Kawhi Leonard delivers everything Raptors need in Game 7 win

It was ugly, it was unspectacular, it was nerve-wracking. In a game that seemed destined to be separated by the margins, it was the Toronto Raptors who managed to make more of the plays that mattered.

When the Raptors acquired Kawhi Leonard, they knew they were getting a player who could impact the game on both ends. From defending Jimmy Butler to carrying the load and emptying the clip, including the game-winning buzzer-beater, Toronto defeated Philadelphia in Game 7 by having the best player in the series.

That theory will be tested even further when they open the Eastern Conference Finals in Milwaukee against Giannis Antetokounmpo and his Bucks, but what is certain is the fact that for all the talent the Sixers possess in their starting five, it only matters so much in the face of the best.

Leonard finished the night with 41 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals, and while the efficiency wasn’t at his usual standard, he delivered everything his team needed. He couldn’t do it himself, though, and every time the Raptors needed a momentum shifting play, it was Kyle Lowry who delivered.

The box score may show an unflattering 10 points, six rebounds and six assists but from critical charges and steals to offensive rebounds and maximizing offensive opportunities against the clock, Lowry was everywhere.

Joel Embiid was incredibly impactful for the Sixers with 21 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks, and the difference in the end may have been the time he didn’t spend on the court. In a game decided by two points, he finished a plus-10.

Ben Simmons did about as good a job as you can hope for on Leonard, and that seemed to sap the energy he had left to give on the offensive end. Whereas he was able to attack the offensive glass and make a real impact with 21 points in Game 6, he seemed to be much more passive — along the lines of the other five games — and struggled to create his own offence with just five field goal attempts.

Early on, the Raptors held the Sixers to just 13 first-quarter points, but managed just 18 themselves. The three-point shooting was woeful as wide-open look after wide-open look went to waste. What proved fateful was that the Raptors won the first quarter, and as had been the case through the first six games, the team that won the opening frame won the game.

Game 1 of the East Finals goes Wednesday in Milwaukee.

Coaching moves

Nick Nurse took no chances, matching Brett Brown’s early rotation changes and ensuring Marc Gasol was on the court for all of Embiid’s minutes. The Raptors head coach had his hands tied twice with Lowry picking up two fouls in the first quarter and then also having to exit to the locker room to treat a sprained left thumb.

Bench battle

Serge Ibaka swung things the Raptors’ way in the first half with excellent energy on the defensive end and a couple of surprising three-point makes. Fred VanVleet showed solid determination chasing around JJ Redick on the defensive end and looked to attack the basket a lot more in this one, getting to the line four times.

Mike Scott was an X-factor for the Sixers off the bench this post-season but struggled to get going with just two points all game.