San Diego State alum Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors continued his torrid playoffs Sunday though in a losing effort as the Golden State Warriors tied the NBA Finals series 1-1.
Leonard led the Raptors with 34 points and hit all 16 of his free throws as his team fell short, 109-104. He scored 23 points in Game 1, which the Raptors won 118-109.
It’s been a remarkable post-season for the former Aztec. Video of his buzzer-beating shot when the Raptors beat the Philadelphia 76ers to advance to the Eastern Conference finals went viral as the ball bounced on the rim several times before landing and clinching the series. The Raptors then beat the Milwaukee Bucks to advance to the NBA finals.
Leonard, who went to high school in Moreno Valley and Riverside, played with the Aztecs from 2009-11, and the team made the NCAA Tournament both years. They made the Sweet 16 in his final year with SDSU.
He was drafted out of San Diego State by the Indiana Pacers in 2011, and was immediately traded to the San Antonio Spurs. He won a championship as part of the Spurs in 2014 and was named the MVP of the NBA finals.
This is his first season with the Raptors.
The third game of the NBA Finals is at 6 p.m. Wednesday and will be played in Toronto. KGTV, Channel 10, is broadcasting the series.
– Staff reports