Kawhi Leonard was the first player in NBA history to win Game 7 of a series on a buzzer-beater.
The Bounce (or Kawhi Leonard's 2019 Game 7 game-winner) was a game and series winning shot by Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors during the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers. It took place on May 12, 2019, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, during the decisive Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, with the winner playing the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. After Jimmy Butler tied the game on a layup with 4.2 seconds left, the Raptors called a timeout. On the final possession of the game, Leonard was given the ball, dribbled around the perimeter and shot it from the baseline over the outstretched arms of 7'0 Joel Embiid, just inside the three-point arc. The shot bounced four times on the rim before going in to give the Raptors the series win, and thus giving it the nickname "The Bounce".
It was the first buzzer-beater to win a Game 7 in NBA history, and only the second such shot in a winner-take-all playoff game, after Michael Jordan's shot to win the Chicago Bulls' 1989 first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. (In 1989, first-round playoff series were best-of-5 instead of the current best-of-7).[1] Leonard's shot was instantly called one of the greatest shots in NBA history and one of the league's best buzzer-beaters.[2][3][4][5] A month later, the Raptors would ride the momentum of Leonard's historic shot to their first NBA championship in franchise history.
Background
Raptors
After an injury-riddled season in 2017–18 where he clashed with team doctors, Kawhi Leonard requested a trade from the San Antonio Spurs to his hometown Los Angeles Lakers. His request to go to the Lakers was not fulfilled, as a month later, on July 18, Leonard and teammate Danny Green were traded to the Toronto Raptors, in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pöltl and a protected 2019 first-round draft pick.[6] It was a risky move for the Raptors and their president, Masai Ujiri, given the concerns over Leonard's health and the possibility of him leaving as a free agent at the end of the season.[7] However, the Raptors were seen as a good, but not great team, and Uijiri felt like the team needed a star player of Leonard's caliber.[8][9] At just 27 years old, Leonard had already been an NBA champion, won a Finals MVP, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and placed second and third in regular season MVP voting.[10]
2018–19 was also the first season of head coach Nick Nurse, who was an assistant under the recently fired Dwane Casey.[11]
Leonard and the Raptors clicked almost immediately. The team won 11 of their first 12 games. Leonard was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played November 26 – December 2.[12] The team furthered their championship aspirations at the trade deadline, when they traded Jonas Valančiūnas, Delon Wright and C. J. Miles for former Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol.[13] Joining Leonard at the All-Star Game for the Raptors was steady veteran guard Kyle Lowry. Lowry and the Raptors were looking to shed the narrative that they were playoff under-performers.[14][15] They had made the playoffs every season since 2013–-14, but were ultimately no match for LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers, losing three straight years to them and going a cumulative 12–2 against in those three series.[16] With James move the Los Angeles Lakers and Western Conference in the off-season, many felt the Eastern Conference was up for grabs.[17] Lastly, the season also saw the emergence of third year forward Pascal Siakam, who won the Most Improved Player award.[18]
The Raptors entered the NBA playoffs as the #2 seed. Despite losing Game 1, the Raptors proceeded to quickly dispatch the Orlando Magic in the opening round of the playoffs in five games.[19]
76ers
In the 2017–18 season, the 76ers were led by Joel Embiid, who played in his first All-Star Game in his first season of 60 games played or more, and 2018 Rookie of The YearBen Simmons. They were nicknamed "The Process",[20] as the team had spent years tanking with hopes to get in the position to draft players like Simmons (#1 pick in 2016) and Embiid (#3 pick in 2014). Particularly when Embiid was at the foul line, fans at 76ers games would chant "Trust the Process".[21] They made the playoffs in 2018 for the first time since 2011–12, but fell to the rival Boston Celtics in five games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.[22]
During the season, the team made some major trades. In November, they traded Dario Saric, Robert Covington, Jerryd Bayless, and a 2022 second round pick for disgruntled Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler as well as backup center Justin Patton.[23] Then just before the trade deadline, they acquired Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, and Mike Scott in exchange for rookie 1st round pick Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, the Sixers' own 2020 first round pick, and the Miami Heat's unprotected first round pick in 2021, along with two second round picks in 2021 and 2023.[24] Finally, they sent away former 2017 #1 overall selection Markelle Fultz to the Orlando Magic for Jonathon Simmons, and a first and second round pick.[25] With Embiid, Simmons, Butler, and Harris, the team effectively formed a "Big Four".[26] The 2018–19 76ers finished the season 51–31, good for the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Like the Raptors, they lost Game 1, but won their First Round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets in five games.[27]
This was the second 76ers–Raptors playoff series. The 76ers dramatically won the two team's 2001 Eastern Conference Semifinals match-up after Vince Carter missed a jumper at the buzzer, coincidentally in Game 7, that would have given the Raptors the win.[28]
In Game 1, Leonard scored a career playoff-high 45 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Siakam added 29 points and the Raptors beat the 76ers 108–95. The Raptors 31–19 first quarter edge was enough, as the 76ers never really got back into the game.[29] Philadelphia's Game 2 94–88 win in Toronto was their first since Nov. 10, 2012, snapping a 14-game losing streak.[30] The 76ers got off to a fast start in the first half and Jimmy Butler scored 12 in the final quarter to help the 76ers withstand a late Toronto rally; Butler finished with 30 points.
