Kyle Lowry says team-mate Kawhi Leonard was 'in the groove' in Raptors Game 2 romp over Magic

Kyle Lowry said his team-mate Kawhi Leonard was in a groove as he powered his way to 37 points in the Toronto Raptor's Game 2 win over the Orlando Magic

Kyle Lowry said his team-mate Kawhi Leonard was "in the groove" as he starred in the Toronto Raptors' series-levelling 111-82 Game 2 romp over the Orlando Magic.

Playoff Picture: How things stand

How do the first-round series currently stand?

Tuesday night's scores

  • Orlando Magic 82-111 Toronto Raptors - Series tied 1-1
  • San Antonio Spurs 105-114 Denver Nuggets - Series tied 1-1
  • Oklahoma City Thunder 94-114 Portland Trail Blazers - Blazers lead 2-0

Leonard dominated Orlando pouring home 37 points on 15-of-22 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three-point range, as the Raptors gave the perfect response to their shock 104-101 Game 1 loss.

Speaking after the game, Raptors point guard Lowry said of Leonard: "He has been aggressive all series in the games so far. Tonight he was just in the groove.

Kawhi Leonard poured in 37 points as the Toronto Raptors hammered the Orlando Magic in Game 2 to level their first-round playoff series

"He's a player who knows where he wants to be on the floor. When he gets to those spots it is pretty tough to guard him."

Leonard's evening could have been very different had Raptors coach Nick Nurse not taken the risk of leaving him in the game after the former San Antonio Spurs star was whistled for his third foul just two minutes into the second quarter.

Advertisement

Play NBA Playoff Challenge

Sign up and register to win prizes by making your NBA Playoff predictions

"At that point, we were off to a good start. We were imposing our will in the game," Nurse said. "I figured I would roll the dice so that our will could continue to be imposed."

Leonard took the foul trouble in his stride. He said: "I just stuck in. I knew I didn't foul too much in the regular season. I kept on just trying to play my game."

Also See:

Follow Sky Sports NBA on Twitter

See the NBA's best plays and stay up to date with the latest news

He did that in fine style as the Raptors built a 13-point half-time lead and extended their advantage to 25 points at the end of the third quarter, effectively ending the game as a contest.

Magic forward Aaron Gordon, who finished the night with 20 points and five rebounds, discussed the difficulty Orlando had handling Leonard.

Get NBA news on your phone

Want the latest NBA news, features and highlights on your phone? Find out more

"He is using the pick-and-rolls very well," Gordon said. "He is getting to his spots and knocking down shots. [He produced] a really efficient game tonight.

"I've got to do my part to make it more difficult for him in Orlando."

Game three takes place in Orlando late on Friday night (midnight).

Want to watch the NBA but don't have Sky Sports? Get the Sky Sports Action and Arena pack, click here.

Outbrain