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Every once in a while, a team needs an opponent like this year’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Raptors haven’t had it easy recently, with a West Coast road trip, a string of tough opponents, a condensed schedule and a barrage of injuries.
But facing the Cavaliers, now 8-25, Toronto looked unencumbered in a 126-110 win, even without Kyle Lowry (thigh), Serge Ibaka (knee), Jonas Valanciunas (thumb) and Danny Green (knee).
It wasn’t anywhere near the Raptors’ best defensive showing — they let Cleveland shoot 48.1 per cent from the field and gave up 41 points in the third quarter — but the team rarely looked threatened.
Kawhi Leonard led the charge with 37 points, tying a seasonhigh, shooting 12-of-16 from the
floor and 11-of-12 from the freethrow line. And Toronto had the opportunity to get some of Toronto’s depth players trending in the right direction. OG Anunoby had 21 points in 22 minutes, and Norm Powell, looking like his old self after injury troubles, had a seasonhigh 11 points.
á Close range: Toronto dominated in the paint, outscoring the Cavaliers 66-48. Leonard made the game look easy, regularly bulldozing the young Cleveland team and rookie point guard Collin Sexton as he drove to the rim. Coach Nick Nurse said he has seen more direct attacks from Leonard as he gets more comfortable with the Raptors’ offence. “He is an extremely strong person ... (In practice,) just messing around, bumping into him here and there when he’s going to the basket, it doesn’t take you long to get out of the way.”
á A for Anunoby: Nurse used the Toronto’s injury problems to give Anunoby a start and, hopefully, a jump-start. He had only scored in double digits once since Nov. 25. “We’re all pulling together to make sure he gets there,” Nurse said. It looked like his teammates were keen to get Anunoby on the scoreboard early. Anunoby was responsible for 13 of Toronto’s first 17 points while tying his career high of 21, and he threw down a showstopping dunk in the fourth quarter. It was his third career 20-point game. á Feeling out the five: Injuries also meant a position change for Pascal Siakam, who started at centre for the first time this season. Siakam played extended minutes in the role in the second half of Wednesday’s win over the Indiana Pacers and Nurse admired his preparedness. “I wouldn’t have known that he knew everything we were doing at the five,” he said. “I was super impressed ... We ran a whole bunch of sets and out-of-bounds (plays), and he knew them all.” Siakam had 15 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Greg Monroe came off the bench.
á Up next: A visit to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Leonard will sit, but Lowry and Green could return to the lineup.