Before I share my thoughts on Sunday's incredible Game 7s, let me first wish all the mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day! Also, I send my condolences to those who have lost their mothers. I know this can also be a hard day.
If you were able to watch Sunday's Game 7s, you were given a real treat! Both games were close with wild finishes as the Portland Trail Blazers edged out the Denver Nuggets on the road 100-96 and the Toronto Raptors hung on for dear life to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers 92-90. While there were many heroes who stepped up today, two stood out from all the rest: Portland's C.J. McCollum and Toronto's Kawhi Leonard.
Let me first start with McCollum, who finished with 37 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 incredible chase down block. In a game where Damian Lillard struggled to get going, McCollum was brilliant from start to finish, scoring 15 of his 37 points in the first half. Thanks to him, the Trail Blazers trailed by just nine points (48-39) at halftime as opposed to 20.
In the second half, McCollum was even more incredible. He scored 22 points and found a way to stave off the Nuggets in the final minutes of the game, making several clutch jumpers to go along with a LeBron-esque chase down block. While he often gets overshadowed by Lillard, McCollum was the one who owned the moment in this crucial Game 7 for Portland. He elevated himself from a borderline All-Star to a legitimate superstar. It was incredibly fun to watch!
#TrailBlazers SG C.J. McCollum was incredible today! 37 points! https://t.co/tbqmbVqnMS #NBA #NBAPlayoffs— NBA Lord (@nba_lord) May 13, 2019
As for Kawhi Leonard, he had storybook performance, finishing with 41 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, and a game winner that reminded me of Tiger Woods' epic chip in at the 16th hole of the Masters. It was the first buzzer beater in a Game 7! Leonard owned the moment in every way today and showed why the Raptors traded for him. Without his off the charts performance, they wouldn't have won this series. Earlier in the week, Max Kellerman received criticism for saying Leonard was more clutch than Kobe Bryant and while that comparison is still a bit premature, Leonard made Kellerman's case a lot easier after today.
It wasn't just Leonard's amazing game winner that was spectacular. There was a ridiculous layup reminiscent of Michael Jordan, a stripping of Joel Embiid that led to a breakaway jam, and many other eye-popping plays. Like McCollum, Leonard owned the moment and reminded us of why he's one of the best players, if not the best player in the NBA.
— NBA Lord (@nba_lord) May 13, 2019
Regardless of how the conference finals go, we shouldn't forget these amazing performances by C.J. McCollum and Kawhi Leonard. Both guys played like absolute studs and deserve all the praise in the world for stepping up like they did on such a big stage. While I think we're in for a Warriors-Bucks finals, don't count out the Trail Blazers or the Raptors. When you have guys like McCollum and Leonard on your team, you definitely have a shot to win a title.
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