Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic called himself a “psychic” as he said he predicted RJ Barrett would hit a game-winner for Toronto.
Barrett nailed an insane 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to help lift the Raptors to a 112-110 overtime win in a thriller against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night in Toronto. The Raptors have now tied the series up 3-3 and have the chance on Sunday to pull off a gigantic upset in Game 7 by knocking the heavily-favored Cavaliers out of the playoffs.
Barrett’s 3-point game-winner was one of the best shots in Raptors franchise history, right up there with Kawhi Leonard’s famous game-winner against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019. While the shot was seen as miraculous for most, given the way it bounced in, Barrett’s head coach was always confident he would win the game for the team. In fact, he saw it coming before anyone else.
Darko Rajakovic Says He Predicted Barrett Game-Winner
Speaking to reporters after the Raptors’ thrilling Game 6 win against Cleveland, Rajakovic said that he specifically drew up the game-winning play for Barrett because he had a vision that the Canadian would be the one to win the game.
“Huge moment. Call me crazy, call me psychic, but I saw this one coming tonight,” Rajakovic said. “I was talking to assistant coaches before the game, and I was planning ATO plays for the end of the game to get RJ in those situations. It’s surreal that he made the shot, the way that the shot went down. It’s awesome. I’m really happy for RJ, and I’m really happy that he brought this win to Toronto.”
Raptor Can Pull Off Massive Upset on Sunday in Cleveland
The Raptors are essentially playing with house money this series, as the team entered it as a +400 underdog to win, with the Cavaliers listed as pre-series -550 betting favorites. Very few expected the Raptors to win the series, let alone win three games and have a chance to win it in Game 7 on the road. But that’s exactly where the team is right now — one win away from advancing to the next round of the playoffs.
The Raptors have done this by getting contributions from everyone on their roster. Barrett was obviously the hero of Game 6, but Raptors All-Star forward Scottie Barnes has proven this series that he is one of the very best players in the entire league. Rookie Collin-Murray Boyles, meanwhile, has also shown that he is going to be a defensive stopper for the Raptors for many years to come. Add in solid supporting performances from players like Jamal Shead, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Jamison Battle, plus Brandon Ingram at times, and this Raptors team is on the verge of pulling off a huge first-round upset.
For the Raptors, they enter Game 7 as +235 underdogs, with the Cavaliers listed as -290 favorites on the moneyline. The sportsbooks give the Cavaliers the edge at home, which makes sense on paper. But basketball isn’t played on paper; it’s played on the court, and the Raptors are showing everyone that they have what it takes to play spoiler and kick the Cavaliers to the curb.
‘Psychic’ Darko Rajakovic Says He Predicted RJ Barrett Would Hit Game Winner