Monday 22 April 2019 07:04, UK
Kawhi Leonard scored 34 points - 12 in the third quarter - as the visiting Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic 107-85 on Sunday night to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series.
The Raptors can clinch the best-of-seven series on Tuesday by winning Game 5 in Toronto.
Pascal Siakam added 16 points for Toronto, while Norman Powell scored 16 points and Serge Ibaka had 13 points and gathered eight rebounds. Kyle Lowry contributed nine points and nine assists.
Aaron Gordon scored 25 points and had seven rebounds for the Magic. Evan Fournier added 19 points, while Nikola Vucevic scored 11 points.
The Raptors, who led by 19 during the third quarter, took a 12-point advantage into the fourth and used a 10-point run capped by Ibaka's hook shot to go on top by 21 with 6:06 remaining in the game. They went on to lead by as many as 25.
Orlando scored the first seven points of the game, but Toronto used an 8-0 run to lead by five to surge back for a 28-26 lead after the first quarter.
After the Magic tied the game at 31 in the third minute of the second quarter, the Raptors built a six-point lead with 7:07 to play in the first half on three-pointers by Ibaka and Powell.
Siakam completed the scoring in the first half with his second straight three-pointer to give the Raptors a 58-42 lead.
Leonard scored 18 first-half points, and Siakam added 12 as the Raptors shot 56.4 per cent from the field. Fournier had nine for the Magic, who shot 45 per cent in the first half.
The Raptors led by 19 on Leonard's layup early in the third quarter, but the Magic reduced the margin to 13 with a 6-0 surge capped by Gordon's steal and dunk with 6:37 remaining.
After the Raptors worked their lead back to 18, the Magic came back to cut it to 10 points on Gordon's jumper and free throw with 2:06 left in the third.
The Raptors led 82-70 after the third quarter, which ended with Orlando's Terrence Ross hitting a 33-foot three-pointer.
Game 5 takes place in Toronto late on Tuesday night (midnight).
