Toronto native RJ Barrett enjoyed a storybook moment Friday night when he made a dagger three in overtime to help his hometown franchise force a Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs.
Barrett needed some help from the basketball gods, as his shot hit the back rim and bounced high above the backboard before falling through the net. Regardless, he made some incredible NBA postseason history, according to ESPN Insights.
RJ Barrett is the first player in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) to hit a game-winner in the final 2 seconds of OT to avoid elimination
RJ Barrett Makes NBA Playoffs History
In recent years, several other players made similar daggers in the final two seconds of a playoff game to stave off elimination.
Who could forget Derrick White’s putback layup with 0.1 seconds left to defeat the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals? The shot allowed the Celtics to avoid elimination against Jimmy Butler and Co.
Or even Kawhi Leonard’s miraculous buzzer-beater in Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers? The shot didn’t just save the Raptors‘ season — it set the stage for their championship run.
The difference, however, is that those shots came at the end of regulation, while Barrett’s came in overtime, making it an unprecedented moment.
Raptors Celebrate RJ Barrett
Barrett explained why the moment meant more to him since it came with the Raptors, not the New York Knicks, his former franchise, or any other team.
“Just happy to be able to be in this moment, playing for my hometown team,” Barrett said, via ESPN’s Jam Collier. “That’s amazing. I’m so proud of this group so far, and I think it’s going to be even sweeter when we go get Game 7.”
Barrett acknowledged the similarities to Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 1 winner against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals last year. In fact, Hali posted about it on X.
“I knew it was good because it went straight up. If it goes straight up, you’ve got a chance, like that [Tyrese] Haliburton shot,” Barrett said, referring to Haliburton’s shot.
Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell was reminded of the Kawhi Leonard shot from 2019, as the latter was also made at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
“First thing I thought of was Kawhi Leonard, to be honest,” Mitchell said.
Ahead of Sunday’s Game 7, Barrett urged his teammates to forget everything that has happened in the series thus far.
“Forget everything that’s happened so far,” Barrett said.
“We’ve got one game to decide it all. This group has been tough and resilient, and we’ve fought through the toughest of tasks all year long. Going to Cleveland, Game 7, is going to be a tough task, but that’s what we’re built for.”
RJ Barrett Made NBA Playoffs History in Raptors vs Cavaliers Game 6