Barrett’s Buzzer Magic Forces Game 7 as Raptors Stun Cavaliers in Overtime

The Toronto Raptors are heading to a winner-takes-all Game 7 after RJ Barrett sank a dramatic three-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime to seal a 112-110 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night.

With the first-round playoff series on the line, Barrett pulled up from 29 feet and watched as the ball bounced high off the rim before dropping through, sending Toronto into celebration and tying the series at 3-3.

The shot immediately brought back memories of some of the Raptors’ most iconic postseason moments, particularly Kawhi Leonard’s unforgettable Game 7 buzzer-beater against Philadelphia in 2019. Barrett admitted he felt confident the shot would fall even as it rattled on the rim.

“I still knew it was good because it went straight up,” Barrett said afterward. “If it goes straight up, you’ve got a chance.”

Barrett finished with 24 points and nine rebounds, though he had been held scoreless throughout the fourth quarter and overtime until his game-winning basket.

Scottie Barnes led Toronto with a brilliant all-around performance, recording 25 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds. On the decisive play, Barnes drove into the lane before drawing Cleveland’s defense and finding Barrett on the perimeter.

“They brought help, so I trusted my teammate,” Barnes said. “He told me, ‘I got you. Just trust me.’”

Second-year guard Ja’Kobe Walter also played a pivotal role, adding 24 points as Toronto once again showed the resilience that has defined its postseason run.

The Raptors controlled much of the contest, taking a 61-51 lead into halftime and carrying that advantage into the fourth quarter. But Cleveland mounted a strong comeback, outscoring Toronto 23-12 in the final period to force overtime.

Even after surrendering their lead, Toronto remained composed. Head coach Darko Rajaković praised his team’s poise under pressure.

“I know it was only half a second or so, but it felt like eternity,” Rajaković said of Barrett’s shot. “I was just hoping it would drop—for him, for this city, for everyone. And thankfully, it did.”

Toronto has now rallied from a 0-2 deficit to force a deciding game, completing an impressive turnaround in the series.

Barrett said the team will now turn its full attention to Sunday’s finale in Cleveland.

“We forget everything that happened before,” he said. “It’s one game to decide it all. We’ve been tough all year, and we’re ready for that challenge.”

The Raptors face an additional hurdle in Game 7: they have never won a playoff game in Cleveland. Still, Barnes believes the team is prepared for the moment.

“We’ve got to be ourselves,” he said. “Play hard, stay together, and make it tough on every possession. It’s going to take everybody.”