Getty Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard
What would a wild finish to an NBA playoff game be without a bit of drama? It appears there may be some chatter about a missed call after the Toronto Raptors defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their second-round matchup.
Just before Kawhi Leonard hit a wild fadeaway game-winner over Sixers center Joel Embiid, a slow-mo version of the play seems to show the Raptors star travel while receiving the inbounds pass. West Coast Flyers offered up the video and also pointed to the possible travel, so you can decide for yourself.
Obviously, this does appear to show Leonard take multiple steps before beginning to dribble, but there’s virtually no chance officials would call that in this spot. Whether or not it’s something that should have been whistled is another story (and a fair argument) which could be a popular topic among Sixers fans after the brutal loss.
Kawhi Leonard’s Game-Winning Shot
While the travel topic may be worth discussing, there’s nothing that will be changed about the outcome. Beyond that, the ending to Game 7 was a memorable one and for Raptors fans, a moment they’ll surely never forget.
The shot which Leonard made at the buzzer on Sunday hit virtually every part of the rim and rivaled Damian Lillard’s clutch 37-foot game-winner for the best moment of the playoffs. The Render showed the scene, which featured virtually the entire arena going silent for a brief second before the jumper finally fell through.
This capped off an impressive first two rounds for the Raptors star, who averaged 27.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 56.6 percent from the field in five games against the Orlando Magic. He followed that up by averaging 34.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists in seven games against the Sixers while continuing his red-hot shooting by hitting 54.0 percent of his attempts.
Raptors to Face Bucks in Eastern Conference Finals
After the Raptors got all they could handle in this series from the Sixers, it sets up a date with the Milwaukee Bucks and possible league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. A trip to the NBA Finals is on the line, where the winner will face whichever team advances from the West in the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers.
The Bucks hold homecourt advantage over the Raptors in this series, thanks to their 60-22 regular-season record. While the Raptors finished 58-24, they’ll be on the road in Game 1 which is slated for Wednesday, May 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
As impressive as Leonard and company have been throughout the playoffs, the Bucks will be tough to beat. They rolled through their first-round matchup against the Detroit Pistons with a clean sweep and after losing Game 1 to the Boston Celtics, reeled off four-straight wins to advance.
Milwaukee has won seven of their nine playoff games by double-digits with only the one loss along the way. Regardless, the Raptors won’t be an easy out, and that series should be enjoyable to watch.
READ NEXT: WATCH: Drake Uses Curse to Help Raptors, Wears Sixers Gear for Game 7