Toronto Raptors fans showered Kawhi Leonard with “MVP” chants as he dominated the opening game of the series against the Philadelphia 76ers and now the pressure is on Philly to find an answer for Toronto’s do-it-all forward. The Raptors opened as 6.5-point favourites for Game 2 after running the Sixers off the court on Saturday with a 108-95 victory.

NBA Playoffs Point Spread and Betting Analysis

As the Raptors struggled to cover point spreads for most of the regular season, supporters held hope that when games really mattered, this team would be able to flip the switch. Consider the switch flipped. The Dinos have now won five in a row (4-1 against the spread) while limiting their opponents to fewer than 96 points in each of those games. It’s that commitment to defence that is becoming this team’s identity. Toronto has now played under the posted total in six of its last seven.

Philadelphia didn’t seem ready for Toronto’s in-your-face defence in the opener. The 76ers had no problem filling the bucket in their previous series against the Brooklyn Nets, but they are going to have to up their intensity, attention to detail, and make the most of their looks if they’re going to hang with the red-hot Raptors.

Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers never found their groove in Game 1. Joel Embiid was held to 16 points on 5-of-18 shooting and the team as a whole shot only 39 percent from the floor and 34 percent from downtown. If it weren’t for J.J. Redick getting hot for a stretch in the second half Saturday’s game could have gotten out of hand. Redick had a team-high 17 points, hitting five of his 12 trey attempts.

Toronto Raptors

If you really want to know how important Kawhi Leonard is to this Raptors team, you don’t have to look at the numbers. You just have to ask point guard Kyle Lowry. “His approach is really, really focused and I think we as a team have taken a lot from him,” Lowry told reporters of Leonard. “No highs, no lows, just going straight for it. That’s one thing he’s brought here is that straight focus.”

There is a different feel about this Raptors team now that they’re in playoff mode. They aren’t giving up any easy looks and are making the most of every possession. They’re sharing the ball at the offensive end and defending the bucket like their lives depend on it. If they can continue to keep Embiid contained, the Raps should be heading to the City of Brotherly Love with a 2-0 series lead.

76ERS

Away

104

RAPTORS

Home

112

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