The Cleveland Cavaliers took down the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons on the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. But neither team made it easy for them. The Raptors and Pistons both took the Cavs to seven games with their physical defense, which can make up for a lot of their offensive limitations.
Weeks later, the Cavs are still feeling the impact of those long series—and RJ Barrett’s iconic shot that extended the first-round series between Cleveland and Toronto—as they are in a seemingly insurmountable 0-3 hole against the New York Knicks. No team has ever come back from that deficit, so, unless the Cavs can defy history, their only hope is to avoid a sweep at least.
“The Cavs are probably tired, and they have played every other day now for quite a long time,” Zach Lowe said on the May 24 episode of The Zach Lowe Show. “That’s what happens when you go seven games in every series…If that RJ Barrett shot doesn’t go in, there’s some extra days off built in for the Cavs here and there.”
RJ Barrett made an all-time shot in Game 6
RJ Barrett came up big for the Raptors in the playoffs when Immanuel Quickley was sidelined with a hamstring injury and Brandon Ingram struggled to score before a heel injury kept him out for the last few games. He stepped up as the Raptors’ leading scorer and a viable go-to offensive option next to Scottie Barnes.
He was never bigger than in Game 6—a 110-112 overtime win that extended the Raptors’ season.
Barrett finished Game 6 with 24 points on 8-21 shooting from the field, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. His five turnovers weren’t great, but he made up for it with a clutch 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in overtime to win the game. The moment was extra special for Barrett, who grew up watching the Raptors and had never gotten to play a playoff series in front of a Canadian crowd before.
The Raptors just continue to be reminded of how close they came to advancing
Knowing that the Raptors managed to push a more veteran team to seven games despite injuries to two starters is thrilling. It validated the team’s culture and Darko Rajaković’s approach to coaching this specific group. It also painted an encouraging picture of the future.
But there’s also some heartbreak in it. The Raptors were so close to beating a team that went to the Eastern Conference Finals.
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