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Game 4 takeaways: Raptors outlast Sixers to even series

Jesse D. Garrabrant / National Basketball Association / Getty

It wasn't the prettiest game, but the Toronto Raptors outlasted the Philadelphia 76ers in the second-round series' most competitive contest thus far, winning Game 4 101-96.

The Eastern Conference semifinal is now even at two games apiece, with Toronto reclaiming home-court advantage in what has become a best-of-three.

Here are some takeaways from Game 4:

Momentum swings and postseason margins

In a series that's evenly matched and filled with star power, it's amazing how tiny the margins are between winning and losing, and between a team's season nearly coming to an end, or that same squad regaining control.

Game 4 included 10 lead changes, 11 ties, and a number of what felt like game-breaking possessions.

Ben Simmons missed an uncontested layup that spilled out in the second quarter. Joel Embiid, who entered Game 4 shooting 85 percent from the free-throw line this postseason, missed three consecutive free throws in a one-possession game with less than six minutes remaining. Serge Ibaka's one defensive rebound in the fourth quarter came after Embiid missed a four-foot shot that would've given Philly the lead with 1:23 remaining, and Toronto's ensuing possession ended in a Kawhi Leonard triple to earn a two-possession lead.

This is the potential go-ahead look Embiid bricked seconds before Leonard made it a four-point game:

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The Raptors' Game 4 victory is also a reminder that game-to-game momentum in a postseason series doesn't exist.

Toronto looked like it had an answer for every Philly option and counter in Game 1. The Sixers ran the Raptors off the court in Game 3 to take the series lead. The Raptors then responded with one of their most complete games of the postseason in Game 4, shooting notwithstanding.

Every game is a new story, no matter how hopeless a team appears after a loss, or how indestructible they look after a win.

Kawhi Leonard is unstoppable

Jesse D. Garrabrant / National Basketball Association / Getty

Philadelphia's ball pressure led to seven turnovers from Leonard, with Simmons - and Jimmy Butler at times - continuing to provide solid defense against the former Finals MVP. And yet, Leonard finds a way to elevate his game and separate from the pack, even in a series filled with superstars.

Leonard's almost automatic offense kept the Raptors within striking range as the Sixers threatened to pull away during the third quarter. Then Toronto trailed by two when he checked into the game for the final time with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth.

Leonard scored only eight points over those final 10 minutes, but he created five points through two assists, and grabbed three rebounds, including an offensive board resulting in an Ibaka jumper to put the Raptors up three with 4:56 remaining. He also shut Butler down on the other end, taking on the second-half assignment of slowing the Sixers' star.

The three-time All-Star finished Game 4 with game-highs in points (39) and rebounds (14) to go along with five assists, and is now averaging a staggering 38 points on 62-46-83 shooting in the series.

Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that the two games the Raptors have won are the two games Leonard logged a game-high in minutes played.

Raptors get more from supporting cast

Mitchell Leff / Getty

More aggressive versions of Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol, who still could've looked for their own shot more, combined for 30 points on 13-of-26 shooting. Meanwhile, Ibaka gave the Raptors a tremendous effort in 32 minutes off the bench that's not properly captured by his 12 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks.

The Raptors will need more from a hobbled Pascal Siakam, who played through a calf injury to score nine points on 2-of-10 shooting, and from their anemic bench to achieve their ultimate goal this spring. But on this day, Lowry, Gasol, and Ibaka provided all the support Leonard required.

It was the first time all series that Toronto finished with four players in double figures, which included Ibaka becoming the first Raptors reserve to crack double digits.

Nick Nurse tweaks, tightens rotation

Jesse D. Garrabrant / National Basketball Association / Getty

It became painfully obvious in Game 3 that Nick Nurse needed to trim his rotation, and he did that in Game 4.

Though Nurse turned to Patrick McCaw's length to give the Raptors a nine-man rotation, McCaw, Fred VanVleet, and Norman Powell all logged less than eight minutes on Sunday after three Raptors reserves played 16-to-21 minutes each on Thursday night.

With Ibaka earning extra floor time, Nurse's rotation looked more like a six-man unit, and he might have to continue that until one of VanVleet, Powell, or McCaw compel him to give a seventh or eighth man meaningful minutes. VanVleet, especially, is struggling to create any offense for himself or others, with the size of Philadelphia's defenders clearly bothering the undersized guard.

Speaking of size, Nurse's Game 4 adjustments led to better matchups against the Sixers. Gasol and Ibaka played together more than they ever had before, and Nurse even turned to a giant lineup that included Gasol, Ibaka, Siakam, and Leonard (plus Lowry) for a few minutes in the fourth.

It was a risk worth taking for Nurse with the rest of his reserves letting him down against Philly's unusual size, and it paid off.

Gasol and Ibaka logged 23 minutes together (after logging 34 total minutes together during the regular season), during which time the Raptors were a plus-seven while collecting 54.5 percent of available rebounds. The team's size during that brief stretch in the fourth quarter, meanwhile, may have helped Toronto get into the bonus earlier than usual.

Quote of the game

Mitchell Leff / Getty

"He's pretty good ... you know, he's really good at basketball." Gasol on Leonard during the big man's walk-off interview with the Raptors' Canadian broadcast.

Leonard is averaging 32.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and a steal on a hilariously efficient true shooting percentage of 70.4 through nine games this postseason. He's also posting an on/off net rating of plus-43.2 per 100 possessions.

Uh, yeah, he's pretty good at basketball, Marc.

What to watch for

Mitchell Leff / Getty

After getting two days off between Games 2 and 3, and between Games 3 and 4, the Raptors and 76ers will now rest for only one day between both Games 4 and 5, and Games 5 and 6.

With Embiid battling knee issues and the flu, and Siakam dealing with a calf injury that clearly slowed him on Sunday, managing each star's health could go a long way toward deciding the next two games, and the series.

Embiid's health looms especially large for the Sixers, a team with no capable centers behind the All-Star. After a stunning performance in the series opener, former Raptor Greg Monroe came crashing back to earth on Sunday, scoring two points on 1-of-4 shooting in 11 minutes. Philly lost those 11 minutes by 18 points.

Will Sixers head coach Brett Brown zig where Nurse zags, and finally test a smaller lineup with Simmons in a point-center role during some of his team's minutes without Embiid?

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