- The Toronto Raptors blew out the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead.
- Kawhi Leonard once again led the way for the Raptors, throwing down two massive dunks on the Sixers while posting 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists.
- Leonard has dominated the matchup with the Sixers and now has the Raptors just one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals.
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The Toronto Raptors moved closer to the Eastern Conference Finals with a massive, 125-89 Game 5 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. They now lead the series 3-2.
Though the Raptors got much better overall production from their entire team, it was once again Kawhi Leonard who made the standout plays.
To close the second half, Leonard brought the ball across mid-court, ran the clock down, then drove to the basket, slithering through the 76ers defense to create a sudden hole for a massive dunk.
Note how Kyle Lowry scrambled to set a second screen on Joel Embiid which freed up Leonard for the dunk. It served as a snapshot of the Raptors chemistry in the blowout win.
via TNT/NBA
In the second half, Leonard made another statement, with a slightly less explosive, but nonetheless demoralizing, dunk on Joel Embiid.
The play somewhat summarized Leonard’s series so far — poised and slipping, fooling Embiid with the hesitation before rising up over him.
Leonard finished the game with a modest line of 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He was a +20 for the game, and the Raptors have now outscored the 76ers by 46, a large margin when considering the overall difference between the two teams in the series is just 28.
Leonard is averaging 34.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game on 58% shooting. The Sixers have had no answer for him, and will need to hunt for one heading into a do-or-die Game 6.
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See Also:
- Kawhi Leonard is saving the Raptors’ season by doing something Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant never accomplished
- Joel Embiid was so dominant in a playoff game that it sparked an argument between Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson about the greatest big men of all-time
- Draymond Green lost 23 pounds in 6 weeks before the playoffs, and now he’s playing in a way that should terrify the rest of the NBA
Source: Business Insider – sdavis@businessinsider.com (Scott Davis)