During Game 7 of the second-round Eastern Conference playoff matchup between the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night, Raptors star Kawhi Leonard hit a buzzer-beater to send Toronto to a 92-90 win and a series victory.
In doing so, Leonard became just the second player in the last 20 years to clinch a playoff series with a buzzer-beater, with the other being Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, who did it both in the first round against the Houston Rockets back in 2014 and in the opening round against the Oklahoma City Thunder last month.
Wow what a finish, Kawhi Leonard ends the 76ers season with a game-winning buzzer-beater in Game 7.
Leonard is the 2nd player to clinch a series with a game-winning buzzer-beater over the last 20 postseasons, joining Damian Lillard (2x). pic.twitter.com/IaNbMP45rl
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 13, 2019
Leonard ended up scoring 41 points in the win, adding eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. For the series overall, the 27-year-old averaged 34.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, four assists and 1.3 steals over 39.7 minute per game while shooting 53 percent from the floor, 33.3 percent from three-point range and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.
Article Continues BelowFifteen of Leonard's 41 points came in the fourth quarter, with Leonard hitting big bucket after big bucket down the stretch to lead the Raptors to their first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2016.
Toronto, which won 58 games and finished in second place in the Eastern Conference during the regular season, will now take on the Milwaukee Bucks, the league's only 60-win team, for a berth in the finals.
For Leonard, this will be his fifth trip to a conference finals overall, as he was a member of four San Antonio Spurs clubs that made it to the Western Conference Finals. He also made it to two NBA Finals with the Spurs, winning a title in 2014.