Toronto Raptors

Kyle Lowry and Toronto Raptors president of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, have reportedly had a strained relationship in the past, most notably when the team traded Lowry's close friend, DeMar DeRozan, in the offseason.

But Lowry and Ujiri had a sit down in early February ahead of the NBA's trade deadline, and it gave them a chance to clear the air, as the point guard told Shams Charania of The Athletic:

"It was a well-needed conversation. It was a very professional conversation and it had to be done. We had to get everything on the table. Listen, 'Let's have this conversation, let's get everything out on the table, and move on.' And that's what grown men do. They have conversations, they figure it out, and you move on.

'It wasn't a 'F--k you, f--k you.' It wasn't me asking, 'Hell, you want to trade me?' At the end of the day, he's going to make the decisions, right? I'm going to play no matter what it is. It was about making myself the best player that I can possibly be and getting on the same page about what he needs from me to be the best player—and vice versa. Just getting on the same page."

The conversation also gave Lowry better clarity about his role in Toronto.

"It was all about the now. It was about: How do we make every day work to the best of our abilities? We said: 'This is what I would like to see done. This is what you should do. This is how we're going to keep going.'"

While the trade of DeRozan may have been hard from a personal standpoint for Lowry, it's hard to argue that it didn't make the Raptors a far better basketball team, as it landed them Kawhi Leonard. All he's done this postseason is average 32.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, shooting 58.7 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three.

Without Leonard, the Raptors would be in major trouble. For a team that has reached the postseason in six straight seasons but never been to the NBA Finals and reached the Eastern Conference Finals just once, getting Leonard gave them a chance to get over the hump.

Lowry will be a major part of getting over the hump if the Raptors manage to do so this postseason, too. The five-time All-Star came up big in a crucial Game 4, posting 14 points, seven assists and six rebounds. Leonard earned the headlines with his epic 39-point performance, but Lowry was more than happy just getting the win.

"All I do is I do my job. I don't need the recognition. I don't want the recognition. I just want to win and win at the highest level," he said. "Whatever comes with it, comes with it. Win, lose or draw, you're going to take the negative criticism and you're going to take the positive criticism. As long as I'm happy with what I'm bringing to the table, I can say I put it all out there and I'm happy with that."

Kawhi Leonard has been nothing short of spectacular in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, averaging 38 points and nine rebounds per game while shooting a preposterous 62 percent from the field against the Philadelphia 76ers. It's to the point where he's being compared to some of the game's greats.

"It's Kobe [Bryant]," Raptors guard Norman Powell said of Leonard's Game 4 performance after a 101-96 win Sunday, per Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star. "That man is Kobe. He's a superstar, man. He gets after it. He doesn't care who's in front of him. He knows what he's worth, he knows what he can do ... superstars in the league—Kevin Durant, James Harden—he's up with those guys."

The key moment of the game came with a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter. Leonard had the ball outside the three-point line with the shot clock running low. Between two defenders, he rose up for a contested three and splashed it, giving the Raptors a four-point lead.

Powell wasn't surprised he made it. He never believed he'd miss:

"Kobe. It's good. That's what I was saying after he made that. Even when he went up, side-step fadeaway, nothing but net, that's Kobe right there. He was confident in it. You don't see him rushed. You see him look up at the clock before it, he created space, he let it fly.

"I mean, he's not worried, man. He's really calm, he's really patient, he doesn't get sped up. Even when he had a late turnover where he dribbled off his foot ... you see guys holding their head, get upset a little bit. But he's going to come right back at you."

Even Sixers head coach Brett Brown brought up Bryant when talking about Leonard's Game 4 performance (39 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, 13-of-20 from the field, 5-of-7 from three).

"He's punishing, for sure," he said. "You know, the stuff that he can get off, and we had two people out there [on the three], the stuff that he can do to create his own shot is Kobe-like, for me. To your question about who can guard him, funny enough, with our wings, I think we've done a decent job on him ... at the end of the day, that's a hell of a playoff game."

