Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors battles for a rebound with Greg Monroe #55 and Mike Scott #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers in the first half during Game Five of the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on May 7, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. Image Credit: AFP

Los Angeles: The Toronto Raptors dismantled the Philadelphia 76ers and the Denver Nuggets dominated Portland to take commanding leads in their NBA play-off series.

The Raptors overpowered the Sixers 125-89 to take a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference second-round series.

With Sixers star centre Joel Embiid ailing, Toronto took full advantage on their home floor and can book a place in the Eastern Conference finals with a victory in game six in Philadelphia on Thursday.

The Nuggets, led by Nikola Jokic’s 25 points and 19 rebounds, defeated the Trail Blazers 124-98 for a 3-2 series lead and will also try to wrap up their Western Conference clash on the road on Thursday.