In possibly the best series yet, the Toronto Raptors defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in a game 7 thriller that is an instant classic. Kawhi Leonard hit the first game seven buzzer beater ever to send the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will take on the Milwaukee Bucks.
This series was a very back and forth one, with one thing standing out: Kawhi Leonard. He was unstoppable in every game, win or lose, and Philly had no answer for him whatsoever. Leonard averaged 34.7 points per game in the second round and scored a total of 243 points, the most in one playoff series in the last 25 years. Had he gotten help from any of his teammates, this series would likely have been over much sooner.
Philly competed very hard until the last second. Jimmy Butler showed out and was the only completely reliable scoring option the 76ers had as Joel Embiid was battling an injury. Butler also got very little aid form his teammates in most of the games. Both Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris went ice cold for most of the series, and hurt the team more than they helped.
In the game 7 finale, it was the Kawhi show the whole way. He dropped 41 points and 8 rebounds, and no other Raptor exceeded 17 points. Possession after possession, Kawhi would isolate and get a bucket. After Jimmy Butler made a layup with 4 seconds left, the Raptors got the ball with a chance to end it.
Coach Nick Nurse drew up a play where Pascal Siakam would set a screen on Leonard's man to free him up. Once he got the ball, Kawhi just had to make something happen. he caught the ball and drove to his right, escaping Ben Simmons. Joel Embiid picked him up, and Kawhi had to shoot. He rose up over Embiid from the baseline and shot. The ball arced high in the air and bounced on the front rim. As the entire Scotiabank Arena held their breaths, the ball bounced off the rim three more times before finally dropping in.
It was as if the play was scripted by the basketball gods. Back in 2000, Vince Carter's game winning shot well just short and the Raptors were eliminated by the 76ers. Now, Kawhi made it to beat those same 76ers. For celebration, Kawhi did something that he has never done in his career: show actual emotion.
In the offseason, Philly has some big decisions to make. Both Butler and Harris are set to become free agents, and while the 76ers have said that they intend to offer both of them near-max deals, it is unlikely they retain both. Also, after "processing", they must consider their future with coach Brett Brown, who has failed to get past the second round in two consecutive years. As for Toronto, it still is very unclear whether Leonard will resign, but this series certainly didn't hurt their chances.
Commenti