Well, that was as complete a performance as you can get from the Raptors and, specifically, their two brightest stars, Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam.
Seventy-four combined points for the dynamic duo, along with solid team defence that helped shut down Philadelphia’s stars, led to the Toronto Raptors‘ dominant 108-95 win on Saturday night to take a 1-0 lead in their second-round series against the 76ers.
No matter where you are, in the wake of the win it’s hard not to focus on Leonard’s brilliant 45 point effort, and that’s precisely the approach those covering the series outside of Canada showcased. Here’s what the U.S. media (…and LeBron James) had to say about Kawhi and the Raptors’ powerful Game 1 statement:
Philadelphia Inquirer — Kawhi dominated Sixers-Raptors Game 1 like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan would have
Some serious praise from Philly.com’s Marcus Hayes, who draws comparisons between Kawhi and all-time great scorers:
Teams didn’t whine when they lost to Michael Jordan. They didn’t squeal when Kobe Bryant took them out. There simply was no answer for Kobe and Mike. They scored at will, and they defended like fiends, and they elevated the game of every teammate. They drew “M-V-P” chants every night.
So now, let’s not hear a chorus of moans as Kawhi Leonard disassembles the 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He’s the best two-way player, the most complete player, since they ruled the NBA. Because he’s the closest thing we’ve seen to Mike and Kobe.
Brett Brown agreed.
“Yeah. Yeah,” Brown told me. His eyes lost focused, his thoughts now far away. Brown hadn’t thought of Leonard quite this way, but, faced with the idea, he paused. His eyes regained focus, and locked on mine, and he said, a little awed: “Like those guys.
“Think about that.”
SI.com — Welcome Back Kawhi Leonard, Destroyer of Worlds
Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Sharp puts Kawhi’s abilities in context and reminds us — as Leonard did himself on Saturday night — that he is entrenched among the elite .001 per cent of NBA talents:
“One of the best” can be applied to 15 or 20 guys throughout the sport. Paul George, Klay Thompson, Ben Simmons, Blake Griffin—all of these players fit under that umbrella. We could narrow the category by talking strictly about superstars, but even then, that category includes players like Joel Embiid, Russell Westbrook, Damian Lillard and Kyrie Irving.
Kawhi at his best is better than any of them. With LeBron James watching from home, Leonard’s in a group of five players—along with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, James Harden, Kevin Durant—who have the chance to own these playoffs and enter the summer looking like the best player on earth. It’s a subplot that could be every bit as entertaining as the title race itself, and it feels appropriate that after Durant finished the Clippers off with 50 points at Staples Center on Friday night, Kawhi came back with 45 of his own.
He’s been delivering for the Raptors all year long, but not like this.
NBA on TNT — Raptors Capture Game 1 in Toronto
The Inside the NBA crew, like the rest of us, marvelled at what Siakam and Leonard brought for the Raptors, matching all five Sixers’ starters in field goals made and teaming up to shoot an absurd 28-38 from the floor.
“They put on a show, them two boys,” Barkley said of Leonard and Siakam.
“The size and the length is something that Philly has not seen,” Kenny Smith added. “There aren’t many teams that have what [the Raptors] have.”
https://twitter.com/SheaSerrano/status/1122316291644305408
Philly.com — Sixers open another playoff series flat, this time against the Raptors in NBA playoffs second round
Marc Narducci examines the Sixers’ disappointing outing, and puts the spotlight on another effective Raptor, Marc Gasol, who did most of his damage outside the box score:
Another person who has to show more aggression is Embiid.
So much is made of his past struggles against Marc Gasol when the Raptors center played for Memphis. In five games Embiid averaged just 14 points.
Gasol is one player who doesn’t go for Embiid’s pump fakes. The Raptors center is fundamentally sound defensively, moves his feet well and makes it difficult for Embiid to beat him off the dribble.
As well as Leonard played, it was Gasol who had the highest plus-minus for the Raptors, plus 29 in just under 26 minutes.
“I just try to stay in front of him, get physical and contest his shots,” Gasol said.
In the first half, Embiid was mostly successful when Gasol was out of the game and Serge Ibaka was guarding him.
During the second half, Ibaka played 12 minutes and 29 seconds and not only did a solid job on Embiid, but scored all seven of his points in the final two quarters.
After the Sixers lost their first game to the Nets, they became more aggressive and then won the next four.
Yet Embiid understands this is a different situation.
“Obviously the Raptors are way better than the Nets,” Embiid said.
USA Today — Kawhi Leonard’s monster Game 1 for Raptors should have 76ers worried
USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt lays out why the Raptors’ performance — and one Kawhi Leonard — should have the Sixers shaking in their boots:
Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri traded for Kawhi Leonard for performances like Saturday night.
…Granted, it’s very early in the series, but if Leonard is going to play like he has been through six games of the playoffs — 30.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game and shooting 58.4% from the field and 51.5% on 3-pointers — the Sixers are in trouble.
…This season, the Raptors did just about everything right regarding Leonard and his health. He played in 60 regular-season games, receiving games off for “load management” — a fancy phrase for rest to maximize performance while maintaining good health.
The Raptors did everything possible to make sure he was healthy and productive and make him feel like they were taking care of his body.
They won with him (41-19) and won without him (17-5). They made sure talent was around him, and the rapid development of Siakam should give Leonard ample reason to consider extending his career with the Raptors. As long as they keep winning.
https://twitter.com/SportsTalkBarry/status/1122320928073973760
Kawhi joins a legend
He and Vince are the only two Raptors with 40+ points in a playoff game pic.twitter.com/h9HtlEUDyh
— ESPN (@espn) April 28, 2019
NBC Sports — Raptors 108, Sixers 95: Kawhi Leonard (45 points) dominates Game 1
You can’t stop Kawhi, you can “only hope to contain him,” writes NBC Sports’ Paul Hudrick:
The box score says that Kawhi Leonard missed a shot or two, but it sure didn’t feel like it.
The three-time All-Star was unstoppable, pouring in 45 points as the Raptors took Game 1 over the Sixers, 108-95, at Scotiabank Arena Saturday night.
Leonard and Pascal Siakam carried Toronto offensively, scoring 74 of the team’s points and both shooting over 70 percent. The Raptors also did an outstanding job on Joel Embiid, holding the Sixers’ best player in check all night.
…Leonard showed why he’s one of the best players in the world. Jimmy Butler started off on him and James Ennis got a crack off the bench. Neither player found much success as Leonard hit seven of his first eight shots. On his first shot attempt with Ben Simmons on him, Leonard threw up an air ball. It looks like Simmons’ length might be the best way to combat Leonard’s iso skills.
With Leonard, you’re not going to stop him and can only hope to contain him. He shot a scalding 16 of 22. It was a ridiculous performance.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 28, 2019
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