The Toronto Raptors were a complete mess on both ends of the floor in Game 1 of this series, but that hasn’t been the case in the last three games. Toronto has responded by winning each of the last three games and will look to close out the series with a victory in Game 5. Both of these teams have been terrific on defense, and fans should expect another low-scoring game in this one back in Toronto.
Toronto came into the playoffs as the second seed in the Eastern Conference, and they have dreams of reaching the NBA Finals. Orlando snapped a long postseason drought with a playoff appearance this season, but have looked overmatched in each of the last three games.
Toronto is an -11.5 point favorite over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the series.
Leonard Is Carrying Raptors
The Toronto Raptors traded for Kawhi Leonard in the offseason, and it is paying huge dividends so far in this series. Leonard is leading the Raptors with 28.0 points per game, and he absolutely dominated Game 4 to push the Raptors into this position. Toronto is shooting close to 48 percent from the floor so far against the Magic, and Leonard getting to the basket at will has been a huge reason for these terrific numbers.
Toronto was a top-10 defensive team during the regular season, but they have stepped up their game in the last three contests. The Raptors are averaging nine steals per game, and they had the Magic searching for answers in Game 4. Serge Ibaka is averaging 1.5 blocks per game and has done a great job of defending Nikola Vucevic. The Raptors are getting the job done on both ends of the floor.
Magic Must Make Some Shots
The Orlando Magic averaged just 107.3 points per game during the regular season, and their offense has come up short in the last couple of games. Orlando is shooting just 30 percent from the three-point line as a team, and that won’t get the job done in Game 5 against the Raptors. Shooting guard Evan Fournier is making just 25 percent of his three-point shots and is averaging just 13.0 points per game. Orlando needs to shoot a ton better in Game 5 if they are going to extend this series.
All-Star center Nikola Vucevic is averaging just 12.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in this series and that is well below his season average. The Raptors are throwing multiple defenders at the All-Star, and he has let his teammates down so far in this series. Aaron Gordon leads the team with 16.3 points per game and has been the only Magic player to consistently show up. The Magic will need Vucevic and Gordon to both be great to extend this series.
Orlando Loses Close Game
The Orlando Magic might be a factor in the next few years, but they just don’t have enough talent to knock off the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors looked like a mess in Game 1 of this series, but they have figured things out. Toronto is going to move on to the next round with a win in Game 5, but the Magic are going to battle them all the way. Take the 11.5 points and bet the Orlando Magic against the Toronto Raptors in Game 5 of the series.
