The Philadelphia 76ers were defeated by the Toronto Raptors in the second round, bringing their memorable season to an end. Here are the top 20 plays of their 2018-19 campaign.
The Philadelphia 76ers‘ playoff run concluded in heartbreaking fashion, and Kawhi Leonard was the culprit.
After six rigorous battles against the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs, the Sixers watched as Leonard’s corner heave bounced three times on the rim and then finally fell through the net as time expired in Game 7. It was the most stomach-churning moment of the season, by far.
Throughout the postseason, it seemed as if games such as these had gone in the team’s favor. They dropped Game 1s in back-to-back series, and still managed to find ways to regain command, which they did a couple different times during the two-week long Eastern Conference semifinals. Because of this, there was always a constant glimmer of hope.
But Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons quickly found just how draining it is to play the same title-contending lineup seven times in a row, and escape with four victories. It showed.
Alas, the hope was engulfed.
The bright side: Losing a Game 7 of this magnitude isn’t all bad. Naturally, it has that feel at the current moment, but not later. Not when this budding squad is truly ready and capable of securing a championship.
It could be a year, two or maybe even three. Who knows? Regardless, these young superstars Embiid and Simmons will not appear so young before long. Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris may be around to relish it, with a full season to do it this time. Perhaps not, but that is for the summer to figure out.
Head coach Brett Brown will be back — a categorical players-first coach who already knows the Endgame with his team.
So yeah, it isn’t all bad, just another bump in the road. It’s another critical learning experience for what is still yet to come with this already prospering franchise. Because just like that, it all goes back to patience — even for a win-now constructed roster such as this.
For now, though, we salute another successful season by counting down the top 20 highlights of 2018-19.