Raptors rout Magic in Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference First Round to even the series at 1-1. For game coverage, go to
Magic struggle during Game 2 blowout loss to Raptors, return home with playoff series tied 1-1
TORONTO — The Orlando Magic expected the Toronto Raptors’ best shot in Game 2.
They certainly got it, and Kawhi Leonard delivered the biggest blow.
Leonard finished with 37 points, and the Raptors scored the first 11 points of the game and rode the early momentum to a 111-82 victory over the Magic in Game 2 of their opening-round playoff series on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena.
Point guard Kyle Lowry — scoreless in the series opener — finished with 22 points and seven assists, and Pascal Siakam finished with 19 points to lead the Raptors, who tied the best-of-7 series at 1-1.
Leonard had 34 points on 14-for-18 shooting after three quarters as the Raptors shot 54.5 percent and led 90-66.
Aaron Gordon finished with 20 points while Terrence Ross had 15 points — all in the first half — for the Magic.
Magic center and leading scorer Nikola Vucevic struggled for the second straight game. He finished with just six points, nearly 15 below his season scoring average.
Still, the Magic leave Toronto with a split and can turn their attention to playing in front of their fans. Game 3 will be Friday at Amway Center — the first playoff game in Orlando since 2012.
But Tuesday belonged to the Raptors, whose defense simply overwhelmed the Magic in the first half. They managed just 39 points and shot 32.5 percent.
Leonard, whose playoff career-high of 43 points came April 22, 2017, against the Grizzlies, scored eight of the Raptors’ first 11 points and wound up with 17 at halftime.
The Magic missed their first six shots and committed four turnovers before a Gordon dunk finally got them on the board. They twice pulled within six (24-18 and 29-23), but after Lowry converted a scooping reverse layup to put the Raptors up 34-23, the Magic couldn’t get the deficit under double digits.
It was more uphill climbing for the Magic in the second half. Marc Gasol’s third 3-pointer of the third quarter extended the lead to 79-54. The lead reached as many as 34 points in the fourth quarter.