San Antonio will be buzzing on Thursday night as Kawhi Leonard makes his return. There will be plenty of drama around Leonard’s return, but the action on the court should be great as well. The Spurs have gotten back into playoff contention in the Western Conference, and the Raptors look like the team to beat in the East.
Toronto comes into this game with a 28-11 record, and sit in first place in the tough Atlantic Division. The Raptors are solid on both ends of the floor and have won two straight games. San Antonio has won six of their previous eight games, and have gotten their record up to 21-17. The Spurs sit in second place in the Southwest Division, just one game behind the Houston Rockets. San Antonio is a -1.5 point favorite over the Raptors in this game.
Kawhi Having Career Year
Kawhi Leonard wasn’t excited about heading to Toronto when the trade happened, but he has played great in a Raptors uniform. Leonard leads the Raptors with 27.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game this season. The former NBA Finals MVP poured in 45 points in the Raptors most recent game and looks to be more than ready for this game with the Spurs. Leonard doesn’t usually show any emotion on the floor, but you can bet that he will be amped up.
The Raptors are in the top-10 in the NBA in both scoring offense and points allowed and are just rolling through the regular season. Point guard Kyle Lowry is averaging almost 10 assists per game, and veteran Serge Ibaka is having a monster season. Toronto has struggled on the road this season, going just 13-7 away from home. You can bet that the Raptors team will want to get Leonard a win in his San Antonio return.
DeRozan, Aldridge Leading Spurs Charge
In exchange for Leonard, the Spurs landed DeMar Derozan from Toronto, and it has worked out better than anticipated. DeRozan has paired with center LaMarcus Aldridge to lead the Spurs on offense this season. DeRozan is averaging a team-high 22.9 points and 6.0 assists per game, while Aldridge is pouring in 19.8 points and a team-high nine rebounds. DeRozan was the clear leader in Toronto, and he will be ready to face his former mates as well.
This might be head coach Gregg Popovich’s best coaching job with the Spurs. San Antonio lost the entire core that was so successful with the Spurs, but Popovich still has them in the playoff race. The Spurs don’t do anything exceptionally well, but they are just a solid group of veteran players. Popovich will have his team ready to stop Leonard in his return.
San Antonio Wins Emotional Game
Both the Raptors and Spurs are enjoying life with their new players, and DeRozan and Leonard are both having terrific seasons. San Antonio is traditionally a difficult place to win, and the Raptors have struggled on the road. Look for the Spurs to play a complete game in beating the Raptors on Thursday night. Bet the San Antonio Spurs -1.5 over the Toronto Raptors.
