RJ Barrett caught the inbound at the wing in overtime, took one dribble, and let go a three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left. The ball hit the back rim, hung, and dropped. Toronto 112, Cleveland 110 [1]. Game 6 sent the Eastern Conference first round to a seventh game and gave the Mississauga-born wing the highlight of his Raptors career.
The shot did not finish the series. Cleveland answered Sunday at Rocket Arena, pulling away behind a Jarrett Allen interior masterclass for a 114-102 Game 7 win that ended Toronto's playoff run [2]. The Cavaliers move on to face Detroit in the East semifinals after Cade Cunningham and the Pistons closed out Orlando in their own Game 7 — the franchise's first series win in 18 years [3].
Barrett's number was 33 points in the Game 6 box score, with the bouncing three the part the Raptors crowd will keep [4]. The frame Toronto X carried through the weekend was the Kawhi Leonard 2019 echo: a Raptors wing, a series-saving shot off the rim, the Scotiabank Arena response. The geometry was the same; the result was not. Leonard's bounce eliminated Philadelphia. Barrett's bought one more game.
The bracket is set. Cavs-Pistons in the East. The shot is the artifact the season leaves behind for Toronto, and the Cavaliers walked through it. [5]
-- AMARA OKONKWO, Lagos