RJ Barrett knocks down a 3 with 1.2 seconds remaining in OT to elevate the Raptors previous the Cavaliers, 112-110.
There’s no person on this Raptors’ staff that was there in 2019. However the constructing remembers. And Scotiabank Enviornment is one loud venue in moments like this.
Kawhi Leonard’s game-winning 3-pointer seven years in the past bounced 4 instances on the rim earlier than settling via the web after the buzzer sounded. It didn’t fairly save the Raptors’ season, as a result of the rating was tied when he let it go.
RJ Barrett’s game-winning 3-pointer on Friday solely hit the rim twice, however that first bounce off the heel might need been 10 instances greater. And it did save the Raptors’ season, turning a one-point deficit right into a two-point, additional time victory that despatched their first-round collection with the Cleveland Cavaliers to Recreation 7 (Solar., 7:30 ET, NBC/Peacock).
The Raptors blew a 15-point, second-half lead, and issues appeared dire when Jamal Shead missed a free throw for the tie with 25.6 seconds left within the further interval. However Collin Murray-Boyles compelled a Cleveland turnover, organising Barrett’s miraculous shot. The Cavs nonetheless had 1.2 seconds left, however Evan Mobley’s 29-footer on the buzzer got here up quick.
Scottie Barnes crammed the field rating for Toronto, ending with 25 factors, seven rebounds, 14 assists, three steals and three blocks. Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter every added 24 factors and Murray-Boyles had one other large recreation (17 and 7, two steals and three blocks) off the bench.
Listed below are some notes, quotes, numbers and movie because the collection heads again to Cleveland:
1. It’s a make-or-miss league, Case No. 4,326
The Cavs have been the higher capturing staff within the common season. However this was the fourth recreation within the collection that they shot under 33% from 3-point vary. And it was the fourth time within the collection that the Raptors shot higher than 36%.
Dean Wade shot 39% on nook 3s within the common season, however he missed three enormous, uncontested nook 3s within the last 11 minutes. Donovan Mitchell was 2-for-10 from past the arc in Recreation 6, with one clear look rattling out and in with 41 seconds left in regulation.
Barrett shot lower than 34% from 3-point vary within the common season, however he’s now 16-for-38 (42%) within the playoffs after the large bounce.
The Cavs at the moment are 36-8 (.818) after they’ve shot the league common (36.0%) or higher from 3-point vary, however 19-25 (.432) after they’ve shot worse. And this collection now consists of two of their 9 worst 3-point capturing video games of the season. In the meantime, the Raptors’ Recreation 3 win was their second finest 3-point capturing efficiency of their 98 video games whole.
2. Murray-Boyles is a breakout star
Whereas it’s a make-or-miss league, particularly from past the arc, protection stays essential. The Raptors have themselves some terrific younger defenders, and Murray-Boyles made some enormous defensive performs on Friday.
Halfway via the primary quarter, he fought his means via a shoulder-screen from Mitchell, staying with Mobley on a baseline drive, and took the ball away from him below the basket, one of many Cavs’ 13 live-ball turnovers:
Within the third quarter, he stole a James Harden inbounds go and had an unimaginable block on a Jaylon Tyson 3-point try.
Then, because the Cavs scored simply six factors on their 9 additional time possessions, the rookie made two extra enormous defensive performs.
On the Cavs’ first possession of the additional interval, he switched onto Harden and shut down a late-clock isolation, forcing a troublesome shot:
Then got here the largest defensive play of the evening. With the Cavs up one, the Raptors wanted to foul. However they compelled Dennis Schröder to surrender the ball, and when Mobley caught it alongside the sideline, Murray-Boyles knocked it out of his arms and off his left knee:
Murray-Boyles has been coming off the bench, however he performed virtually 40 minutes on Friday. And the Raptors wanted all of them. The rookie has made it clear that, whereas he’s undersized, he performs large, and he’ll be a franchise cornerstone going ahead.
3. Cavs lastly make the Raptors really feel them
This was the Cavs’ worst defensive season within the final 5, They have been in the midst of the pack on that finish of the ground staff this season. And for the primary three quarters of Recreation 6, they appeared like a middle-of-the-pack defensive staff — at finest.
The Raptors have been a middle-of-the-pack offensive staff, and so they have been lacking two of their finest offensive gamers on Friday. However via 36 minutes, they’d scored an environment friendly 92 factors on 72 possessions (1.28 per).
The Cavs’ first defensive problem, after all was transition. They’ve now been outscored by 90 factors (166-76) in transition over the six video games, in accordance with Synergy monitoring.
Additionally they gave Barnes the area to dribble into his consolation zone, and he beat them early and infrequently with quick jumpers, capturing 10-for-14 within the paint.
Irrespective of who was in entrance of him, he felt little resistance:
The Cavs too typically received scrambled and left guys open within the paint. They usually have been generally caught in no-man’s land, not placing any stress on the ball, however not inside attain of an open shooter.
However, trailing by 11 after the third quarter, they appeared to flip a change within the fourth, after they held the Raptors to only 12 factors on 21 possessions.
They utilized extra stress, closed out more durable and stayed in entrance of drives. They made well timed and aggressive double-teams, and so they supplied extra resistance when Barnes tried to again them down into the paint:
The Cavs nonetheless win this recreation if Barrett’s shot doesn’t miraculously bounce in. However they nonetheless waited too lengthy to deliver the right defensive effort after they had an opportunity to finish this collection early.
Something can occur in Recreation 7 and Cleveland can’t depend on its offense to guide a visit to the convention semifinals. Making the Raptors really feel them within the first quarter (and for 48 minutes) on Sunday can be preferable than ready till the fourth.
4. Mobley performs large
Evan Mobley delivers 26 factors for the Cavaliers in Recreation 6, together with a shot that sends the sport to OT.
For the second straight recreation, Mobley made three 3-pointers, one among them within the clutch to place the Cavs inside one with lower than two minutes left in regulation. Extra necessary is that he was 6-for-6 within the restricted space, taking part in large.
He rolled to the rim, he backed down and posted up smaller defenders. He grabbed offensive boards.
And when the Cavs wanted one bucket to finish their fourth-quarter comeback, Mobley took Murray-Boyles to the rim:
The Raptors have been defending Mobley with smaller guys, and he’s now doing a greater job of creating them pay. After scoring simply 23 factors in Video games 3 and 4 of this collection, he’s totaled 49 over Video games 5 and 6. He’s now capturing 29-for-34 (85%) within the restricted space within the collection.
And he’ll have one other alternative to play large on Sunday.
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John Schuhmann has lined the NBA for greater than 20 years. You may e-mail him right here, discover his archive right here and follow him on Bluesky.