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Kawhi Leonard still hasn't lost against Raptors in over eight years

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
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Jan 27 2024, 2:52 am
Kawhi Leonard still hasn't lost against Raptors in over eight years
Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors’ former franchise star keeps getting the better of them.

On Friday night at Scotiabank Arena, Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers once again got the upper hand on the Raptors, topping the hosts by a 127-107 score.

Leonard now has a record of 15-2 against Toronto in his career, and a perfect 8-0 record since departing for the Clippers in free agency in 2019.

Toronto actually hasn’t beaten Leonard since he was a member of the San Antonio Spurs on December 9, 2015, where the Raptors came through by a 97-94 score.

If that feels like a lifetime ago, it probably was: San Antonio still had Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in their starting lineup, while Toronto sported DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Luis Scola, Bismack Biyombo, and Terrence Ross in theirs.

Leonard himself dropped 16 points on the evening, while teammate James Harden led the way for Los Angeles with 22 of his own. On Toronto’s side, it was Scottie Barnes as their leading scorer, putting in 23 of his own points.

The Clippers now sit at 29-14, good enough for fourth in the NBA’s Western Conference.

Five years after Leonard initially decided to join them, it seems like the Clippers have arguably their most talented roster yet after adding Harden this season to a group that already includes Paul George and Russell Westbrook.

Though they’ll ultimately be judged on if they can come together in the playoffs, Friday’s was a clear example of why they’ve been widely viewed as one of the league’s inner circle contenders for the NBA title this season.

Entering Friday’s contest, Leonard had averaged 23.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 38 games this season.

The Raptors will be on the road until February 9, as they head on a six-game road trip starting with a Sunday matchup against the Atlanta Hawks. Tipoff is set for 6 pm ET.

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