3. Culture change is much more than a catchy phrase
After falling down by double digits throughout the first quarter and all the momentum on the side of the Golden State Warriors, a blowout Game 4 seemed imminent.
But through a combination of Kawhi Leonard carrying the offensive load with 14 first-quarter points and strong defense all across the board, the Toronto Raptors managed to slowly cut the lead down to four.
With shooting sub 30 percent from the field, the Eastern Conference Champions had to be ecstatic with the small deficit heading into halftime, as it ultimately opened the door for their emphatic comeback victory.
Kawhi in the 1st quarter: 5-8 FG for 14 pts
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 8, 2019
All other Raptors combined: 1-13 FG for 3 pts pic.twitter.com/sDt7SF2dLC
Unlike years past, the Toronto Raptors were able to show a certain level of resiliency that the Golden State Warriors have yet to come across since their historic 3-1 meltdown against the LeBron James led Cleveland Cavaliers.
The culture change that the Toronto Raptors have gone under throughout the duration of the 2018-19 NBA season cannot be understated.
The introduction of championship pedigree players such as Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard seems to have paid dividends to the Raptors franchise, which can be summed up with former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins‘ reaction to the Toronto Raptors’ post-Game 3 reaction.
I witnessed something very scary tonight after the game! Toronto were walking back to their locker room after the game and nobody was celebrating and they weren’t smiling or nothing! They boys want the smoke! Take it from a former Champ!!!
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) June 6, 2019
If a former NBA champion who formed one of the most physical 4-5 tandems in the 2000s can see a newfound mental toughness, count me in.