Kawhi Leonard put on a show at the end of the second quarter with a thunderous dunk. Then, near the end of the third quarter, he did it again at the expense of Joel Embiid. Check out the incredible explosion Leonard showed off as he posterized Embiid.<doc-sep>Kawhi Leonard is showing why the Toronto Raptors made the right decision when the team traded for him despite the chance of losing him for nothing in free agency. Leonard has been on a tear for the Raptors in their 2019 Eastern Conference Semis series against the Philadelphia 76ers. The 27-year-old superstar was a highlight machine in Game 5, making awesome plays, including a poster dunk over Sixers superstar Joel Embiid. Late in the third quarter of Game 5 on Tuesday, Leonard went past Ben Simmons and Mike Scott. He found Embiid protecting the rim, but it did not matter as Leonard threw down a one-handed flush over the Cameroonian center to the delight of the crowd inside the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Kawhi Leonard put down one more dunk on Embiid for good measure pic.twitter.com/0HSFIG8CUy — Dime (@DimeUPROXX) May 8, 2019 Before the half ended, Leonard also threw a sick jam over two defenders that punctuated a dominant performance for the Raptors in the second period. They did not look back, as they ran away with a 125-89 win over the Sixers. Leonard finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds on top of four rebounds and two steals. On the other hand, Embiid finished with just 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting and committed a team-high eight turnovers. The Raptors and the 76ers will collide again on Thursday in Philadelphia.<doc-sep>Kawhi Leonard is doing it again. He pu t up a 13-and-10 double-double before halftime of Game 5 of the 76ers-Raptors conference semifinal series, with three assists and a pair of steals. It’s not clear tonight that the Raptors even require all these damn heroics—they’re up 21 at the half and the Sixers look extremely demoralized—but just to make the point, Kawhi finished the second quarter with this ferocious poster dunk over two 76ers: Ben Simmons and J.J. Redick were quiet in the first half , Joel Embiid is shitting and farting all over the place, and only a productive free-throw performance from Jimmy Butler kept the first half from being an even bloodier bloodbath. The Raptors appear to be hitting their stride ( even Fred VanVleet made a bucket), but there’s no need to be rude about it!<doc-sep>Mark Blinch/Getty Images Pascal Siakam scored a game-high 25 points and Kawhi Leonard added a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double as the No. 2 Toronto Raptors crushed the No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers 125-89 in Game 5 of their NBA Eastern Conference second-round playoff series on Tuesday. Jimmy Butler posted 22 points and seven assists for the 76ers, who trail the Raptors 3-2. Joel Embiid had 13 points, six rebounds and eight turnovers. The Raptors outscored the 76ers 37-17 in the second quarter and never led by fewer than 13 points for the remainder of the game. All Toronto starters scored in double digits: Kyle Lowry had 19, Danny Green knocked down five three-pointers en route to his 17 and Marc Gasol pitched in 11. Siakam's Level of Play Will Determine Raptors' Ceiling Toronto won largely because Philadelphia couldn't come close to matching its energy level. Video Play Button Videos you might like No Raptors encapsulated that notion more than Siakam, who will determine whether the Raptors endure another disappointing Eastern Conference postseason finish or make (and perhaps win) the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. The boundless energy was on full display Tuesday. On defense, Siakam once again made his presence felt, contributing two steals and going up high for a block on a James Ennis layup attempt: Not long after, Siakam sprinted past a slow-reacting 76ers defense like he was Philadelphia Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson running a go route and slammed the ball home for two. Siakam has been a significant problem thanks to his 20.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals this series. He's playing at a greater speed than any of his opponents, and that's a serious issue for the 76ers as they try to fight back. The question is whether Siakam can lead Toronto to greater heights. If the Raptors move on, they'll likely face the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks, who lead the No. 4 Boston Celtics 3-1 in their best-of-seven series. Not much needs to be said about the excellent play and energy of future NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who can light up the Bucks' home crowd at any moment's notice with a play that only he can pull off, like taking one dribble past the half-court line and dunking right past the free-throw line. But Siakam is the type of player who can match that energy on either end thanks to a powerful dunk, a backbreaking three or a block or steal to kill off the opposing team's momentum. The Raptors haven't had a player this decade who looks like he plays a touch faster than everyone else, and they have that now in a much-improved Siakam, who has