Raptors locker room would be the blueprint for the remainder of the series.
Let it rip.
