NBA Playoffs 2019: Sixers' Joel Embiid leaves court in tears after Kawhi Leonard's Game 7 buzzer beater
Embiid and the Sixers were eliminated in the second round for the second straight season
The Philadelphia 76ers' season is over after they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs for the second straight season. Last season's exit was surprising, as they fell to the shorthanded Boston Celtics, but this time around, their loss was heartbreaking.
Kawhi Leonard hit one of the most incredible shots in NBA history, getting a high-arcing fadeaway to go down after bouncing on the rim four times for the first Game 7 buzzer beater in NBA history. The win lifted his Toronto Raptors to the Eastern Conference finals and broke the hearts of everyone in Philadelphia, including Joel Embiid.
The Sixers' star center was devastated by the loss, breaking into tears before he even left the court. He was greeted by Raptors veteran Marc Gasol, who gave him some consoling words, as well as a shoulder to cry on in a touching moment of sportsmanship. Eventually, Greg Monroe arrived to gather his teammate and help him make the long walk to the locker room.
Nothing but respect after a 7-game series. 👏👏👏@JoelEmbiid x @MarcGasol pic.twitter.com/PyeiuET278
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 13, 2019
It's quite easy to empathize with the young big man, who had his fair share of struggles in this series, including a nasty illness that he played through in the middle games. He didn't have his best night on Sunday, but he still finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 45 minutes, giving everything he could to help his team win.
The Sixers were plus-10 when he was on the floor in a two-point loss, meaning they were minus-12 in the three minutes that he sat, which just goes to show how much he means to his team.
