been exceptional in his third NBA season. The same goes for any of the West opponents who could play Toronto if the Raps get to the NBA Finals. The Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Denver Nuggets are first, second, fourth and ninth in offensive efficiency and can run a team out of the gym in a few minutes. But Siakam is the type of player who can quell a rally with his exceptional defense. Check out what he did here versus Butler, for instance: Ultimately, Siakam is one of the league's most unsung players. He is second among all qualified power forwards in real plus-minus wins, per ESPN.com. His player efficiency rating and true shooting percentage are second on the Raptors, per Basketball Reference. Finally, he's averaging more points per game in this second-round series than anyone not named Kawhi Leonard. The stage doesn't seem big for Siakam, and that's bad news for the NBA. If he keeps it up, the Raps have a championship ceiling. 76ers Can't Win Game 6 Unless Simmons Goes into Attack Mode One mid-third-quarter play perfectly encapsulated Game 5. To set the scene, the 76ers opened the frame on a 10-2 run to pull within 66-53. After Leonard missed a mid-range jumper, 76ers point guard Ben Simmons grabbed a rebound and immediately took off down the court. Initially, it looked as though Simmons could go coast to coast or find an open teammate for an open look. If nothing else, he could have pulled the ball back out and reset the offense. However, Simmons got caught in the middle and lofted a pass that Siakam deflected to Lowry, who coasted for an easy layup. Run over. Momentum gone. Game soon out of reach. Granted, the 76ers lost for more reasons than Simmons' turnover and his rough night (seven points on 3-of-5 shooting, five turnovers). The team defense left a lot to be desired, specifically on a first-half-ending Leonard dunk. Embiid played sick and injured and was clearly not 100 percent. The bench gave the 76ers little, and backup center Greg Monroe even hoisted an ill-advised three-pointer on a broken possession. However, Simmons is the straw that stirs the drink. This team can't win without him returning to the nightly triple-double threat he was during the regular season. And to do that, he needs to go into attack mode. Butler told the media after Game 4 that he has implored Simmons to attack: And 76ers head coach Brett Brown noted it as well: "He is a track star in the open court; he's 6'10". His length and ability to get to the rim, we encourage all day, every day. It's where he can most significantly offensively stamp his thumbprint on the game. I think in general, it's difficult in the playoffs to get those kind of opportunities, even as good as he is, as frequently. I just finished watching the game. There were a few times maybe he could have gone a step further or tried to draw contact with a strong finish or a dunk. I don't think it's anything that's bothersome. I do feel like the green light in this environment is something he always knows that he has. ... This is where we want to get him going as much as we can, in those first three to five seconds of a shot clock."<doc-sep>
The Toronto Raptors blew out the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 to take a 3-2 series lead. Kawhi Leonard once again led the way for the Raptors, throwing down two massive dunks on the Sixers while posting 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists. Leonard has dominated the matchup with the Sixers and now has the Raptors just one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals. Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories. The Toronto Raptors moved closer to the Eastern Conference Finals with a massive, 125-89 Game 5 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. They now lead the series 3-2. Though the Raptors got much better overall production from their entire team, it was once again Kawhi Leonard who made the standout plays. To close the second half, Leonard brought the ball across mid-court, ran the clock down, then drove to the basket, slithering through the 76ers defense to create a sudden hole for a massive dunk. —NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 8, 2019 Note how Kyle Lowry scrambled to set a second screen on Joel Embiid which freed up Leonard for the dunk. It served as a snapshot of the Raptors chemistry in the blowout win. via TNT/NBA In the second half, Leonard made another statement, with a slightly less explosive, but nonetheless demoralizing, dunk on Joel Embiid. The play somewhat summarized Leonard's series so far — poised and slipping, fooling Embiid with the hesitation before rising up over him. —NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 8, 2019 Leonard finished the game with a modest line of 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He was a +20 for the game, and the Raptors have now outscored the 76ers by 46, a large margin when considering the overall difference between the two teams in the series is just 28. Leonard is averaging 34.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4 assists per game on 58% shooting. The Sixers have had no answer for him, and will need to hunt for one heading into a do-or-die Game 6.