Averaging 29 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, one block and 1.3 steals in the Finals series against the defending champion Golden State Warriors, Kawhi Leonard has been a model of consistency for a Toronto Raptors team that is clicking on all cylinders.
And that is just one of the reasons the Warriors need superstar forward and reigning Finals MVP Kevin Durant for Game 4 and beyond.
According to HoopsHype, Durant is the lone Warrior to hold a winning career record against Leonard:
Leonard has 15 wins and 17 losses during his professional career when facing off against Durant. They have had a longstanding competitive rivalry since the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder were Western Conference juggernauts.
Credit the Raptors for taking advantage of Golden State’s battered roster in the Finals.
With Durant (calf strain) and Klay Thompson (hamstring strain) out of the lineup in Game 3, Leonard knew the rarity of the opportunity before him — that it may not appear again and that he and his teammates had to find a way to seize the day.
This why the Warriors need Durant in Game 4: He, above the other Warriors, has solved the Klaw. But will he get a chance to prove it?
After Game 3’s hard-fought, but ugly loss, the Warriors, currently down 1-2 to the Raptors, could use the season-high 51 points Durant recorded against Toronto in November, or even the 34 points per game he was averaging before going down with the calf strain.
If Durant can get healthy for Game 4 and contribute somewhere in the ballpark of his postseason average — with Thompson returning to the lineup as well and the rest of the starters playing the same — the Warriors have a chance to even the series.
Game 4 is Friday, June 7, at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. Tipoff is just after 9:00 p.m. on ABC.
