3. Kawhi Leonard saves the season in 2019
Much is made of the historic playoff stat line that Leonard produced in a Toronto uniform during the 2019 playoffs. It was impressive, as was his 45-point game vs Philadelphia in game one of the 2019 semifinal games. He became only the second Raptor to eclipse the 40-point mark in a playoff game.
Like Carter in 2001, Leonard had an opportunity to end game seven of the series vs. Philly without the need for overtime or added drama. Leonard saved the postseason for Toronto with a shot that bounced multiple times on the rim before going in. It was a hold your breath, heart-stopping end-of-game shot forever immortalized.
Kawhi Leonard’s shot saved the Toronto Raptors.
His time in Toronto was short, a pit stop between his sour ending in San Antonio and his desire to return to California to resume his career at home. Still, in a season where he had helped Toronto win 58 regular-season games and was proved to be an upgrade over DeMar DeRozan, things could have ended much worse.
In 2022, as both Philadelphia and Toronto prepare for hopefully another epic playoff encounter. Can Pascal Siakam cement what has already been an All-NBA season for him by taking over this series? Can Barnes continue to impress during the intensity of playoff basketball?
To this date, a Toronto vs Philadelphia series has been exciting and dramatic, and the anticipation of more excellence is palpable.