It was over when… Kawhi Leonard subbed out of the game with 8:05 remaining and the Raptors leading 105-75. As Leonard walked to the bench, the crowd roared in appreciation of another phenomenal postseason performance from him. Toronto went on to collect a 115-96 victory, winning their best-of-seven first-round series against the Orlando Magic 4-1.
Making a statement early: The Raptors wasted no time taking control in Game 5, leading 22-3 after a three-pointer from Kyle Lowry with 5:09 remaining in the first quarter. Lowry scored a game-high 12 points in the opening frame, helping Toronto build a 16-point advantage, and hold a 35-19 lead after the first 12 minutes.
No let down: The second quarter was more of the same. The closest Orlando was able to get was within 11 points after a pair of free throws from Terrence Ross with 10:24 to go in the half. Toronto connected on 10 three-pointers and received 14 points from Kawhi Leonard, and 12 points apiece from Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam in the first half. They also shot 56 percent and led 67-47 at the break.
Another statement third: Kawhi Leonard had another great third quarter, scoring 13 points on 5-of-6 field goals, including all three of his three-point attempts. Toronto remained locked in defensively and the team held the Magic to just 35 percent shooting in the third while shooting 62 percent themselves. Thanks to Leonard’s 13-point quarter and a 10-point effort from Pascal Siakam, Toronto took a 99-70 advantage into the fourth.
Closing time: Thanks to the lead built through three quarters, Toronto’s starters were able to rest for almost the entirety of the fourth. Though the Magic won the quarter 26-16, Toronto’s advantage was too great to overcome and the Raptors collected a 115-96 Game 5 victory to win the best-of-seven first-round series 4-1.
Raptors player of the game: Kawhi Leonard finished with a game-high 27 points in 32 minutes of action. He shot a blistering 8-for-11 from the floor, including a perfect 5-for-5 from the three-point line and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. He added seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Toronto was a +38 when Leonard was on the floor.
Underrated Raptors player of the game: Kyle Lowry finished with 14 points and nine assists on Tuesday, but it was his hot start that stands out. Lowry scored 12 of his 14 points in the opening quarter to help the Raptors jump out to their strong start. He added four rebounds and a steal and was fantastic on the defensive end of the floor, drawing three charges in the game. Toronto was a +31 with Lowry on the floor.
That’s a rap…
“He’s been through this before, the playoffs, and has made deep runs, obviously. He relishes this time of year and I think it shows. Playing strong, playing fast, playing defence. He’s a great two-way player. He’s a great player in this league.” - Nick Nurse on Kawhi Leonard
By the #’s…
39… Percent shooting for the Magic in the game, compared to Toronto who shot 48 percent from the floor.
26…The Raptors also held the Magic to 27 percent shooting from beyond the arc (9-for-34). In comparison, Toronto connected on 42 percent of their attempts from deep (15-of-36).
34… Assists for the Raptors on 41 made field goals, a new postseason franchise record. Orlando finished with 20 assists in the game.
37… The Raptors led by 37 points in the fourth quarter, the largest lead in franchise history in the postseason.
92… Toronto held Orlando to an average of 92 points on 39 percent shooting in the series.
They said it…
“Great…that means I did my job, I came out on the floor ready to play on both ends. Just having these guys around me, like Pascal, Marc, Danny, Fred, Serge, Norm, and the other guys not getting as many minutes, it’s not just me. You can’t win playoff games with just one player. Kyle played great tonight and he got us all going with that amazing first quarter he played, we fed off his energy.” - Kawhi Leonard when told the Orlando Magic players had praised his play in the series
“I think our focus was to try to get out and put a stamp on the game from the defensive end and I think we did that. I think that was a good sign that we were ready to go.” - Nick Nurse on his team’s strong start
“It was good. We wanted to come out and be relentless for 48 minutes. We knew they were going to come out and play hard, we wanted to not give them any life and I’m glad that we were able to come and put a complete game together for the full 48 [minutes]”- Norman Powell on closing out the series in five games
“He was amazing in this series. I don't know how many charges he ended up taking, but he was blocking out, taking charges, pushing the ball, getting in the paint, stroked just enough threes. He was maybe as good as I have ever seen him in this series.” - Nick Nurse on Kyle Lowry
Up next: The Raptors advance to the second round where they will face the Philadelphia 76ers.