The Raptors are just better than the Warriors

OAKLAND — If Shaun Livingston hadn’t beat Kawhi Leonard to a lazy pass from Stephen Curry in Game 2, this series would already be over.

But that’s the last thing on the Toronto Raptors’ minds after they assumed a 3-1 lead over the Golden State Warriors. Their mentality remains unchanged from what it was all year — never too high, never too low. Even after shutting the doors of Oracle Arena with two blowout wins, the Raptors remained stoic. Even on the precipice of history, it was business as usual.

“We haven’t done anything yet,” Kyle Lowry said with a straight face at the podium.

Golden State was a heavy favorite coming into the series. Kevin Durant was out, but he was travelling with the team and he was just around the corner. But that was no worry, as Curry had just finished up averaging 34 points in a sweep over Portland. Klay Thompson was supposed to be more reliable than anyone the Raptors had outside of Leonard. DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Iguodala recovered in time. And more than anything else, experience was on the side of the Warriors, as the self-proclaimed dynasty was on its way to its fourth title in five tries.

Is any of that true after four games?

Durant was supposed to be back in Game 3, and then Game 4, and now, if reports are true, he’s actually not even close. Without Durant, the Warriors can’t play smallball and can’t overwhelm opponents with sheer talent. They’re no longer untouchable — they’re back to being mere mortals.

Curry is indeed picking up the slack, as he’s averaging 33 points in the series. But he’s also shooting just 42 percent, and even his 47-point explosion wasn’t enough in Game 3. Two days later, he looked exhausted, and shot 9-of-22 from the field. That’s not going to get it done. Toronto has slowly figured out the backdoor cuts, and now it’s on Curry to solve double teams and the occasional box-and-one. Call it janky, but even the second-best point guard of all-time can’t do it on his own.

Thompson is gutting it out. He missed Game 3 with a hamstring injury, but he played through the pain and scored 28 points Friday. He moved around smoothly in his 42 minutes, but that’s just adrenaline and painkillers. Thompson’s going to feel that in the morning, especially after he climbs on a five-hour-30-minute flight north of the border. He’s a warrior, but how much more can he possibly endure?

Cousins and Iguodala are soldiering on, but more so in spirit than in body. Cousins couldn’t jump over a phone book at the moment, is averaging six points per game, and he’s been a clear liability defensively in three of the four games so far. The Raptors are going at Cousins every time down, and even Kevon Looney with a broken collarbone logged more minutes. As for Iguodala, he did drain that clutch three in Game 2, but he’s at seven points per game on 24 percent shooting from deep for the series. And it’s not as if he’s shutting down Leonard, either, as he’s averaging 31 points.

As for experience? Toronto has never been here before, but it’s acting like it has. After losing home-court advantage, the Raptors snatched it right back with a wire-to-wire win in Game 3. And with the Warriors throwing caution to the wind in Game 4, the Raptors weathered the storm by being down only four at halftime, before blowing it open with a 37-21 battering in the third quarter. Remember, that’s supposed to be the Warriors’ time, and it was the total opposite. Leonard led the way with 17 in the frame, but Serge Ibaka was also massive, while Lowry, Siakam, Marc Gasol, and Fred VanVleet did the rest. And as for their composure, the Raptors kept the Warriors at a comfortable distance for the entirety of the fourth as they just calmly found the gaps in Golden State’s defense.

And so the series is now 3-1 in favor of the Raptors. You can never underestimate the heart of a champion, as the Warriors famously overcame this same deficit in 2016, but it’s not the same team anymore. The Splash Brothers and Green are going strong, but that supporting cast is past their expiry dates. Iguodala is plotting his exit strategy. Livingston is on the brink of retirement. Andrew Bogut already washed out of the league before the Warriors recalled him from Australia. The Warriors have three aces, but the Raptors have a full house.

Maybe there’s still one more twist in the season, and they would all be long shots at this point. Maybe the most unflappable superstar of all-time suddenly chokes for a week straight? Perhaps Durant walks through that door totally healthy and is back to being the Finals MVP? Could Drake’s massages get Toronto disqualified? Because barring some unforeseen miracle, an entire nation is ready to celebrate.

But from where things currently stand, the Raptors are just better than the Warriors, and that’s not changing any time soon.

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