Kawhi Leonard delivered the greatest postseason moment in Raptors franchise history Sunday night, bouncing in an improbable series-ending jumper to send Toronto to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Leonard finished with 41 points in Game 7, shooting 16-of-39 in the thrilling 92-90 win over Philadelphia.
Kawhi’s amazing shot devastated Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler and the Sixers, who go into the summer with plenty of question marks.
Per The AP:
“It was great,” Leonard said. “That’s something I never experienced before, Game 7, a game-winning shot. It was a blessing to be able to get to that point and make that shot and feel that moment.”
After Philadelphia’s Jimmy Butler tied it with a driving layup with 4.2 seconds left, Toronto used its final timeout to draw up a play for Leonard, who dribbled toward the right corner and launched the high-arching shot.
“It’s tough,” Butler said. “Nobody likes to lose, not that way.”
The Raptors ran a similar play for Leonard during the first round against Orlando. That time, he caught the ball and shot without dribbling.
“Remembering that moment, I knew I had some time to try to get some space, rather than just catch and shoot the ball,” Leonard said. “I ended up finding a spot that I like, that I work on. I just knew I had to shoot it high.”
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