Kawhi Leonard, Raptors Hold off Russell Westbrook, Thunder in OT Win

The Toronto Raptors held off a late comeback to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder 123-114 in overtime at Chesapeake Energy Arena in OKC on Wednesday night.

Pascal Siakam led the way for the Raptors with 33 points and 13 rebounds, with Kawhi Leonard contributing 22 points and 10 boards to the victory.

Russell Westbrook recorded 42 points, six assists and 11 rebounds in a losing effort for the Thunder, and Paul George added 19 points, six assists and five rebounds.

Raptors' Balanced Attack Will Make Them Tough Playoff Out

Leonard has the ability to take over any game, but it's the team's depth that will make Toronto a tough out come playoff time.

The Raptors' balanced attack was on full display on Wednesday night. They managed to put 39 points on the Thunder in the first quarter as seven different players got on the board. Their team effort was best exemplified by the fact that they recorded assists on 15 of their first 21 baskets.

Toronto continued to pull away as it showed off its depth. As four players recorded 15-plus points through the first 36 minutes, the lead swelled to 12.

And all of this was done without point guard Kyle Lowry, who was out with an ankle injury.

Siakam led the way all night, but Leonard, Danny Green (17 points) and Fred VanVleet (21) also provided plenty of support. In fact, all five starters reached double figures, with Marc Gasol adding 10. That's not even mentioning contributions from Jeremy Lin (six), Serge Ibaka (six) and OG Anunoby (six).

On this night, the Raptors shot 51.7 percent from the floor as a team while knocking down 14 shots from three-point range. 

That type of balance is tough for any team to slow down, even a playoff-caliber team like the Thunder. 

The scariest part? This team becomes even deeper with a healthy Lowry.

There may come a point during the postseason when Toronto will need Leonard to play hero ball. But as long as the team gives an all-around team effort like Wednesday night, there will not be much pressure on Leonard to be a one-man show.

Late-Season Swoon No Reason to Panic for OKC

Wednesday's defeat marked Oklahoma City's fourth consecutive defeat and 11th in its last 16 games. And yet, there is no reason for the team to push the panic button.

It was just one month ago that the Thunder were closing in on the All-Star break having piled up 11 wins in 12 contests. They lost their final game before the break and have not been able to recapture their momentum.

There was a promising sign late in the loss to Toronto. The Raptors took a 20-point lead early in the second half and held a 14-point lead with seven minutes to play in the fourth. However, the Thunder refused to give up and found a way to get back in the game. Ultimately, they tied the game up in the final seconds of regulation to force overtime.

Unlike Toronto, OKC managed to rally behind a star-driven attack. Not only did Westbrook drop a game-high 42 points, but George showed why he is an MVP candidate by recording nine points during a 64-second stretch during the closing minutes of regulation.

That set the table for Westbrook to even the score.

OKC didn't have enough gas to complete the come-from-behind victory, scoring just four points in the extra session. But that doesn't mean there wasn't some positives to take away from the game.

Eight of the Thunder's losses during their recent slump have come against teams that currently have ahold of a playoff spot. That includes matchups against the Raptors, the Philadelphia Sixers, the Denver Nuggets and the Golden State Warriors.

Sure, Oklahoma City will have to find a way to beat teams of this caliber in the playoffs. But for a team that was 37-19 and is still seven games clear of the ninth-place Sacramento Kings, there has been very little meaning to the regular season.

Now, the Thunder will find themselves needing to take care of business down the stretch if they want to avoid first-round meeting with the two-time defending champs. At 42-30, they are now in a three-way tie for sixth place in the West.

Oklahoma City has proved to be a streaky team this season. It has five winning streaks consisting of four-plus games, including a pair of seven-gamers. This is a squad that has proved it can take down top competition like the Warriors, the Sixers and the Houston Rockets.

Although Wednesday night resulted in another loss, OKC coach Billy Donovan has to be encouraged by the fight he saw out of his team.

What's Next

The two teams will now head north of the border to complete their home-and-home, with Toronto (51-21) hosting Oklahoma City (42-30) on Friday night.