Kawhi Leonard Explodes for 39 as Raptors Beat Joel Embiid, 76ers to Even Series

The Toronto Raptors acquired Kawhi Leonard last summer to raise their playoff ceiling.

Leonard's done his part.

The Raptors star had 39 points and 14 rebounds and Marc Gasol added 16 points, leading Toronto to a 101-96 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 at Wells Fargo Center on Sunday. The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2 going back to Toronto.

Leonard turned in yet another sterling performance but did not get much help. Kyle Lowry finished with 14 points and seven assists, struggling down the stretch after a strong start. Pascal Siakam, who was dealing with a calf contusion, had nine points on 2-of-10 shooting in his worst performance of the postseason.

The Raptors won thanks in large part to quiet games from Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Embiid, who was dealing with flu-like symptoms, was almost a nonexistent factor on the offensive end with 11 points and seven assists. It's the third time in four games Embiid has been held under 20 points.

Simmons scored 10 points, adding five rebounds and four assists.

Sixers Need More Consistent Offensive Production From Embiid to Make Finals

First, an acknowledgment: Embiid is hurt. Knee tendinitis is no joke. It can flare up at any time, be fine some days and others make your leg be in a state of constant pain. There's no real rhyme or reason, and the only cure is rest.

Embiid has no time to rest. So what the Sixers get is whatever he's able to give them on that day.

Three of the four games in this series, that has not been nearly enough. Embiid was an offensive ghost Sunday. The infectious, dominant force who carried the Sixers in Game 3 was nowhere to be found and was replaced with a timid, slow shell of himself.

The Raptors used double-teams to get the ball out of his hands, and Embiid was a willing passer with seven assists. But he was 2-of-7 shooting the ball and did not have the same lift in his legs he did just days prior. Embiid played less than 25 minutes in three of his four games against the Brooklyn Nets and has been under the 20-point mark three times against Toronto.

The Sixers could survive with Embiid being less than 100 percent against Brooklyn. They can't do the same against the upper echelon in the East.

Four games into this series, we can pretty comfortably say the ideal version of the Sixers defeats the ideal version of the Raptors. It's taken Leonard turning into prime Michael Jordan to even the series, even turning in a trio of duds.

Embiid is the Sixers' best and most important player. He can be a two-way ecosystem, capable of dominating the paint defensively while possessing arguably the most varied offensive game of any big in the NBA. The on-off splits don't lie; Embiid is one of the most singularly effective players in basketball. The Sixers were still plus-17 with him on the floor in Game 4.

The muted version of Embiid just isn't enough to push the Sixers to where they need to go.

Kawhi Leonard Has Been MVP of 2019 Playoffs

Kevin Durant's the only player in Leonard's stratosphere in these playoffs, but it's still not close. The Raptors are asking Leonard to carry a Jordanian load on the offensive end while being a dominant, switchable, smart player on the defensive end.

And Leonard is exceeding everything the Raptors ask.

The calculated, cold-blooded nature of Leonard's game, particularly on the offensive end, is a marvel. There are no wasted motions. He takes the exact amount of dribbles he needs to get to his spot, pulls up with perfect form and is seemingly knocking down every shot he's taken.

Kawhi Leonard is a basketball instructional video brought to life.

Whether he returns to Toronto this summer is irrelevant at this point. Leonard is the best player ever to wear a Raptors uniform, prime Vince Carter included. (*ducks to avoid being hit in the head with a plate of poutine*)

If Leonard does not return, the Raptors will have no one to blame but a supporting cast that can't stop shooting itself in the foot. Siakam injured himself to the point of irrelevance, likely when tripping Embiid. Lowry's been a shell of himself to the point this 14-point, seven-assist effort feels like a step in the right direction. Guys like Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell have proven unplayable, and Danny Green can't hit an open shot.

Leonard is single-handedly keeping the Raptors alive when nearly everyone else on this team is folding. It's something to behold and appreciate.

What's Next?

The teams reconvene Tuesday night in Toronto.