Toronto Raptors at Golden State Warriors Game 4 Pick

The Toronto Raptors proved in game three that they are more than capable of playing right with the defending champion Golden State Warriors. The Raptors came away with a 123-109 victory in game three of the series, and have taken back home court advantage for the remainder of the series. Golden State is looking to win their third straight NBA Championship, but this one is going to be tougher than the last two. The Warriors will now be facing a near must-win situation in game four on Friday night.

Golden State breezed through the Western Conference Finals with a four-game sweep over the Portland Trail Blazers, and perhaps they were a little rusty to start this series. The Warriors lost the series opener to the Raptors but responded with a 109-104 victory in game two that evened up the series. Toronto was playing in their first ever NBA Finals road game on Wednesday night and won in one of the toughest places to win. The Raptors have now won six of their last seven games in these playoffs. The Golden State Warriors are -5.5 point favorites over the Raptors in game four.

Warriors Running Out of Players

Injuries have hampered the Warriors throughout the playoffs, and they definitely played a huge role in the game three loss. Kevin Durant was forced to miss his 8th straight game with a calf strain, and the Warriors were clearly missing his 34 points per game. Klay Thompson poured in 25 points in the game two victory but was forced to miss game three with a hamstring strain. Thompson should be in the lineup for game four, and there is hope that Durant will make his return to the floor as well.

Without Thompson and Durant in the lineup, Stephen Curry did all he could do to keep his team in the game. Curry poured in 47 points in the loss, which is the second most points ever scored in an NBA Finals loss. The two-time MVP has never earned that same honor in the NBA Finals, but will likely win it if the Warriors bounce back. Golden State got just 26 points from their bench in game three, and that just won’t work moving forward. Getting a few starters back should help the depth of Golden State.

Hot Shooting Carrying Raptors

The Toronto Raptors were not a great three-point shooting team during the regular season, but they have found their stroke in the playoffs. The Raptors knocked down 17 shots from deep in game three, including 6-10 from Danny Green. Toronto got just 17 points from Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet off the bench in the win, but that is usually all the Raptors can count on. The Raptors are going to have to shoot it well again if they are going to win game four.

Point guard Kyle Lowry has had some disappointing performances in the playoffs in years past, but he was great in game three. Lowry poured in 23 points in 43 minutes of action and was excellent in his supporting role of Kawhi Leonard. Leonard poured in 30 points to lead the Raptors to victory and is averaging more than 31 points per game this postseason. These two All-Star players will need to show up again.