The comparison isn't perfect. From a personality standpoint, Leonard and Bryant couldn't be much different. Leonard is quiet and reserved; Bryant was never afraid to speak his mind. But Leonard's steady and consistent dissection of the 76ers defense this postseason has been reminiscent of many of the game's greats, and he's doing it while playing suffocating defense on Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler.

If it weren't for Leonard's legendary series to this point, the Raptors wouldn't have a chance against a talented Sixers team. But he hasn't shown any signs of faltering to this point as the series shifts back to Toronto for Tuesday's Game 5, even at two games apiece.

Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler engaged in a Game 4 duel that resembled something out of Terminator 2, and Leonard was the winning machine Sunday afternoon as his Toronto Raptors evened the Eastern Conference semifinals with a 101-96 victory.

No matter how many runs or big shots the Philadelphia 76ers threw at him, the All-Star forward just kept charging forward like a T-1000 absorbing shotgun blasts.

He finished with 39 points, 14 rebounds and five assists. He was 13-of-20 from the field, 8-of-12 from the line and 5-of-7 from deep. His biggest shot of the night, a contested step-back three over Joel Embiid with just over a minute remaining, all but ended Sunday's action:

Kawhi completely took over Game 4 🔥

39 PTS | 14 REB | 5 AST | 13-20 FG | 5-7 3PT https://t.co/opwSYNF2ts

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 5, 2019

"For the shots he took tonight, that was one of the tougher ones." Leonard's coach Nick Nurse said, per Rogers Sportsnet's Michael Grange. "And he made a great shot."

As seen on Toronto's timeline, center Marc Gasol added, "You know, he's really good at basketball."

Kawhi's fellow Raptors are almost as understated as he is. What isn't, though, are the 2014 Finals MVP's numbers.

This postseason, Leonard is up to 32.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 58.7 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three and 85.7 percent from the stripe. His box plus-minus trails only Nikola Jokic. His win shares per 48 minutes trail no one.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Kawhi is doing things no other Raptor has ever done:

With Kawhi Leonard scoring 39 points in the Raptors Game 4 victory, he now has six 30-point games in this postseason, the most in a single postseason in Raptors history. It's Leonard's fourth consecutive playoff game with 30+ points, extending his Raptors playoff record pic.twitter.com/eYrOnZjhCr

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 5, 2019

While this may be new for Toronto, Leonard has been dismantling opponents with robotic precision for years. It's why he was worth the gamble the Raptors took this summer.

Among players with at least 1,000 career playoff minutes, Leonard trails only LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Chris Paul, Walt Frazier, Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley in career playoff box plus-minus. Each of those players is either in the Hall of Fame or has at least a 99.99 percent probability of getting in.

This postseason alone, Leonard's box plus-minus is 11.4. It's the third time he's had a postseason run with a double-digit box plus-minus. The only players with more? LeBron James (10), Michael Jordan (seven) and Chris Paul (four).

We're watching one of the greatest playoff performers in NBA history, and every contested jumper he sinks adds to the growing resume. On Sunday, he hit a bevy of them. Butler, Embiid, Ben Simmons. It didn't seem to matter who was on him. He was giving everyone buckets, pouring them in with his patented lack of emotion.

The one departure? When he had the gall to throw a waist-high fist pump after he hit the dagger three over Embiid.

It was the exclamation point on Kawhi's series-tying performance. And make no mistake, Leonard is the reason Toronto has two wins. The Raptors are getting obliterated when he's off the floor, as pointed out by NBA.com's Micah Adams:

Raptors +7 with Kawhi on and -2 with him off.

Updated net rating this series:
+7.5 with Kawhi on court
-48.7 with Kawhi off court

Swing of 56.2 pts/100.

— Micah Adams (@MAdamsStatGuy) May 5, 2019

The raw plus-minus in this series alone is pretty staggering, too. Toronto is plus-26 in the 160 minutes Kawhi has played. It's minus-34 in the 32 minutes he's rested. Philadelphia is up only eight points in the aggregate over these four games.

Whenever Kawhi is on the floor, the 76ers are in trouble.

