Wednesday 17 April 2019 16:26, UK
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.
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.
"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.
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."
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.
"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).
