In a moment etched forever in NBA history, Kawhi Leonard delivered an unforgettable buzzer-beater to lift the Toronto Raptors past the Philadelphia 76ers, 92–90, in Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Leonard’s high-arcing shot didn’t just seal a dramatic win — it launched Toronto toward its first-ever NBA championship and crushed the Sixers’ rising title hopes in a single, spellbinding instant.
Kawhi Leonard’s franchise-altering shot deserves a deep rewind | 2019 Raptors vs. 76ers Game 7
byu/PlatinumTaq innba
With 4.2 seconds left, Kawhi Leonard launched a towering jumper
With 4.2 seconds left and the score tied, the Raptors turned to Leonard. Marc Gasol inbounded the ball. Leonard took a few strong dribbles toward the right corner, with Ben Simmons hounding him and Joel Embiid charging to contest. Surrounded by pressure, Leonard faded away and launched a towering jumper.
Fred VanVleet, standing directly behind Leonard, thought it was “no chance” — the ball looked wide left. Marc Gasol and Sixers’ T.J. McConnell braced for a miss.
I thought there was no chance it was going in. Standing behind him, you could see the trajectory of it. It looked like it was going off to the left.
VanVleet said, according to The Ringer.
What happened next was ageless and mesmerizing: the ball hit the front rim, then bounced not once, but four tantalizing times, each pause stretching the moment into an eternity. Finally, the ball fell through the net as the buzzer blared, igniting bedlam inside Scotiabank Arena.
The shot became the first Game 7 winning buzzer-beater in NBA history — a historic, timeless play that sent shockwaves across the league.
For Toronto, it was a cathartic release years in the making
A city once haunted by playoff heartbreak exploded from silent tension into joyous chaos. Players, coaches, and fans wept, shouted, and hugged in pure exhilaration. For Raptors fans, it became a “Where were you?” moment — a memory forever burned into their hearts. Even the normally stoic Leonard showed rare emotion, later calling it an experience he had “never experienced before.”
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.
Leonard said, according to AP News.
Meanwhile, devastation swept through Philadelphia. The Sixers stood stunned. Jimmy Butler called it “tough,” while Joel Embiid, heartbroken, wept openly on the court as Marc Gasol embraced him. Head coach Brett Brown summed it up:
It took that shot to end our season.
Brown said.
One year ago today, this shot from Kawhi Leonard and this other shot from Mark Blinch of Getty Images. pic.twitter.com/FCV9jU1EJS
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 12, 2020
The loss dealt a lasting blow to a team built through “The Process.” It ended the aspirations of that young, promising Sixers core.
In the months that followed, change hit both franchises hard: Leonard left for the Clippers; Jimmy Butler headed to Miami; J.J. Redick and T.J. McConnell moved on too.
Kawhi Leonard’s miraculous bounce created an eternal memory, and delivered one of basketball’s most stunning, monumental finishes.
READ: The Quiet Killer: Kawhi Leonard’s Silent Domination
I am a writer passionate about telling the stories behind the game of basketball. From the culture and personalities shaping the sport to the moments that define it, I explore basketball beyond the box score.