They do have their own robot-like wing, though. And over the last three contests, Butler is doing everything he can to slow down the opposing machine.

In Games 2, 3 and 4, Butler is averaging 27.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks. He's shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three. Philadelphia is plus-36 in his 119 minutes over that stretch.

For all the talk of Embiid and Simmons, Butler has often looked like the 76ers' most important player this postseason. He may be their only hope against the emotionless production of Toronto's terminator.

As the series shifts north, this is a duel that could go a long way toward deciding the fate of these franchises.

If Butler can take down the T-1000 in Round 2, Kawhi's location next season would be entirely uncertain. If the machine can't be stopped, a trip to the Finals—and maybe even a new contract—would remain in play.

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam will play in Sunday's Game 4 matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers despite dealing with a calf contusion.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported the news.

Siakam was listed as doubtful after suffering the contusion in the Raptors' Game 3 loss in Philadelphia. 

"There was a lot of contact during the game; I don't know exactly when it happened," Siakam told reporters Saturday. "After the game I was just really sore, and I think kind of like calmed down a little bit, and then I felt really sore."

Siakam added he was unsure whether the injury took place when he tripped Joel Embiid in the fourth quarter. Replay showed Embiid making contact with Siakam's right calf after he stuck his leg out, drawing a flagrant-1 foul.

The Toronto Raptors could be without one of their top players, forward Pascal Siakam, against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series Sunday.

According to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, the Raptors have listed Siakam as doubtful with a calf contusion.

In Thursday's 116-95 Game 3 loss to Philly, Siakam played 34 minutes and finished with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting.

The Raptors face a 2-1 deficit in the series and need a road win in Game 4 to avoid being pushed to the brink of elimination.

Per TSN's Josh Lewenberg, Siakam said he was unsure how he injured his calf and called it "very sore and a little swollen."

Siakam also told Lewenberg that he will test the calf during Saturday's practice and Sunday morning while continuing to receive treatment.

The 25-year-old Siakam could have suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of Toronto's Game 3 loss when he was called for a flagrant foul for tripping Sixers center Joel Embiid with his right leg:

Lewenberg tweeted the following exchange between himself and Siakam:

Do you know how you got hurt?
Siakam: "No... There was a lot of contact during the game so I don't know exactly when it happened."
It was the same leg you used to trip Embiid, right?
Siakam: "Uh, yeah. I think so."

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) May 4, 2019

Siakam is the most likely candidate to be named the NBA's Most Improved Player this season, as he averaged 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists after putting up just 7.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game last season.

As good as he was during the regular season, Siakam has been even more dominant in the playoffs with averages of 22.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per contest.

If Siakam can't go in Game 4, Toronto will be without one of its most explosive athletes and versatile defenders, which will put even more pressure on superstar Kawhi Leonard to perform.

It would likely also result in Serge Ibaka's insertion into the starting lineup alongside Marc Gasol, which is a setup that could give Philadelphia some trouble in terms of matching the Raptors' size inside.

Toronto could also go small by playing Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet together more often, although they combined to go just 2-of-17 from the field in Game 3.

The Toronto Raptors find themselves trailing the Philadelphia 76ers two games to one following a 116-95 loss in Game 3 on Thursday night, and All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry has acknowledged that Kawhi Leonard hasn't been getting enough help from his teammates.

Specifically from Lowry himself.

"We've got to help him," Lowry told ESPN's Tim Bontemps on Thursday. "I was literally saying it during the game. We have to help him. He's doing everything he can possibly do offensively and defensively to f--king win games, and myself, I'm not helping him enough.

"I'm not putting it on nobody else but me."

Those comments come following a rough night for Lowry, which saw him score just seven points on 2-of-7 shooting, including 0-of-4 from three-point range. He is now averaging 12.0 PPG on 34.6 percent shooting.

Philadelphia has held Lowry to fewer than 10 points in two of the first three games of the series.

