Kawhi Leonard

The Philadelphia 76ers did everything right defensively to force overtime — and Kawhi Leonard still bounced them from the postseason anyway. Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals seemed destined for an extra session after Jimmy Butler’s driving layup tied the score with 4.2 seconds left, but the Toronto Raptors star had other plans. Leonard caught the inbounds pass and was chased by Ben Simmons toward the corner until Joel Embiid assumed the defensive assignment on a switch, getting right in Leonard’s face and forcing him into an off-balance runner right in front of the Raptors bench that caromed four times off the rim before magically falling. It didn’t matter that Leonard was all but tumbling out of bounds after he released the shot — destiny was on his side, as the franchise would go on to win its first championship a month later. The shot was the capstone on a brilliant game for Leonard, who scored a game-high 41 points while also mixing in eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in an unforgettable 92-90 win on May 12, 2019. It was the first winning buzzer-beater in a Game 7 in NBA history, and Leonard’s fifth game in the series with 30 or more points.

Championship Year