Leonard Leads Raptors to Victory, Eliminating the Magic

TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors turned in another dominant defensive effort, extending their playoff winning streak to a team-record four and clinching a berth in the second round.

Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points, Pascal Siakam added 24 and the Raptors routed the Orlando Magic 115-96 on Tuesday night, winning their first-round playoff series in five games.

Kyle Lowry scored 14 points as the Raptors finished off the Magic with ease, bouncing back from a Game 1 defeat to win by double digits in three of the next four. Toronto led by as many as 37 in the clincher, their biggest-ever margin in a playoff game.

“We kind of figured it out and made a good adjustment after Game 1,” Lowry said. “To figure it out that quick is a really good thing for us. We’ve just got to continue to build off it.”

Lowry scored Toronto’s first nine points and had 12 in the opening quarter.

“Kyle played great tonight,” Leonard said. “He got us all going with that amazing first quarter. We all just fed off his energy.”

Toronto will face Philadelphia in the second round after the 76ers eliminated Brooklyn on Tuesday. It’s the fourth straight year the Raptors have advanced past the first round.

“Should be a great series, man,” Raptors Coach Nick Nurse said of facing the Sixers. “Obviously, it’s a team with tremendous size.”

Leonard made 8 of 11 shots, including 5 of 5 from 3-point range, as the Raptors jumped on Orlando early and never trailed. Leonard also made all six of his free throws. He checked out to cheers of “M.V.P., M.V.P.” with 8 minutes 5 seconds to play and Toronto up 105-75.

D.J. Augustin scored 15 points, Terrence Ross had 12 and Aaron Gordon 11 for the Magic, who won 104-101 on Augustin’s late 3-pointer in Game 1 but never again topped 96 points, and twice finished with 85 or fewer.

“We were never able, after Game 1, to handle the ball against their defense the way we needed to,” Orlando coach Steve Clifford said. “To me, that was the biggest factor.”

Orlando made 32 of 83 shots Tuesday, including 9 of 34 from 3-point range.

The Magic missed 11 straight from long range before Fournier connected at 7:55 of the second. Toronto took a commanding 99-70 lead into the fourth.

“We’re obviously disappointed that we didn’t put up a better fight, especially tonight,” Magic center Nikola Vucevic said.

The Magic hadn’t reached the postseason since 2012. That year, Orlando won its opener on the road against Indiana, then lost four straight. The Magic haven’t advanced past the opening round since 2010, when they lost to Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Clifford said inexperience wasn’t a factor in his young team’s early exit.

“We weren’t afraid, we didn’t play well enough,” he said.

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