Acquiring a superstar in his NBA prime via trade is a rare occurrence. Kawhi Leonard wasn't just an asset brought over from San Antonio—he was a gift. Kyle Lowry's saying, "He's going to carry us some games," wasn't remotely enough to describe Leonard's impact.
Without his heroics against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round, Toronto wouldn't have known where to look next, much less get to Game 7 with the game coming down to a final shot. Leonard circled the perimeter, took the ball—3, 2, 1 — a few bounces around the rim, and the ball fell into the net. Game over.
I saw the ball hit the basket, hit the rim the first time, said Scotiabank Arena security guard Nicholas Prasad, per ESPN.com . "The first thing I thought about was, "We're going to overtime." Second time it hit the rim, I thought we had a chance. And the third time it went in. And I'm like, "Damn, with this referee system they're definitely going to review it.
"And when that ball went in I ran up three stairs -- I almost tripped twice -- and all I saw was Masai [Ujiri] crying. I saw everybody in the stands crying. We were just in shock. But it was like a really good shock. And that was just joy.
Playing a ton of minutes was a demanding task for Leonard. Not only was he nursing a slight injury, but he was also constantly carrying the burden on both ends of the floor for Toronto. To his credit, Leonard played through any discomfort, with no breathers, while trying to help contain league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Insane reactions to the shot
Leonard's unprecedented buzzer beater erupted the NBA world into a frenzy. After all that tortured Toronto over the past few seasons — mainly at the hands of LeBron James and the Cavs the city was starved for success. Tenured Raptors like Kyle Lowry and decision-maker Masai Ujiri had waited seemingly forever for this moment. Thanks to their 27-year-old superstar, their distant dream became a reality.
"It was crazy," Lowry said after the game. "It was one of those moments where it's just like a real-life game winner, Game 7, like, count it down when you're back home, and everyone was celebrating like that. It was a pretty awesome moment."
Joel Embiid: "I really felt when it hit the rim that it was going to end up going in. It didn't surprise me that it went in. When it hits at that angle and it goes kinda straight up, you feel like there is a chance that it is actually going to go in. Not to pretend like you can forecast anything, it didn't surprise me that it ended up falling in."
Coming full circle
The Raptors were engulfed with devastating loss after another over the past three postseasons. Just when it looked and felt like this team was ready to climb the hump, Lowry and DeMar DeRozan came up empty in the most meaningful games.
Entering Game 7 vs 76ers, the Raptors were coming off a blowout loss, with the pressure to perform big on their home court. The game's final stretch saw both teams engaged in a seesaw battle. After Jimmy Butler's layup to close Toronto's lead, the ball was swung back in Kawhi's park. The rest was history.
Related: “It was like a movie... I thought it was the worst shot” - Danny Green breaks down Kawhi's buzzer-beater against the 76ers
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