NBA Finals 2019: Raptors vs. Warriors Game 4 TV Schedule and Predictions
June 7, 2019
There's a chance Friday night could be the Golden State Warriors' final game at Oracle Arena.
There's another chance it serves as the defending champs' springboard to a three-peat.
The stakes could not be higher, with the Toronto Raptors looking to put a stranglehold on the series and the Dubs scrambling to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole.
After laying out the scheduling and broadcasting particulars below, we'll take a closer look at the matchup and predict how this will play out.
NBA Finals Game 4
Who: Raptors at Warriors
When: Friday, June 7 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Oracle Arena
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN
The Warriors were overmatched Wednesday night.
The injury bug has ravaged this roster. Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Kevon Looney all missed the contest, while DeMarcus Cousins—who recently returned from a torn quad—clearly wasn't himself (1-of-7 shooting, minus-12 in 19 minutes).
The offense became Stephen Curry-or-bust. While the two-time MVP totaled 47 points on 45.2 percent shooting (42.9 from three), his teammates combined for only 62 on 36.7 (27.3).
The defense had no answers for anything. All seven Raptors who attempted a shot hit 50-plus percent from the field. Overall, Toronto tallied 123 points on 52.4/44.7/95.2 shooting.
"They outplayed us," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "They deserved it."
Golden State, of course, upped its own difficulty level by taking the cautious approach with Thompson. The All-Star guard lobbied to play, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, but the Dubs instead had him rest his sore hamstring in hope of having him available for the rest of the series.
But Toronto saw several positive developments it could continue carrying forward.
Kawhi Leonard played his cleanest game of the series, tallying 30 points and shooting 52.9 percent from the field. Serge Ibaka, who'd struggled to make an impact in the first two outings, rejected six shots in 22 minutes. The hot-and-cold combo of Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol caught fire, collectively providing 40 points on 51.9 percent shooting, 13 assists and 11 rebounds.
Perhaps most ominous for Golden State, though, was seeing Danny Green look like a sharpshooter again. The seasoned vet has struggled mightily in these playoffs, but he broke out to hit six of his 10 three-point attempts. His 18 points and six triples were both postseason-highs.
"Danny's buckets, I think, boosted our whole team's confidence," Raptors coach Nick Nurse told reporters. "We're kind of used to most of the year relying on those."
Getting Green going could be massive.
He's not only Toronto's top three-point threat, he's one of the team's top perimeter defenders. The Raptors need him at his best, especially with Thompson likely returning for Game 4.
Toronto is a really good team. It struggles a bit with consistency, but when the supporting cast makes shots, this group is hard to handle.
Between the quality of the opposition and the ongoing injury woes—Durant still isn't ready—Golden State's margin for error is thin. The champs' legs are wobbling, and one more body blow could prove the knockout punch.
For now, though, it's impossible to go against the Warriors. With an energized home crowd and a refreshed Thompson, they should have just enough to even the series before heading back north of the border.
Prediction: Warriors 111, Raptors 105