Toronto Raptors: 15 greatest NBA playoff moments

2. Raptors advance to 2016 Eastern Conference Finals

Prior to 2016, the Raptors had never advanced past the second round of the NBA playoffs. 20 years in the NBA, not one conference finals appearance.

That’s why Game 7 against the Miami Heat was perhaps the most important game in franchise history. A win would allow Toronto to advance farther than ever before. A loss would result in another playoff failure against a lower-seeded opponent.

The series had developed a backyard-brawl-like physicality.  Neither team scored more than 103 points in any of the first six games, with Toronto failing to cross the century mark at all. The series was played at a pace of 88.2 possessions per game, slower than any team had played all season.

Miami lost Chris Bosh to what we now know was a career-ending injury, and needed to make the games as muddy as possible if they wanted to have a chance.

The two teams exchanged multiple blows during the first quarter, with Toronto coming on top 25-24. During the second, the Raptors started to take a bit of control, leading for most of the quarter. However, the Heat would not go away. At the half, it was a six-point game.

Midway through the third, it looked as if the Raptors were finally going to pull away. The lead grew to 17. Miami was on the ropes, but the Heat battled back. At the end of the quarter, the deficit was back down to eight. Toronto had the advantage, but they weren’t going to coast in this one.

Then came a team-explosion unlike what the Raptors had seen all year. Kyle Lowry, Bismack Biyombo, DeMarre Carroll, Terrence Ross, Corey Joseph and Patrick Patterson all got on the board within the first five minutes of the quarter.

With DeMar DeRozan on the bench, Toronto took over the game. The Raptors had clinched a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history.