OT was mostly uneventful until the waning seconds, and Toronto was down 110-109. Off a Scottie Barnes assist, RJ Barrett shot a three that bounced off the rim and above the shot clock, and miraculously went through the net.
Toronto won the game 112-110 and reminded fans of another bouncing miracle from 2019, when a Kawhi Leonard shot bobbled around four times before sinking in, sending the team up north to the Eastern Conference Finals and ultimately to the NBA Finals, where they won.
“I thought it was still good because it went straight up,” Barrett said. “When it goes straight up, you have a chance.”
It capped off a great night for Barrett, who dropped 24 points, as did Ja’Kobe Walter. But the night’s most integral player was Scottie Barnes and his 25-point, 14-assist performance.
But now they’re heading back to Cleveland for Game 7 in a series where the home team has won every game. A tough environment, but Barnes thinks the team can handle it.
“We’ve got to be ourselves,” Barnes said. “Do what we did tonight, play super hard, make it tough for every single guy out there on the floor. That’s made an impact. Guys stepped up when we needed them to. It’s going to take everybody.”
Even LeBron James praised Barrett for his shot, which also gives the Lakers a few extra days of rest.
“Haven’t seen a shot in Toronto like that since Kawhi. Something about those rims. I’m happy,” he said.