Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from Game 5 series win vs. Magic

1. Kawhi Leonard is MVP

Tuesday night in the fourth quarter, when Nick Nurse decided to sub out his superstar player after playing 32 minutes, fans gave a standing ovation while chanting, “MVP.” This is not the first time this season they’ve done so for Leonard, and it won’t be the last if he continues his strong form.

Kawhi was nothing short of sensational in what was an individual roller coaster of a series. Games 3 and 4 in Orlando were his “flu games,” and the illness take the better of him at first. He shot 26.3 percent in Game 3, only to overcome it two nights later with a 34-point outburst.

In Game 5, he showed the ability to take over and simply couldn’t be stopped. His 27 points were on 8-of-11 shooting, including a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the arc.

With Toronto Raptors to face the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals, he’ll have more opportunities to shine on a bigger stage against bigger stars. In the three games during the regular season against the Sixers, the Claw feasted, posting 30.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 4.0 steals and 3.0 3-point makes per game. In combination with how well he’s playing as of late, it’s not difficult to envision another fantastic series from him.

With the way Toronto rolled the last couple of games and how amazing Kawhi Leonard was, it was hardly surprising to see fans shower him with MVP chants. Maybe the rest of the NBA will as well by the end of the postseason.