Leonard scores 22 as Raptors cruise past Hornets to remain undefeated

The new-look Toronto Raptors remained undefeated with a fourth straight victory on Monday night, led by a 22-point performance from Kawhi Leonard, as they cruised to a 127-106 beat-down of the Charlotte Hornets.

The balanced scoring continued for the Raps as five different players scored in double digits. Kyle Lowry extended his stellar play, contributing 16 points and dishing out 14 assists. Toronto’s other newcomer, Danny Green, had his best game yet in a Raptors uniform, putting up 16 points, including four three-pointers.

Jonas Valanciunas had 17 points and 10 boards, while Serge Ibaka added 15 points and eight rebounds.

It was a solid start to the Raptors’ three-game home-stand at the newly renamed Scotiabank Arena. The early first-place leader in the Eastern Conference shot an impressive 57.5 per cent from the field, including a stunning 65.9 percent in the second half.

With Lowry leading the charge, the Raptors tallied 36 assists as a team on 50 made field goals, just three shy of a single-game franchise record.

“Man, he’s amazing, very efficient and he’s been setting the tone from start to finish. He compliments everybody very well, especially playing with myself and Kawhi,” said Green of Lowry. “I couldn’t ask for a better guy to fight on the defensive end of the floor and to shoot the way he shoots, kick it ahead. He’s scoring well, facilitating well, defending well. You don’t see that in many point guards and many guys period in the league.”

Kemba Walker – one of the hottest players in the NBA at this early stage – led Charlotte with 26 points. Walker had scored an NBA-record 19 three-pointers through the opening three games of an NBA season and was Eastern Conference Player of the Week. He came into Monday’s game as the league’s points-per-game leader. The Raps held him to 11-of-22 shooting, just 2-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Leonard, who sat out Saturday night’s contest against the Washington Wizards, was back in Toronto’s starting lineup on Monday. He began alongside Lowry, Green, Ibaka and Pascal Siakam as the team continued to shuffle its starting lineup.

Head coach Nick Nurse once again leaned on 10 players predominantly, using a five-man bench unit of Valanciunas, Fred Van Vleet, Norman Powell, OG Anunoby and CJ Miles.

The Raps jumped out to a 31-22 lead by the end of the first quarter, defending well and keeping Walker mostly in check as Lowry chased him around. Yet inside the second quarter, with the bench unit on the floor, the Hornets momentarily shaved the lead down to three.

Toronto’s starters – with spot help from Van Vleet – quickly rebuilt the lead, jumpstarted by a Leonard three-pointer just seconds after he re-entered the game. The Raps took a 62-47 lead into half-time.

Raptors fans were treated to more examples of the talent that oozes from their two newcomers. Leonard crossed up and pump-faked defenders, hit four three-pointers and drew several Hornets with him to the rim so he could expertly deliver some impressive assists to Green, who was set up out deep. Green added six rebounds to his stat line, along with a pair of blocked shots.

Coming into Monday’s game, Lowry had doled out more assists (26) than anyone in the NBA but James Harden (29). His 14-assist night bolstered that stat. He also nailed 3-of-6 shots from deep.

The veteran point guard was pleased with the way his team devoted to the scouting report and planned for the Hornets’ tendencies. They ran Charlotte off the 3-point line consistently, allowing them to shoot just 9-of-28 from out there. Comparatively, Toronto shot 15-of-39 from deep.

“You really have to know who you’re playing against. You really have to know what you want them to do,” said Lowry. “You can’t let them be comfortable in their spots and comfortable in their situations. You have to be a little bit more assertive in making them do things they’re not comfortable with doing.”

The Hornets felt the heat.

“They’re long, they’re physical, and they’re athletic. It’s a very good defensive group, bringing in two elite defenders like Green and Leonard,” said Charlotte Coach James Borrego. “That’s going to be a heck of a defence all season.”

Former Raptors fan favourite Bismack Biyombo checked in late off Charlotte’s bench to a roar of applause from the appreciative Toronto crowd. Valanciunas got to tangle with his old teammate under the hoop, and stuffed the Congolese big man twice. Down on the defensive end, Biyombo spent a little time switching on to get in Lowry’s face.

With the game so well in hand down the stretch of the fourth quarter, Nurse was able to empty the bench and get minutes for little-used players Lorenzo Brown, Greg Monroe and Malachi Richardson.

The Raptors next face Minnesota on Wednesday and Dallas on Friday.

Delon Wright is expected to play versus the Timberwolves after recovering from a strained adductor.

“That’ll give us another look and could get us a little closer back to what we did a year ago,” Nurse said. “[We will] put Delon and Fred together in the second unit.”