The ball looked like it was suspended in air. From Kawhi Leonard’s perch in the corner, just inside the three-point line, it followed the arc of a near-perfect rainbow, ascending over Joel Embiid’s outstretched arm before curving toward the basket.
It hit the side of the rim closest to Leonard and bounced high before coming down and bouncing off the rim again, this time to the far side where it bounced twice before falling through the net. Raptors 92, Sixers 90. Toronto was headed to the Eastern Conference final.
Leonard, who finished the night with 41 points, was the first NBA player to win a Game 7 with a buzzer-beating shot.