Kawhi Leonard has reached Michael Jordan levels of NBA playoff domination

Thomas Schlarp

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Kawhi Leonard has reached Michael Jordan levels of NBA playoff domination image

If you witnessed the ending to Game 7 of the 76ers-Raptors series on Sunday night, you're well aware of quite possibly the most clutch shot in Canadian basketball history.

The author of that dagger, Kawhi Leonard, has put together a stretch of postseason basketball that hasn't been seen for over 25 years. Not since the likes of Michael Jordan has one player been so dominant — and that's not just hyperbole in the wake of a wild fadeaway jumper.

MORE: NBA players react to Kawhi Leonard's improbable game-winner

No, Leonard isn't quite on the same level as MJ, but the statistics he's been putting up through 12 games this postseason certainly merit a comparison.

Leonard's shot from the corner put him in elite company with Jordan, making him just the second player in NBA history with a game-winning buzzer-beater in a winner-take-all playoff game. Jordan was the only other player to do it back in Game 5 in the first round of the 1989 NBA playoffs.

Then there's the sheer load of points Leonard has been pouring in for the Raptors, particularly in the second-round series against Philadelphia. His 243 points are the third-most in NBA history in a single playoff series, trailing only Jordan's 246 in 1993 and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 260 in 1977.

With little help from the rest of Toronto's roster, Leonard has had to lift the offense all by himself. What's even more remarkable about his game-winner was that it was his 39th shot of the night. As a team, the Raptors only took 89 field-goal attempts in Game 7.

Leonard is averaging 31.8 points per game in the playoffs so far, trailing only Kevin Durant among players still active in the postseason. While he wasn't nearly as efficient in Game 7, Leonard is shooting almost 54 percent from the floor and over 40 percent from 3. He gets it done on the defensive end, too. Per Basketball Reference, his 0.8 defensive win shares are the most in these playoffs.

And even better, regardless of whatever insane play Leonard makes, he never breaks character. He's a straight assassin like MJ. Just watch his postgame interview with TNT seconds after hitting the biggest shot of his life.

While he may only have one NBA championship ring and one Finals MVP award (both in 2012) — a far cry from Jordan's six in both categories — at the age of 27 and eight wins from another Larry O'Brien Trophy, it's hard to just laugh off those Leonard-Jordan comparisons.

Thomas Schlarp