"I've got to play better," Lowry added, per Bontemps. "Literally that is the only thing that matters. I have to play better. Nothing else matters. Plus-minus, charges, everything. Nothing else matters. I have to score the ball and play better offensively.

"If I can get close to where I can be, it would be a different series. We might be a little better off than 2-1, but it's been like this all year for me. It's been an up-and-down year for me, and I can't dwell on anything but continue to try to get better at some point."

Leonard, meanwhile, continued his stellar postseason by going off for 33 points in Game 3, raising his series average to 37.7 points on 61 percent shooting.

Kawhi Leonard is off to a hot start this series, with 80 total points on 62% shooting through two games.

That hasn't happened much in NBA history.

Check out a pivotal Game 3 between the Raptors and 76ers next on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/AEGb2uXvgG

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 3, 2019

Unfortunately for him, though, only two other Toronto players—Pascal Siakam (20 points) and Danny Green (13)—reached double figures on Thursday. 

Leonard (26.6 PPG) averaged nearly 10 points per game more than any other Toronto player during the regular season. But as six different Sixers players reached double digits on Thursday, Lowry understands he and his teammates are going to have to take some of the load off Leonard if they want to make a deep playoff run.

Lowry told Bontemps that he believes the Raptors' supporting cast will have to be "more selfish" and "more assertive" moving forward.

Toronto will have the opportunity to try to even the series up in Game 4 on Sunday. 

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry isn't looking to make a big deal out of a questionable elbow from the Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons during Game 3 on Thursday night. 

Early in the second quarter, Lowry wound up undercutting Simmons while trying to box him out, sending the Sixers star to the floor. As Lowry stood above him directly after the fall, Simmons appeared to take a shot at the five-time All-Star below the belt:

No foul was called on the play.

After the game, Lowry said he didn't believe it was an intentional elbow from Simmons.

"It's nothing," Lowry said, according to TSN Sports' Josh Lewenberg. "He said he didn't mean to do it. I'm not gonna dwell on something that wasn't called. It is what it is. It's not a big deal."

It's important to note these two have a history. Lowry and Simmons were both ejected from a game back on Jan. 15, 2018 after they exchanged words in the final seconds. Simmons appeared to motion to his opponent that he'd meet him behind the scenes, but nothing came of it—although not because Lowry wasn't down for it.

Perhaps nobody felt better about the Toronto Raptors' 115-96 victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday than rapper Drake. 

Drake was in attendance at Scotiabank Arena to watch his hometown team close out the Magic 4-1 in the first-round series. That Toronto won despite the so-called Drake curse, which often sees teams he supports via jerseys and in person lose, was on his mind after the game.

"You want me to talk about the curse or you guys good?" he joked with reporters after he left the stadium.

It is notable he chose to attend the Raptors game instead of watching the Toronto Maple Leafs lose Game 7 of their first-round series to the Boston Bruins at the same time. He was in attendance for Game 4 of the series when the Maple Leafs missed an opportunity to seize a commanding 3-1 advantage.

Drake caught some heat for the loss:

Drake, if you love our city like I know you do. Please stop going to our sporting events. Please.

— Rachel Bonnetta (@rachelbonnetta) April 18, 2019

Someone get Drake a Bruins jersey.

— Steve “Dangle” Glynn (@Steve_Dangle) April 18, 2019

Fortunately for the rapper, Kawhi Leonard may be talented enough to overcome any curse and propel the Raptors to their first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. He finished with 27 points and seven rebounds in the victory and will now turn his attention to a second-round matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Kawhi Leonard apparently had a good reason for his shooting struggles in the Toronto Raptors' 98-93 win over the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference playoff series Friday. 

Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said after the game Leonard gave a "gutsy" performance because he was unable to practice the past two days because of an illness.         

"That was a gutsy performance by him."

Nick Nurse on how Kawhi (16 PTS & 10 REB) handled Orlando's defense in Game 3. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/vvYrf39cAt

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 20, 2019

Leonard was able to post a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, but he shot 5-of-19 from the field, committed six turnovers and missed all three of his three-point attempts. 

