Toronto Raptors: 15 greatest NBA playoff moments

14. Kyle Lowry hits half-court heave to force overtime vs. Heat

By 2016, the Raptors had already been assigned the “choke” label by much of the NBA media and fanbases. The team had lost as the higher seed the previous two seasons, including an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Washington Wizards.

Taking seven games to win the first round as the No. 2-seed didn’t help. So as Toronto got ready for the Eastern Conference Semifinals,  the same old mantras about how the Raptors being made for the regular season crept back into the lexicon.

While it’s easy to dismiss national rhetoric as unimportant and non-impactful on team success, sometimes outside opinions can infiltrate locker rooms and have a real impact on free-agency decisions.

Fair or unfair, losing a series to an undermanned Miami Heat team (Chris Bosh missed the playoffs with what has now become a career-ending injury) would have a severe impact on the Raptors’ reputation.

When the Raptors found themselves down three points, with three seconds remaining and an entire court to travel, things didn’t look good. Then, the impossible happened:

(Check out Nick Nurse’s reaction to the shot in the bench’s celebration)

Kyle Lowry hit a jumper which took Sam Cassell sized onions. Of course, whenever a half-court heave is made, there is a bit of luck to it. But Lowry’s composure to throw up a competent look in the closing seconds is something often missing. Certainly, it dissuades any idea of a “choke” label.

Despite Lowry’s heroic heave, the Raptors lost Game 1. A loss which, admittedly, does take some of the shine away from this moment. However, considering the situation and the odds, it doesn’t erase it completely. For a brief second, Lowry changed the fate of a playoff game with a half-court bomb.