Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors notched a career-high, 45 points against the Utah Jazz.
The 27-year-old defensive stalwart was 16-of-22 from the field and 13-of-17 from the free throw line. Apart from his scoring outburst, Leonard also had six rebounds and one assist. This was enough to lock in a victory, 116-122. The Raptors have won two straight games and have a 28-11 record.
š FINAL SCORE THREAD š
Kawhi Leonard puts up a career-high 45 PTS on 16-22 FGM to fuel the @Raptors victory over UTA at home!#WeTheNorth 122#TeamIsEverything 116
Pascal Siakam: 28 PTS (career-high)
Jae Crowder: 30 PTS (career-high) pic.twitter.com/rBMs9ksGGKā NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2019
Leonard picked things up in the third quarter where he scored 19 points without a single miss. Check out the clip below where Leonard showcased his offensive arsenal. It seemed that he could score anytime he wanted.
Kawhi (34 PTS) goes for 19 PTS in the 3rd quarter on a perfect 7-7 from the field! #WeTheNorth @NBATV pic.twitter.com/Uy9de4xtA9
ā NBA (@NBA) January 2, 2019
Apart from Leonard, teammate Pascal Siakam also had a big night with a career-high, 28 points. The Raptors had to pick up the slack as their star guard Kyle Lowry was sidelined for his fourth consecutive game due to a back injury. The Raptors will head to Texas face up against Leonard's former team, the San Antonio Spurs.
The Jazz, for their part, had five players in double-figures in points, led by Jae Crowder who dropped 30 points ā a career-high. Derrick Favors had 21 points while second-year man Donovan Mitchell chipped in 19 points. The Jazz will move on to the second game of their four-game road trip on Friday as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers.