Kawhi's Raptors shot for the ages turns two

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Thanks to a world-changing pandemic, it feels like it’s been about a decade since Kawhi Leonard hit the biggest shot in the history of the Toronto Raptors, but Wednesday actually marked only the two-year anniversary of Leonard sinking the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Raptors had borne witness to other big shots in the previous quarter-decade, including Vince Carter’s near-miss, which coincidentally came against Philadelphia with a trip to the conference final also on the line back in 2001, but nothing like this.

The arena was electric, even surpassing the tumult of Game 7 against the Brooklyn Nets which had come five years earlier when Toronto’s run of excellence had begun.

Now that the era is over — or at least on hold, pending the arrival of a high lottery pick this summer and Kyle Lowry’s free agency decision — it’s a perfect time to reflect on Kawhi’s brilliance.

To set the scene: The game was tied, fitting, since Toronto vs. Philadelphia was a see-saw, extremely even matched series from the start Four seconds remained, and a battered Leonard, who had been “load managed” all season but had been playing huge minutes, was eager to avoid overtime and any chance of a Sixers win. Especially after fatigue might have played a role in Leonard missing a free throw, which allowed for Jimmy Butler to tie the game.

Off the inbounds, Leonard took off, evaded Ben Simmons, who is as good as it gets defensively, then somehow released his shot before the enormous Sixers centre, Joel Embiid, could close in on him.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four bounces.

And then, the ball fell through the hoop.

“The building. The eruption in that building,” Raptors television play-by-play voice Matt Devlin recalled over the phone Wednesday when asked what he remembered most.

“Two years later, upon what we’re dealing with (around the world). Man, do you miss those moments,” Devlin said.

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As Danny Green told it at the time, the Raptors seemed to think overtime was going to happen.

“I think at first a lot of us were like, ‘Ah, it doesn’t look too good. Then it got one bounce and it was like, ‘OK.’And then the second bounce it was ‘Oh s –, we might have a chance here,'” Green had said in the Raptors room.

“It looked good, and then it hit the rim and then it was like, ‘OK, ah, I don’t know,’ … it was like, we finally got the little bounce,” Pascal Siakam said.

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“I was watching it just like, ah, hit the rim, then I saw Serge (Ibaka) trying to jump to get the rebound and then my heart, I was like, ‘Serge don’t jump. Relax, relax.’Because the ball kept bouncing and it was crazy. I’m just there watching it and I’m just there like, ‘ah, oh.’So a lot of emotion going on, but definitely a great moment to be a part of.”

Ibaka would later say he would have had to retire if he’d accidentally goaltended the shot.

Few remember that Leonard had actually missed 13 straight three-pointers in the series before Game 7 and six-of-seven in the game before the fateful attempt.

“Philadelphia, to me, was really their toughest opponent (of the run),” Devlin said.

And Kawhi’s shot was as tough as attempts get. “You’re fading, handed off from Simmons to Joel Embiid (defending you). The intensity, and then the crowd reaction and the jubilation is what stands out to me,” Devlin recalled.

“It probably bounced four or five times. It seemed like it was 30 seconds, but probably took all of point-eight seconds,” Green said that evening.

“But once it went in I think everyone was just ridiculously excited. The whole building. I think they’re still yelling out there,” Green said.

One day, they’ll yell again. Buildings will be full and memories will be created. Though few will stand out the way Kawhi’s moment of triumph does.