The Toronto Raptors managed to secure their first championship in franchise history after closing out the Golden State Warriors in six games. It seems forward Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam also managed to etch out their names in the record books alongside Chicago Bulls legends Michal Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
Both Leonard and Siakam served as the primary catalyst in Toronto's upset victory over Golden State. their combined 1,187 points tied Jordan and Pippen for second-most by a duo in playoff history, via ESPN Stats & Info:
Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam combined for 1,187 points this postseason, tied with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen for 2nd-most by a duo in a single postseason in NBA history.
Only LeBron James and Dwyane Wade had more in 2012 (1,222).
There is no question that Leonard's heroics played the biggest part in Toronto's championship run. He was tasked with carrying the workload on both ends of the floor early on as his teammates tried to find their footing. He finished the postseason averaging 30.5 points on 49 percent shooting from the field. He also managed to tack on 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1,7 steals per game as well. As a result, he was ultimately awarded Finals MVP, becoming the first player in NBA history to win it in both conferences.
Regardless, Leonard could not have done it without a strong supporting cast. Although guards Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet managed to do their part, it was Siakam that proved to be the x-factor in this series. His versatile skill set allowed him to take full advantage of Golden State's attention on Leonard. He overcame his struggled early on to average 19.0 points and 7.1 rebounds on 47 percent shooting this series. It is safe to say that he is due for some heavy hardware this offseason.
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