Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from crucial Game 3 win vs. Bucks

1. Kawhi Leonard was clutch…again

If there are two things you can rely on from the Toronto Raptors’ superstar in this series, it’s that he will score 30-plus points on a heavy amount playing time, and that when the game is on the line, he will come out clutch.

An counterargument can be made for his two points on 0-for-3 shooting in the fourth quarter of Game 1 when it was close, but we can confidently chalk that performance up as fatigue from a long, drawn-out, physical series against the Philadelphia 76ers just a few days prior. In the second overtime of Game 3, Leonard scored eight of the team’s 15 points. His teammates and head coach Nick Nurse had a multitude of praises for him after the game.

https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1130347158849433600

In the series, Leonard is averaging 32.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game on 46.0 percent shooting from the field and 31.7 percent from deep. His offense makes him a star in this league, but his defense allows him to reach superstar/MVP status.

In the final stretches of the game, he was fantastic on both ends of the floor, with his steal on Middleton leading to the emphatic jam being one of two winning plays down the stretch. He was involved in the other play as well, leading a fast break for a bucket after Siakam’s massive block.

Leonard got his support Sunday night, and the Raptors were able to give their home crowd — inside and outside the arena — something to smile about.

The must-needed Game 3 win puts the Raptors in a position to tie up the series in Game 4 Tuesday night. Leonard will surely be in the forefront, leading his team throughout the game, especially in clutch situations.