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Monday’s Hot Clicks: The 10 Best Photos of Kawhi Leonard’s Insane Buzzer Beater
Kawhi really did that
Not to be outdone by Damian Lillard’s shot last round, Kawhi Leonard sent the Raptors through to the Eastern Conference finals with the first ever buzzer-beater in an NBA Game 7.
The shot could not have been more dramatic. Leonard was smothered on the play by Ben Simmons and then Joel Embiid, and dribbled all the way around the three-point arc to try to get some space before finally throwing up an off-balance prayer that only fell after bouncing four times on the rim.
It was a stunning shot that produced some stunning photography. Here are the 10 best shots of the shot and its aftermath.
This is the most viral photo of the shot. You have the concentration on Kawhi’s face, Joel Embiid’s disbelief and Jordan Loyd doing the classic bench guy crouch.
This shot from above captures the moment the ball finally dropped through the rim.
The video of the shot makes it seem like Kawhi was out of control, but you can see here that he was actually squared up to the hoop when he released the ball.
Like Paul George before him, Joel Embiid could not have defended this play any better.
It was awesome to see the emotion flow out of the usually stoic Kawhi in the ensuing celebration.
I hope the first thing Kawhi buys after he signs his max deal this summer is a 20-foot print of this one.
CJ McCollum took over Game 7
This is what makes the Blazers so dangerous. Even when Damian Lillard struggles (13 points on 3-of-17 shooting), Portland has another star guard capable of dominating. CJ McCollum had 37 points in the Blazers’ Game 7 win over the Nuggets, including some real clutch shots in the closing moments.
Oh yeah, and he had this crazy block.
You have to have some nerve to attack a guy who’s 7'3"
T-shirt déchiré, visage ouvert et embrouille entre hommes en sortie de bar/boîte : les débuts de vacances de Kristaps Porziņģis ne se passe pas exactement pour le mieux. pic.twitter.com/AjbKy3XKyd
— Dallas Mavs France (@DallasMavsFr) May 12, 2019
Some pretty crazy footage emerged yesterday of Kristaps Porzingis following an altercation at a nightclub in his hometown in Latvia this weekend. His shirt is all ripped up and he’s bleeding from the head.
According to ESPN, the Mavs believe Porzingis was jumped by a group of Russians. TMZ adds that the Russians were upset that Porzingis asked to be traded from the Knicks.
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Around the sports world
Giants pitcher Derek Holland tore into the team’s front office and said he faked an injury to land on the IL. ... A high school softball player in New York threw a perfect game in which she struck out every batter. ... See Kawhi’s shot called in five different languages.
The Padres’ Mother’s Day joke failed horribly
Shoutout to Ricky from East County, who appears to have landed the @Padres handle for today? Haha. pic.twitter.com/RvUF8syO7s
— brady phelps (@LobShots) May 12, 2019
Dame was on cloud nine
Blink and you’ll miss Aaron Rodgers’s Game of Thrones cameo
Incredible performance tonight by Mr @AaronRodgers12 pic.twitter.com/NnETtVWkFi
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) May 13, 2019
Classic Marchand
Gotta love the Trop
We’ve lost lights at the Trop but the fans are creative. Good concert vibe, bad for baseball #Yankees 3 #Rays 1, top 9 pic.twitter.com/IadcrYNfwJ
— Dawn Klemish (@Sportsgal25) May 12, 2019
This would have broken up a no-hit bid
New national high school 100 meters record
We have a state champion! With a new national and state mark of 10.13, Strake Jesuit senior Matthew Boling wins the Class 6A title in front of an electric crowd here in Austin. #uiltexas pic.twitter.com/6220blNfl9
— Daniel Gotera (@DTGotera) May 12, 2019
It’s too bad this didn’t work
Dirk won’t find a second career in soccer
“I think I pulled my hip flexor”
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) May 11, 2019
Dirk is loving retirement 😂 #MFFL pic.twitter.com/EzY4dFrsVN
😂 my jeans were too tight and the grass was wet.... https://t.co/6RpYlStbGp
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) May 11, 2019
Of all the people to hit, it just had to be his wife
Men- don’t try this at home! @PGATOUR @attbyronnelson pic.twitter.com/jGVImuBSbi
— Tyler Duncan (@tduncgolf) May 11, 2019
Solution: Make beers $1 permanently
Lmfao pic.twitter.com/FYh0fsaWhs
— Charles Boehm (@cboehm) May 11, 2019
What happens when you hit a golf ball 500 mph
What a laser beam
Ladies and gentlemen, this might be the goal of the season by @Mitch_Taintor
— Sacramento Republic FC (@SacRepublicFC) May 12, 2019
Absolute BANGER 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mxA5L7PouY
The NHL always has the most cinematic playoff commercials
Not sports
A Scottish pizzeria is selling a pie with “spicy aardvark” that’s really a mix of lamb, chicken and beef, but local authorities are investigating anyway. ... One ATV ride down a Long Island highway earned a man 63 different tickets. ... CBS is releasing Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone in black and white.
Well played
You had to make it brown?
Please tell me I’m not the only one who is slightly disturbed by the design of this travel mug lid... pic.twitter.com/tp1jV8acek
— Amanda (@Pandamoanimum) May 11, 2019
I wouldn’t be able to do this either
They tried to tell us
A good song
Email dan.gartland@simail.com with any feedback or follow me on Twitter for approximately one half-decent baseball joke per week. Bookmark this page to see previous editions of Hot Clicks and find the newest edition every day. By popular request I’ve made a Spotify playlist of the music featured here. Visit our Extra Mustard page throughout each day for more offbeat sports stories.
Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).