Toronto Raptors 92-90 Philadelphia Sixers
Kawhi Leonard will always be known as one of the greatest Toronto Raptors ever despite only playing one season there.
He led them to their first-ever NBA championship after having a memorable run in the playoffs, which included some notable highlights along the way.
One of which, is his incredible buzzer-beater against the Philadelphia Sixers in Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference semis. Fans from both in Toronto and Philadelphia will surely remember this like it was yesterday.
The series between the Raptors and Sixers were as close as it gets since neither were willing to relinquish any sort of advantage up until the end, so it was fitting for this series to end the way it did.
Today, since the NBA is still working towards for a possible return, allow SBOBET to help you re-live this instant classic from exactly one year ago.
Highlights of the game
The Raptors aren’t really known for playoff success and they have been desperate for a breakthrough over these past few seasons.
After going to as far as the Eastern Conference Finals back in 2016, the Raptors shrunk in the next two seasons as they were swept twice by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Everything changed for the Raptors when they traded away Demar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard. Despite the risk of Leonard leaving in the next free agency, Raptors president Masai Ujiri still pulled the trigger in hopes of bringing one home for the city of Toronto.
Leonard played well within expectations for the team in the 2019 season. He led them to the second seed in the East with a 58-24 record and they are primed to go far because of their much deeper roster.
But after defeating the Orlando Magic easily in the first round, they were pushed to the limit by the formidable Philadelphia Sixers. After going back and forth all throughout the series, it all boiled down to Game 7.
Fast forward to the final period, the match went nip-and-tuck as fans were treated to a shootout.
When JJ Redick drew level with his three-pointer with 3:29 left, Kawhi Leonard answered back with a long jumper to retake the lead with 1:41 to go.
In the ensuing possession, Kyle Lowry helped extend the Raptors’ lead to four points when he forced a turnover near midcourt, leading to a Pascal Siakam layup on the other end with 1:14 left.
Jimmy Butler and Joel Embiid fueled a mini-run for Philly when they knocked down two crucial free throws each to cut the deficit to a solitary point with 12 seconds left.
The Sixers had to foul in the next Raptors possession and Kawhi Leonard made the first free throw. However, he missed the second one and the Sixers took advantage on the break, leading to a Jimmy Butler layup that leveled the score.
In the final possession, Marc Gasol passed the ball to Kawhi Leonard and he dribbled all the way to the deep right corner and launched a high-arching shot that floated in the air for so long.
In what was an iconic moment, the ball bounced four times before it went in which effectively propelled the Raptors into the Eastern Conference Finals.
“That’s something I never experienced before, Game 7, a game-winning shot. It was a blessing to be able to get that point and make the shot and feel that moment,” said Kawhi Leonard.
“It’s tough. Nobody likes to lose, not that way,” said Jimmy Butler.
Key statistics
Kawhi Leonard had a rough shooting night despite scoring a game-high 41 points. The versatile forward went 16-for-39 from the field but he made up for it by grabbing eight boards and three steals.
The Sixers were led by Joel Embiid who notched a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double. He also had three blocks and four assists.
Neither team shot well from deep in this game as the Sixers only made 33-per cent of their three-point attempts while the Raptors were at 23-per cent.
The Raptors had a significant edge in offencive rebounding (16), points in the paint (38), and fast break points (16).
What happened next?
The Raptors continued their spectacular run by dispatching the Bucks in the next round. After that, they were able to secure their first-ever title when they defeated the Warriors in six games.
Kawhi Leonard eventually left Toronto to go to the Clippers, and he has formed a dangerous combo with Paul George that has produced a lot of NBA 2020 highlights.
Jimmy Butler left the Sixers for the Heat. However, the Sixers’ core remain pretty much intact with Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Tobias Harris leading the way.
The defending champions are unlikely to retain the title, but they have defied the NBA 2020 odds as they are second in the East with a 46-18 record.
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