Kawhi Leonard was decidedly mortal yesterday. Compared to the insane numbers he had been putting up throughout the playoffs, his stats in Game Five of the Raptors’ semifinal-round series were far more modest: He had 21 (on seven-of-16 shooting from the field), 13, and four in 36 minutes of play. In part, it was due to a conscious decision by head coach Nick Nurse to add more variation to an offense that had hitherto been focused on him. In larger measure, it was simply because he missed shots he had been making even in the face of tight coverage.
Still, Leonard looked none the worse for wear in the aftermath of his mediocre effort. If anything, he’ll arguably take depressed personal lines for as long as the Raptors end up as they did yesterday: with a blowout victory. For all his containment, he still wound up with a plus-20 rating in the time he burned rubber. And so complete was the collective effort that every single one of his teammates save for Malcolm Miller (who went in for two minutes with the outcome already well decided) finished on the positive side of the ledger.
For the record, Leonard didn’t even need to be on the floor for the last seven minutes and 22 seconds of the match; the Raptors were then ahead by 30 and certain of prevailing, prompting Nurse to call in the scrubs. In fact, so dominant were they yesterday that they won every single quarter, and especially the second; up by 21 at the half, they went on Cruise Control from there. On aggregate, they shot much better, made more field goals and free throws, had more rebounds, assists, and steals, and had less fouls and turnovers.
Not that the Raptors shot the lights out of the Scotiabank Arena. On any other night, their 48.8% clip might well have led to a closer score. Not yesterday, though, and for the most part due to a stifling defense that made the Sixers — with the exception of Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and Mike Scott — look like junior-varsity reserves. All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons had eight and five turnovers, respectively. JJ Redick canned just one of six attempts. James Ennis III went zero of four. And for a supposed powerhouse banking on an inside-out plan of attack, hitting just a fourth of 24 three-point shots won’t go anywhere near to cutting it.
Tomorrow, the Raptors will be going for a third straight win and, accordingly, a second conference finals berth in four years. They may have the momentum, but the task won’t be a cakewalk. Not if the Sixers, who seem to play best when desperate, prove true to form. In front of hometown fans, Embiid, for instance, could be extra motivated to overcome conditioning issues and put up monster numbers anew. Nonetheless, the visitors will be prepped and primed. They have Leonard. Better yet, they have themselves.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
