1 month ago
NEWYou tin now perceive to Fox News articles!
Clutch doesn’t moreover statesman to picture Toronto Raptors prima RJ Barrett’s season-saving shot.
The Raptors, down 3-2 successful nan series, were trailing nan Cleveland Cavaliers 110-109 pinch 10.9 seconds near successful nan 4th fourth astatine nan Scotiabank Arena connected Friday night.
Barrett inbounded nan shot to Scottie Barnes, pinch nan Raptors needing a handbasket to prevention their season. Barnes dribbled to nan free-throw statement and past kicked nan shot backmost to Barrett, who was waiting astatine nan apical of nan key.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Toronto Raptors' RJ Barrett celebrates pinch fans aft a triumph complete nan Cleveland Cavaliers successful Game 6 of nan first-round NBA playoffs successful Toronto, Ontario, Canada, connected May 1, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Barrett launched a 3-pointer, a changeable that needed to find nan backmost of nan nett if nan Raptors were to unit a Game 7 and widen their season. Instead, Barrett recovered nan backmost of nan rim and nan shot bounced astir 7 feet disconnected it.
The shot past came down and fell done nan net, giving nan Raptors a 112-110 lead pinch 1.2 seconds left. Evan Mobley had a chance to triumph it for nan Cavaliers, but his 3-pointer bounced disconnected nan beforehand of nan rim arsenic clip expired.
Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said he felt for illustration Barrett’s changeable was successful nan aerial for an eternity.
"It was only half a second, but it felt for illustration an eternity," Rajakovic said. "I was happy for him, for this team, for this city, that nan changeable went down."
Barrett said he knew it had a chance to autumn because of wherever nan shot landed connected nan rim.
FORMER WIZARDS STAR JOHN WALL RETURNS TO WASHINGTON AS HOWARD BASKETBALL OPERATIONS PRESIDENT
Toronto Raptors guardant RJ Barrett scored nan winning handbasket against nan Cleveland Cavaliers during overtime successful crippled six of nan first information of nan 2026 NBA playoffs astatine Scotiabank Arena successful Toronto connected May 1, 2026. (Nick Turchiaro/Imagn Images)
"I thought it was still bully because it went consecutive up," Barrett said. "When it goes consecutive up, you person a chance."
Cavaliers caput coach Kenny Atkinson had a much succinct guidance to Barrett’s season-saving shot.
"Sometimes nan hoops gods aren’t pinch you," Atkinson said.
The Cavaliers are now looking to move nan page and triumph Game 7 astatine home.
"This is why you conflict truthful difficult to get home-court advantage," Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. "We knew this wasn’t going to beryllium easy. This is nan playoffs, this is what it’s about. We’ve sewage to retrieve and get fresh for Sunday’s game."
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Toronto Raptors guardant RJ Barrett reacts aft scoring nan winning handbasket against nan Cleveland Cavaliers successful overtime during crippled six of nan first information of nan 2026 NBA playoffs astatine Scotiabank Arena successful Toronto, Ontario, connected May 1, 2026. (Nick Turchiaro/Imagn Images)
"Protect location court," Cavaliers prima Donovan Mitchell said. "It doesn’t matter if we mislaid by 30 aliases two, protect location court. That’s each you tin do."
For Raptors fans, nan friends bounce was reminiscent of an moreover bigger playoff handbasket northbound of nan border: Kawhi Leonard's four-bounce, buzzer-beating victor against nan Philadelphia 76ers successful Game 7 of nan 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals.
Raptors fans dream they tin get different typical representation erstwhile nan squad plays nan Cavaliers astatine 7:30 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to nan Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Ryan Canfield is simply a integer accumulation adjunct for Fox News Digital.
