TORONTO, CANADA – MAY 7: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the Toronto Raptors shoots the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals of the 2019 NBA Playoffs on May 7, 2019 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images)
No one was ready for Kahwi Leonard to rattle the Raptors into the Conference Finals the way he did.
Just when you have seen everything in Game 7, Kawhi Leonard’s Series-winner takes this NBA postseason to another level. After bouncing around for what seemed like a minute, Leonard’s final heave ultimately went down, sending the Raptors to Milwaukee and ending Philly’s season in heartbreak.
Sometimes, magical shots are not always right on target. Tonight, Kawhi Leonard’s series-winner against the Philadelphia 76ers bounced before sending the Toronto Raptors to the Eastern Conference finals with a 92-90 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Leonard led all scorers with 41 points.
NBA players, writers, broadcasters, websites, and sports personalities fired off quick responses after Leonard’s dramatic series-winner. Even 76ers center Joel Embiid, who defended Leonard on the last possession, chimed in with a congratulatory tweet, despite tearing up after the game.
In coincidence, Philadelphia actually received a reverse of another memorable payoff bounce that gave its team a win. In January’s NFC Wild Card Game, Chicago Bears kicker Cody Parkey’s kick doinked off the upright and crossbar, breaking Chicago’s hearts and giving Philly a 16-15 win.
The Eastern Conference finals between the Raptors and Bucks will start on Wednesday in Milwaukee, where Toronto will be looking for its first NBA Finals Appearance. Milwaukee will be playing in its first Eastern Conference finals since 2001.
The Bucks went 3-1 over the Raptors against the Bucks in the regular season. Toronto’s only win came on January 5, where Leonard and Pascal Siakam each scored 30 points in a 123-116 victory over Milwaukee. These team last met up in the 2017 playoffs, where the Raptors won in six games.