The Toronto Raptors dominated the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, coming away with a 108-95 victory. The Raptors did it despite only two players accounting for nearly 69% of their points, as Kawhi Leonard poured in a playoff career-high 45 points and Pascal Siakam added 29 points.
No other Raptors scored in double figures, but it didn't matter thanks to the dominance of Leonard and Siakam. Leonard shot 16-of-23 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. Siakam was a ridiculously efficient 12-of-15 from the field.
Toronto's outstanding defense also played a role in the dominance, with Leonard and Siakam helping out on that end as Philly shot under 40%. But don't forget about Marc Gasol, who helped fluster Sixers star Joel Embiid into a poor game. Embiid had just 16 points on 5-of-18 shooting, and he was especially ineffective against Gasol:
Embiid versus Gasol last night: 3 points on 29 total possessions, 1-8 FGM-A, 1 assist.
— (((Eric Koreen))) (@ekoreen) April 28, 2019
Gasol only had eight points and four rebounds in 26 minutes, but he finished with a game-high plus-29 plus-minus. The Raptors acquired Gasol with a playoff matchup against Embiid in mind, and the Spaniard delivered in Game 1.
Toronto will now try to take a commanding 2-0 series lead when the two teams face off again on Monday. The Raptors may be hoping for a bit more balanced scoring, but it won't matter if Leonard and Siakam continue to dominate on both ends of the court, with Gasol chipping in his contributions.
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