LOS ANGELES, March 2, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Kawhi Leonard rattled in the game
winner with 1.5 seconds left to lift the Toronto Raptors to a nail-biting
119-117 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.
Mark Gasol, who was starting for just the second time as a Raptor, scored
19 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Pascal Siakam tallied 16 points for
the Toronto, who have won four straight contests at home over Portland.
Leonard finished with 38 points, capping his night with a 12-foot baseline
jumper from the right side that bounced four times before dropping through
the net in front of a crowd of 19,800 at Scotiabank Arena.
Leonard also made two clutch free throws down the stretch and a key bank
shot with just over four minutes to play.
Kyle Lowry had 19 points, 10 assists and seven boards and Danny Green
added 11 as the Raptors improved to 46-17 on the season. They have won seven
of their last eight meetings against Portland.
CJ McCollum had 35 points, and tied his career best with seven three-
pointers, to lead the Trail Blazers who dropped to 38-24.
The loss snapped Portland’s five-game win streak.
Portland had to come from behind to tie the game 103-103 with 3:25 left in
the fourth quarter when Damian Lillard scored from beyond the arc.
Neither team led by more than a couple of points in the thrilling final
few minutes. Green’s three-pointer with a minute remaining raised the roof on
the building.
Portland was missing Turkish big man Enes Kanter, who was unable to cross
the American northern border because of visa concerns.
Kanter decided not to travel to Canada after Turkish prosecutors said
they’re seeking an international arrest warrant for the player, accusing him
of being a member of a terror organization.
Kanter commented on his inactive status before the game, writing on social
media, “Enes Kanter – OUT (Dictatorship)”
Kanter, who signed with Portland last month, declined to travel earlier
this year to an NBA game in London because he said he feared for his safety.
Kanter has been an outspoken critic of Turkish president Recep Tayyip
Erdogan. Two years ago Kanter’s Turkish passport was revoked.