NBA Playoffs 2019: Five stats to know from Kawhi Leonard's epic Game 4 performance

Scott Rafferty

NBA Playoffs 2019: Five stats to know from Kawhi Leonard's epic Game 4 performance image

Kawhi Leonard was spectacular for the Raptors in Game 4. In 42 minutes of play, he led Toronto to a much-needed win over the Philadelphia 76ers with a game-high 39 points.

Leonard came up big down the stretch with eight points in the fourth quarter, three of which came on a 3-pointer over Joel Embiid with a minute to play that basically sealed the deal.

The series is now tied at 2-2, with Game 5 to be played in Toronto on Tuesday.

For more on Leonard's night, here are five stats to know about how incredible he has been in these playoffs...

2: How many players have posted Leonard's Game 4 stat line before

In addition to scoring 39 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the 3-point line, Leonard grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out five assists in Toronto's Game 4 victory. According to Basketball Reference, it's numbers — 3-pointers made included — we've only seen from two players before in the postseason.

Russell Westbrook did it most recently, when he recorded 45 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in Game 5 against the Utah Jazz last season. Kevin Durant is the only player to have done it before Westbrook, when he finished with 39 points, 16 rebounds and five assists in Game 6 against the LA Clippers in 2014.

6: How many 30-point games Leonard has in these playoffs

Leonard has now scored 30 points in six of Toronto's eight games in these playoffs. According to Basketball Reference, it's the most in a single postseason in Raptors franchise history, besting both Kyle Lowry (5) and DeMar DeRozan (5).

What's impressive is how efficient Leonard has been in those games. He's combined to make 82 of his 131 field goal attempts (62.6 percent) and 19 of his 41 3-point attempts (46.3 percent).

He's also knocked down 40 of his 47 free throw attempts (85.1 percent).

42: How many minutes Leonard played in Game 4

It's the most minutes Leonard has played in regulation with the Raptors, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.

The four games in which Leonard played more minutes this season went into overtime, his season-high (44 minutes and 59 seconds) being Toronto's double overtime win over the Washington Wizards on Jan. 13, 2019.

It's games like this that make all the ones Leonard missed in the regular season due to "load management" worthwhile.

60.0: Leonard's shooting percentage from midrange

He attempted only five shots from midrange in Game 4, but Leonard is now 24-for-40 from that distance in these playoffs. It's a remarkable clip considering almost a quarter of his shot attempts through eight games have come from midrange.


Many of those shots have been heavily contested, too. With his size and length, there just isn't much any defender — not even ones as athletic as Aaron Gordon or as long as Ben Simmons — can do to prevent him from getting to his spots and shooting over them.

26: How many years it's been since we last saw someone dominate a series like Leonard

This one comes from Elias Sports. Leonard is now only the fifth player in NBA history to total at least 150 points, 30 rebounds and 15 assists through four games of a playoff series.

The four other players are Hall of Famers: Michael Jordan (1993), Rick Barry (1967), Wilt Chamberlain (1962) and Elgin Baylor (1961).

Those numbers give Leonard averages of 38.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists as the series returns to Toronto for Game 5.

Include his shooting percentages and Leonard is in a class of his own:


Scott Rafferty

Scott Rafferty Photo

 

Scott Rafferty is an experienced NBA journalist who first started writing for The Sporting News in 2017. There are few things he appreciates more than a Nikola Jokic no-look pass, Klay Thompson heat check or Giannis Antetokounmpo eurostep. He's a member of the NBA Global team.