3. Kawhi Leonard eliminates Philadelphia
A championship was deemed a near prerequisite for the Toronto Raptors to pitch Kawhi Leonard on remaining up north for the foreseeable future. That lofty goal, however, hung in the balance as their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Philadelphia 76ers did late in Game 7.
Philly had snatched the momentum from the Raptors after coming back from down four points in the final minute and change with a game-tying layup by Jimmy Butler.
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Toronto still had 4.2 seconds to end the Sixers’ title hopes and advance. Despite their home-court advantage, it felt as though the game was Philly’s to lose if a missed shot sent the game into overtime.
KAWHI. GAME 7. FOR THE WIN. pic.twitter.com/MH9CBjQ2uK
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 13, 2019
Kawhi Leonard had caught the ball near the top of the key and scurried his way into the right corner looking for a sliver of space. Draped by Joel Embiid, there was little room to operate, forcing Kawhi to heave the ball at an arc far higher than what he’s accustomed to just before the buzzer sounded.
The ball made it to the basket. It bounced on the rim once, then twice and then two more times before dropping in to secure a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals in nerve-wracking fashion and sending Scotiabank Arena into pandemonium.
To that point, Leonard was no more than a talented player on a contending Raptors team.
When that shot finally found the bottom of the net, he became intertwined with the franchise and a staple in their history. And without that dagger, as we now know, Toronto doesn’t cap off an unforgettable season with its first-ever NBA championship.