With the series switching to Philadelphia for Game 3, the 76ers rode their momentum from Game 2 into a blowout home win. The Game 3 loss from Toronto highlighted their play without star Kawhi Leonard. Leonard checked out in the first quarter with Toronto down by four. It trailed by nine when he came back about four minutes later. The next time he went to the bench, at the end of the third quarter, the deficit was eight. He sat for less than two and a half minutes, enough time for the Sixers to go on a 9–1 run that turned into a 21–2 run and appeared to break the Raptors' spirit.[31] Leonard got much needed help from his teammates in Game 4 and his clutch shot with 1:01 left was enough for the Raptors to squeak out a 101–96 road win.[32] Leonard scored 39 points and Marc Gasol and Kyle Lowry added 16 and 14, respectively. For Philly, Jimmy Butler scored 29 and JJ Redick had 19. Emiid received some criticism for his lack of aggressiveness in Game 4. After the game, he revealed that he was sick and needed an IV at 6 in the morning before tip-off.[33] Back at home for Game 5, a Raptors balanced effort from their starters (each player was in double-figures) saw them take command of the series with a 125–89 win.[34]Pascal Siakim had his best game of the series thus far with 28 points and 8 rebounds. Leonard continued his excellent play with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Like Leonard, Jimmy Butler also continued his excellent series in Game 6 (25 points), with the 76ers riding a 15-point first half lead and withstanding a Raptors 4th quarter comeback to force a Game 7.[35]Ben Simmons added 21 points and journeyman Mike Scott made 3-of-4 threes to give the 76ers a spark off the bench.
What made "The Bounce" so memorable was not just Leonard's shot, but the wild finish of the last 1:50 of the game.[36] In the 4th quarter, neither team could break away, with the Raptors 85–80 lead with 4:48 left after a Leonard plus-one free throw being either team's biggest lead in the quarter. With 1:50, the Raptors were still stuck at 85 points. With a jump shot from JJ Reddick and a couple of free throws, the game was tied. Leonard then made a two-point shot (originally scored a three) with 1:41 left to go up 87–85. The 76ers next possession ended in turnover when Kyle Lowry stole a Tobias Harris pass intended for Joel Embiid. Lowry gave the ball to a streaking Pascal Siakim, who scored the layup over a contested Jimmy Butler with 1:14 left. Butler was sent to the line after a Lowry foul with 59.3 seconds left and he made one free throw to cut the deficit to three. Leonard then missed two shots on the Raptors' next possession. With 24.1 seconds left, Lowry fouled Embiid, who made both free throws to cut Toronto's lead to one. With just 10.8 seconds left, the 76ers fouled Leonard as he got the ball on the inbounds pass. Leonard made the first free throw, but missed the second. Harris got the rebound and gave it up to Butler, who scored a contested layup over Serge Ibaka to tie the score at 90–90 with just 04.2 seconds left.
