Game 6 in the “6ix.”<\/p>\n
Those words were mentioned in the pregame broadcast by NBA on Prime announcer Michael Grady. You want to talk about hyping a game — this was it.<\/p>\n
Everything was at stake for Toronto up to this point. Whatever happened, it was clear the Raptors weren’t going down without a fight, especially with their home court advantage. That’s been significantly helpful for Toronto this postseason, going a substantial 2-0 at home against Cleveland.<\/p>\n
For the Cavs, they were just focused on maintaining enough momentum closing out the series. However, the Raptors were taking it one step at a time. Although the current state of the series wasn’t pretty, it was about potentially forcing a Game 7, being the franchise’s first appearance in one since 2020.<\/p>\n
Their home-court advantage has carried all postseason, but Game 6 revealed that Toronto not only has a promising future, but a closer on the offensive side of the ball.<\/p>\n
Game 6 needed a hero. One to step up at the right time, give fans hope, and provide big time moments in an elimination game. Fans witnessed that on Friday night with\u00a0RJ Barrett<\/a>.<\/p>\n Barrett’s confidence and aggression to take a shot with the season on the line, shows preparation and that Toronto has a perimeter scorer who embraces pressure. In a postgame interview, Barrett stated<\/a> how he is “willing to live and die … taking that shot.”<\/p>\n These are the type of moments that change a franchise’s outlook on a player — and how a player views himself.<\/p>\n Despite the absences of Immanuel Quickley<\/a> and Brandon Ingram<\/a>, the Raptors had no problem getting off to a hot start. In just the first half, Toronto shot 52.4% from the field compared to Cleveland’s 44.7%, while also shooting 50.0% from three, with Barrett going 3-4 from beyond the arc.<\/p>\n Barrett attacked while Scottie Barnes<\/a> showed his versatile handling skills late in the second quarter, including an ability to dial open teammates with 10 assists in the first half. Together, they gave the Raptors a sense of belief and forced Cleveland to make adjustments.<\/p>\n Ever since the departure of Kawhi Leonard<\/a> in 2019, Toronto has searched for a late-game closer when everything is on the line.<\/p>\nThe RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes Duo<\/h3>\n
Why This Shot Changes Toronto’s Identity<\/h3>\n