NBA Finals 2019: Golden State Warriors Vs Toronto Raptors- Game 5 Predictions & Game 4 Highlights
With the Raptors leading the series 3-1 the action moves to the Scotiabank Arena, Toronto Canada for Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
The Warriors will be looking to get back to their winning ways and bring the series back to Oakland.
When: 11th June, 6:30 AM IST
Game 4
Both teams started off with some frantic offense, with 5 steals and more than 2 minutes ticking off the clock before the first points were scored. The Warriors got everyone involved and looked good leading by as much as 11 points in the 1st quarter.
The Raptors played better in the second with Serge Ibaka making an impact off the bench. They were down by four going into halftime.
Toronto was having an abysmal shooting night making just 2 of their 17 three-point attempts. The only reason the game was so close was due to the Warriors turning the ball over ten times and giving up easy free throws.
Klay Thompson, who was making his return from a hamstring injury, was crucial for the Warriors and had poured in 14 points at 60% efficiency by halftime.
Kawhi Leonard came out aggressive, making two successive three-pointers to give the Raptors the lead. He continued to decimate the Warriors in the quarter as he put up 17 points while Toronto outscored Golden State by 16 in the quarter to pretty much seal the game.
Despite Steph Curry scoring 10 points in the final quarter, the Warriors could never get within striking distance and lost the game with a double-digit deficit
After the dismal showing in the first half, the Raptors completely turned around their shooting making 8 of their 15 three-point attempts in the second half.
Over the course of the game, they were 10 - 32 from the three-point arc as opposed to the Warriors, who were 8 - 27.
One of the major statistical differentiators of the game was free throw shooting. While both teams earned similar attempts, the Raptors were clinical making 23 off 24.
The Warriors, on the other hand, struggled, making just 66% of their opportunities from the charity stripes. They were also very careless with the ball turning it over 19 times giving the opposition extra possessions.
Kawhi Leonard was spectacular yet again, scoring 36 points and 12 rebounds at 50% efficiency. He also never turned the ball over despite being guarded by the likes of Thompson and Iguodala.
Serge Ibaka had one of the best games of his playoff career putting up 20 points and 2 blocks. Pascal Siakam, though not very efficient contributed a valuable 19 points.
Klay Thompson was the best player on the floor for the Warriors making his 28 points off just 18 shots.
Steph Curry, despite having 27, had an off night making just 9 of his 22 shots.DeMarcus Cousins had another disappointing performance contributing just 6 points while turning the ball over four times.
Score: The Raptors win 105 - 92
Game 5 Predictions
Warriors Lineup: Draymond Green(F), Andre Iguodala(F), Demarcus Cousins(C), Klay Thompson(SG), and Steph Curry(PG)
Raptors Lineup: Pascal Siakam (F), Kawhi Leonard(F), Marc Gasol(C), Kyle Lowry(PG), and Danny Green(SG)
After losing both their games at home, the Warriors now find themselves in the near-impossible situation of having to win all three of the remaining games. This, however, is a position that the Warriors have some experience with.
They came back to win the conference finals in 2016 after going down 3-1 to the Kevin Durant led OKC Thunder.
They then experienced the other end of the equation in the NBA Finals, squandering a 3-1 lead against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Despite the odds being stacked against them, the Golden State Warriors will bank on their talented roster and championship experience to fight back and extend the series.
The prospect of the Warriors best player, Kevin Durant, returning to the lineup could make things very interesting.
However the chances of that happening look quite bleak as reports indicate that Durant looked far from game ready in a workout done to assess his readiness for the next one.
Even if KD can get onto the floor for Game 5 it remains to be seen what effect he will have after more than a month away from competitive basketball.
The Raptors are one game away from winning the Larry O'Brien Championship. With the support of the entire nation of Canada firmly behind them, the atmosphere in Toronto will be a definite boost as they look to bring home their maiden NBA Championship.
Toronto has looked different for the finals. Their superstar Kawhi Leonard no longer needs to do it all alone.
His teammates have stepped up and they have even managed to grind out victories when Leonard isn't at his best. They will look to seal the series in Game 5 and not give the defending champions an opportunity to get back into it.
With their backs against the wall in a win or go home game on the road, the Warriors will look to show the world why they are the two-time defending champs. I expect Golden State to win Game 5 and extend the series.