Philadelphia 76ers come up short at the worst possible time in Game 7

With the entire future of the franchise on the line, the 2018-19 Philadelphia 76ers’ season ultimately came to an end with a heartbreaking buzzer-beater.

And after three (or four) bounces, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ season is over.

That’s right, after fighting for 48 straight minutes, pushing through cold spots and a few visible on-court injuries, this team is history.

Had Kawhi Leonard‘s shot just fallen cleanly, or even if the Toronto Raptors had blown out the Sixers it would have been a bummer, but those last couple milliseconds when the game, and series could have fallen either way, those fleeting, offensive moments of hope are what really broke the hearts of fans in the 215.

And the questions; oh so many unanswerable questions.

Will we ever see Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons, Tobias Harris, J.J. Redick, and Joel Embiid on the court together again? And what about Brett Brown? After reports surfaced that he was unlikely to survive a Game 7 loss, will the 76ers’ brass blow things up and look for their next head coach?

With so much on the line, it’s truly devastating to watch this team come up short.

But alas, so it is.

Fielding a tiny, ineffective bench without a single double-digit scorer, the Sixers’ starting five played 213 of a possible 240 minutes, and their collective performances were fully on display, good and bad.

Simmons’ aggressiveness was on full display once more, at least until he got into foul trouble and was forced to hand off the keys to the offense to a nicked up Butler, who suffered a leg injury in the second half.

Speaking of the offense, it was once again stagnated by the Raptors’ immensely gifted defensive font; effectively shut down for three of the final four minutes of the game.

Sure, Redick made half of his 3 pointers, but between a lack of called post-ups for Embiid, and a lack of a dead-eyed scorer to exchange blows with Leonard, it just felt like the Sixers didn’t have a chance when it mattered most.

But really, should we be surprised?

For seven straight games, the Raptors have looked like the better team; featuring better players, better coaching, and a better scheme.

While the 76ers clearly had enough talent to win three games; it felt like stealing away a W from the better team, not earned.

And after six months of basketball, things are about to get weird.

Is Brown about to be out of his job? Will Elton Brand retain the 76ers’ starting five for a full season together (as well as Mike Scott)? And what about the draft? Can the team find another Landry Shamet midway through the 20s to fortify their offensively thin bench? Only time will tell, but after watching the Philadelphia 76ers claw their way through the playoffs, it’s hard not to share Joel Embiid’s heartbroken reaction following three (or four) ending bounces of the basketball.