TORONTO -- The Toronto Raptors turned in another dominant defensive effort, extending their playoff winning streak to a team-record four and clinching a berth in the second round.
Kawhi Leonard scored 27 points, Pascal Siakam added 24 and the Raptors routed the Orlando Magic 115-96 on Tuesday night, winning their first-round playoff series in five games.
Kyle Lowry scored 14 points as the Raptors finished off the Magic with ease, bouncing back from a Game 1 defeat to win by double digits in three of the next four. Toronto led by as many as 37 in the clincher.
"We kind of figured it out and made a good adjustment after Game 1," Lowry said. "We were a little bit too soft in coverages, and we figured it out really quickly, what we wanted to do, how we needed to help each other, and how we needed to play. To figure it out that quick is a really good thing for us. We've just got to continue to build off it."
Toronto will face Philadelphia in the second round after the 76ers eliminated Brooklyn on Tuesday. It's the fourth consecutive year the Raptors have reached the second round.
"Should be a great series, man," Raptors Coach Nick Nurse said of facing the Sixers. "Obviously, it's a team with tremendous size, starting right off the bat with [Joel] Embiid inside. But they're big all over."
Leonard made 8 of 11 shots, including 5 of 5 from three-point range, as the Raptors jumped on Orlando early and never trailed. Leonard also made all six of his free throws. He checked out to cheers of "MVP, MVP" with 8:05 to play and Toronto up 105-75.
D.J. Augustin scored 15 points, Terrence Ross had 12 and Aaron Gordon 11 for the Magic, who won 104-101 on Augustin's late 3-pointer in Game 1 but never again topped 96 points, and twice finished with 85 or fewer.
"We were never able, after Game 1, to handle the ball against their defense the way we needed to," Orlando coach Steve Clifford said. "To me, that was the biggest factor."
Orlando made 32 of 83 shots Tuesday, including 9 of 34 from 3-point range.
"We're obviously disappointed that we didn't put up a better fight, especially tonight," Magic center Nikola Vucevic said.
The Magic hadn't reached the postseason since 2012. That year, Orlando won its opener on the road against Indiana, then lost four straight. The Magic haven't advanced past the opening round since 2010, when they lost to Boston in the Eastern Conference finals.
Clifford said inexperience wasn't a factor in his young team's early exit.
"We weren't afraid, we didn't play well enough," he said.
Lowry scored Toronto's first nine points and had 12 in the opening quarter. Orlando missed 10 of its first 11 shots and went 0 for 7 from three-point range in the first quarter. Toronto was up 35-19 after one.
"Kyle played great tonight," Leonard said. "He got us all going with that amazing first quarter. We all just fed off his energy."
The Magic missed 11 consecutive shots from long range before Evan Fournier connected at 7:55 of the second quarter. Toronto answered with a 6-0 spurt, opening a 50-29 lead with 6:48 to go until halftime. Leonard and Siakam each had seven points in the second quarter, and the Raptors held a 67-47 lead at the intermission.
Toronto took a 99-70 lead into the fourth.
At a glance
NBA PLAYOFFS
FIRST ROUND (Best-of-7)
MONDAY'S GAMES
Milwaukee 127, Detroit 104
Milwaukee wins series 4-0
Utah 107, Houston 91
TUESDAY'S GAMES
Toronto 115, Orlando 96
Toronto wins series 4-1
Philadelphia 122, Brooklyn 100
Philadelphia wins series 4-1
Denver 108, San Antonio 90
Denver leads series 3-2
Oklahoma City at Portland, (n)
Portland leads series 3-1
TODAY'S GAMES All times Central
Utah at Houston, 7 p.m.
Houston leads series 3-1
LA Clippers at Golden State, 9:30 p.m.
Golden State leads series 3-1
THURSDAY'S GAMES
Denver at San Antonio, TBA
Portland at Oklahoma City (if nec.), TBA
FRIDAY'S GAMES
Golden State at LA Clippers (if nec.), TBA
Houston at Utah (if nec.), TBA
SATURDAY'S GAMES
Oklahoma City at Portland (if nec.), TBA
San Antonio at Denver (if nec.), TBA
Sports on 04/24/2019