Kawhi Leonard is the reason the Toronto Raptors are in the 2019 NBA Finals. Yes, the Raptors are playing well as a team. But without Kawhi, Toronto would not be making its first finals appearance in the team’s history.
It’s really that simple.
Leonard has been sensational in the 2019 playoffs, with a buzzer-beater, seven 35-point games, a 45-point game, a 17-rebound game, a nine-assist game and a generally-relentless attitude on defense. In particular, Leonard was brilliant while defending Giannis Antetokounmpo during the Eastern Conference Finals. But during that series, one of Leonard’s most admirable quality has been the ability to dig his team out of significant deficits.
Against the Bucks, Leonard helped the Raptors mount two of the organization’s biggest comebacks in franchise playoff history, per ESPN’s Stats and Information. The Raptors were down 14 points during Game 5 and 15 points during Game 6 against the Milwaukee Bucks. And yet the Raptors won both games, in large part due to Leonard’s performance.
In Game 6, they fell behind by 15 at multiple points in the game in the second and third quarter. When the Raptors were behind, 76-61, in the third quarter, Leonard scored eight of the the Raptors next 10 unanswered points. He assisted the only bucket he didn’t score during, and kicked off a run which, in the fourth quarter, gave Toronto its first lead since early in the first quarter. Leonard had game-highs with 27 points and 17 rebounds. He also had seven assists, two blocks and two steals.
In Game 5, Leonard and the Raptors were down 18-4 in the first quarter, but Leonard put up six of Toronto’s next eight points, which put the Raptors back into the mix for a tightly contest game through the fourth quarter.
Leonard has done so many things well in the 2019 playoffs. But in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, he led his team through record-setting comebacks, so that Toronto could advance to the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors.