In the first two games of the series, Leonard averaged 31 points and went 25-of-40 from the field. The three-time All-Star made seven of his 13 three-point attempts and had just five turnovers. 

The Raptors were able to escape with a road win despite their superstar's struggles because of Pascal Siakam. The 25-year-old dropped a game-high 30 points and led the team with 11 rebounds. 

Since dropping the first game of the series, Toronto has responded with consecutive wins to take a 2-1 lead over the Magic with one more game in Orlando on Sunday before heading back home to Scotiabank Arena for Game 5.

The Toronto Raptors grabbed a 2-1 series lead over the Orlando Magic with a 98-93 victory in Game 3 on Friday in Orlando.

Pascal Siakam led the way for the Raptors with 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Kawhi Leonard contributed 16 points and 10 boards.

Nikola Vucevic had 22 points and 14 rebounds in a losing effort for the Magic.

Siakam Much More Than NBA's Most Improved Player

Third-year forward Pascal Siakam appears to be the favorite for the 2018-19 Most Improved Player award following a breakout regular season. Now that the postseason has arrived, he is showing his true value.

Siakam entered 2018-19 with career averages of 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He took a big step forward by establishing new career highs in scoring (16.9), rebounds (6.9) and assists (3.1).

John Schuhmann of NBA.com noted that Siakam had the third-biggest increase in points plus rebounds plus assists per game this season at 13.1.

Even those numbers don't show how valuable he is to the Raptors. Game 3 did, though.

Siakam has been one of Toronto's most consistent players this postseason, entering play Friday averaging 21.5 points and 9.5 rebounds. As Leonard struggled with his shot most of the night, Siakam guided the Raptors to victory.

The 6'9", 230-pound big man made 13 of 20 shots (3-of-4 from beyond the arc) in recording a game-high 30 points in 42 minutes. He scored 12 in the opening quarter.

Spicy P could not be stopped in Game 3 🌶

30 PTS (playoff career-high)
11 REB
4 AST
13/20 FG

Raptors take 2-1 series lead pic.twitter.com/30j6nriKrm

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) April 20, 2019

Siakam reaches 30, topping Chris Bosh's 29 in 2008 (Gm2 of 2008 Rd1 series) for a double-double in a @Raptors playoff game (Most: 39- Bosh in Gm4 of 2008 Rd1 series... vs the Magic) https://t.co/LUzZHr0u8y

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) April 20, 2019

Pascal Siakam dropped a 30-piece with 11 boards, the first Raptor to do that in the playoffs since the great Christopher Bosh 👏 pic.twitter.com/YNTJqxyAKQ

— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) April 20, 2019

Siakam is the real deal!!!

— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) April 20, 2019

Siakam's big night grabbed the attention of Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady:

🗣 "They need to slow down Pascal Siakam."

-Tracy McGrady is in the 🏠 to provide his input as an @OrlandoMagic guest analyst.

Watch LIVE now on FOX Sports Florida & FOX Sports Go! 📺📱 pic.twitter.com/42RpicsZRt

— FanDuel Sports Network Florida & Sun (@FanDuelSN_FL) April 19, 2019

When the Raptors needed a big play late, Siakam helped to hold off an Orlando rally on both ends of the court. His floater with 93 seconds to play ended a 4-0 Magic spurt and pushed the lead back up to six.

He also played a part in forcing a turnover on the ensuing Orlando possession, which helped close out the victory.

Before Game 3, first-year Toronto coach Nick Nurse made it clear to reporters that he viewed Siakam as the team's second option, not third. Thus far, the Magic have had no answer for him.

FiveThirtyEight's Jared Dubin wrote this week that Siakam—who is making $1.5 million this season—has provided the NBA's best bang for buck, giving the Raptors a surplus value in excess of $35.8 million.

If Toronto is going to make it to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, Leonard will play an important role—but he doesn't have to carry the team by himself. Siakam proved Friday that the Raptors can survive an off night from Leonard and still pull out a win.

         

What's Next

The Magic will try to even the series again in Game 4 at the Amway Center in Orlando on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.