A buzzer-beater is a successful shot made just as the buzzer sounds to indicate the end of a game, or period in a game. Kawhi Leonard's ball hit the rim as the final buzzer sounded, and bounced around four times before dropping through the net. This was the first Game 7 game-winning buzzer-beater shot in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Toronto Raptors and the Philadelphia 76ers had, at this point, each won three games of the seven-game series.

After eliminating the 76ers, the Toronto Raptors went on to be the first team based outside the United States to win the NBA finals.