Some playoff games are won. Others are escaped.
Toronto’s 112-110 overtime win over Cleveland in Game 6 belonged to the second category: frantic, strange, breathless and finally unforgettable. The Raptors looked finished late, buried under Cleveland’s control and staring at elimination. Then the fourth quarter turned into a storm. Toronto held the Cavaliers to just 12 points in the period, forced overtime, and then survived because RJ Barrett delivered a shot that changes the emotional temperature of an entire series.
RJ BARRETT WHEN TORONTO NEEDED HIM MOST 🔥
The hometown hero drains the game-winning bucket in overtime to force Game 7 🥶 pic.twitter.com/D2AJbSiA5M
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 2, 2026
Barrett finished with 24 points, nine rebounds and four made threes, but the number alone misses the moment. His shot was not just a bucket. It was rescue. In a game where every possession seemed to arrive carrying too much weight, Barrett gave Toronto the one thing it needed most: belief with a scoreboard attached.
Scottie Barnes was everywhere, playing nearly 48 minutes and producing 25 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Ja’Kobe Walter matched Barrett with 24 points, giving the Raptors just enough shot-making to survive Cleveland’s size and pressure. For the Cavaliers, Evan Mobley was immense with 26 points and 14 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell added 24, but Cleveland’s offense tightened when the game needed release.
That is the cruelty of a Game 6 like this. Cleveland did enough to win for long stretches, then not enough to close. Toronto did enough wrong to lose, then found one more act of nerve.
Now the series goes back to Cleveland for Game 7, carrying all the residue of Barrett’s shot with it.