Toronto took a timeout, their last of the game. With the ball on Toronto's side of the floor due to the timeout, Marc Gasol inbounded the ball to Leonard, who was originally being guard by Simmons. As Leonard was turning the corner towards the baseline, Embiid joined in trying to double Leonard; instead he essentially cut off Simmons from the play and he was now sole defender guarding Leonard. As Leonard continued towards the right baseline by the Raptors' bench, he raised up and shot the ball over Embiid's outstretched arms just before the shot clock expired. The ball bounced on the front of the rim, went straight up, bounced three more times on the other side of the rim before going in. While all this was happening, Leonard was crouched over the Raptors bench, almost trying to will the ball to go in. After the shot went in, a normally stoic Leonard let out emotion and was ambushed by the nearby Raptors bench.[37][38] Altogether, Leonard had 41 points on 16-of-39 shooting with 8 rebounds in Game 7.
Kevin Harlan: It's off to Leonard, defended by Simmons, is this the dagger?... (ball bounces on the rim) Harlan and Greg Anthony simultaneously as the shot rolls in: OHHHHHHHHHHHH! Harlan: GAME. SERIES. TORONTO HAS WON.
Matt Devlin: Kawhi up top, looks at the clock, turns the corner, for the WINNNNNNN (as the ball bounces) Devlin and Jack Armstrong simultaneously as the shot rolls in: GOT IT!
In the next round of the Eastern Conference Finals, Toronto actually lost the first two games in Milwaukee, but rallied back to win the next four in dramatic fashion. By this point, the team outside of Leonard had gained more confidence. Guards Kyle Lowry, Norman Powell, and Fred VanVleet all shot efficiently from three in the series, and Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and Siakim (as well as Leonard) took turns wearing down the league's MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo.[44] In the Raptors first NBA Finals appearance, they defeated the battered Warriors in six games, denying Golden State their third consecutive championships, with Leonard winning Finals MVP.[45] After the season, Leonard signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.[46]
Slowly but surely, the Sixers' team that nearly won the series would dissolve over time. Game 7 was Jimmy Butler's last game as a 76ers, as he signed with the Miami Heat via a sign and trade in the off-season.[47] With Miami, Butler lead the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances in 2020 and 2023, losing both.[48][49] During the COVID-19 shortened regular season in 2019–20, the 76ers remained competitive with Butler, but were defeated by the Celtics in the First Round. Perhaps their best chance at an NBA Finals came the next season, in 2020–21. The 76ers replaced head coach Brett Brown with former Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers.[50] The season was also shortened (72 games instead of the normal 82) due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The 76ers finished the regular season at 49–23 which was first place in the Eastern Conference, one game ahead of the Brooklyn Nets, and their first #1 seed since 2000–01 (their last Finals appearance). However, the team fell apart in their Eastern Conference Semifinals match-up with the Atlanta Hawks. Against the underdog Hawks, the 76ers lost in seven games, which included a squandered 26-point lead in Game 5.[51]
In Game 7, Ben Simmons famously passed up a wide-open layup that would have tied the score and was booed heavily by the 76ers home faithful for this decision.[52] Overall, Simmons had a nightmarish series against Atlanta.[53] After the conclusion of the series, Simmons was blamed by Embiid and Rivers, with both stating he needed to be more assertive, among other grievances.[54][55] Simmons took their words to heart and sat out the next season, before a trade to Brooklyn for James Harden at the 2022 trade deadline.[56] Simmons never recovered from this moment, as he dealt with injuries and an inability to shoot the basketball the rest of his career.[57][58] Despite winning an MVP in 2023, Embiid would also struggle with injuries, and the 76ers as a team still have not made it out of the second round, with Leonard's game-winning shot and a blown 3–2 lead against the Celtics in 2023 being their closest opportunities.[59]
Years later, Jimmy Butler would state on JJ Redick's The Old Men and the Three podcast that the 76ers would have won the game in overtime had Leonard's shot had not gone in. Butler theorized that Leonard would be too tired to continue at his same level he was playing at in overtime and none of the Raptors other players looked like they were ready to step up. "We probably would have won it all that year," assistant coach Monty Williams also added.[61]
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