DUMIKIT ang Toronto Raptors sa mithiing hubaran ng kampeonato ang Golden State Warriors matapos ang malaking panalo sa Game 4 ng NBA Finals, Sabado (Manila time) sa Oakland, California.

Muling binitbit ni Kawhi Leonard ang Raptors tungo sa 3-1 edge sa serye, isang hakbang na lang at makakamit na ng Toronto ang una nitong championship.

Ang 27-anyos na si Leonard, na mas malamig pa sa yelo ang hilatsa ng mukha sa kabila ng panalo, ay umiskor ng 36 points at humablot ng 12 rebounds para sa Raptors.

Binuksan ng Leonard ang 3rd quarter ng back-to-back three-pointers para sa unang kalamangan ng Raptors at tapusin ang nasabing quarter na may 17 puntos, at tumulong pa para patahimikin ang ‘Splash Brothers’ na sina Stephen Curry at Klay Thompson.

“The key was pretty much playing defense,” lahad ni Leonard matapos ang laro. “That second half we started to make some shots and just pretty much stayed in the game.”

Si Leonard, 2014 NBA Finals MVP nang pangunahan ang San Antonio sa titulo, ay 11-of-22 sa floor, 5-of-9 sa 3-point range at 9-of-9 sa free throw line para selyuhan ang panalo ng Raptors.

Wala namang masabi si Raptors’ coach Nick Nurse sa performance ni Leonard.

“He’s playing great and he has lifted us a lot of times with big buckets or runs,” wika ni Nurse. “But more than anything, once we saw him early in the year… our team’s sense of who they thought they could become went up.”

Maging sina Golden State’s Draymond Green at Curry ay hangarin kung paaanong inaakay ni Leonard ang teammates nito.

“You got to give him his credit. He imposed his will on the game and all the other guys followed him,” ani Green.  “I’m not sure if it will ever look like those other guys, but he gets the job done.”

Sabi naman ni Curry: “He played amazing. “He hit every big shot, momentum shot that in that 3rd quarter, it gave them the lead. And then kept the separation.”

Ang pagiging kalmado ni Leonard sa buong laro, kahit pa lamang ang kalaban ang isang bagay na hinahangaan sa kanya.

“His demeanor has taken a big part of our team,” komento naman ng kakampi niyang si Kyle Lowry.  “We have some guys that are fiery and feisty, but we all just stay level headed and never get too up, never get too down. Kawhi definitely brought a lot to that.”

Maaari nang tapusin ng Raptors ang serye at ibulsa ang kampeonato sa muling pagdayo ng laro sa Toronto para sa Game 5 sa Martes.