TORONTO – RJ Barrett drilled a 29-foot three-pointer within the dying seconds of time beyond regulation because the undermanned Toronto Raptors staved off playoff elimination with a 112-110 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.
Barrett released the shot with three seconds left on the clock but after a high bounce it swished through the online with 1.2 seconds left.
One of the best-of-seven series is now tied 3-3.
Game 7 might be at Cleveland’s Rocket Arena on Sunday, a venue where the Raptors have never won a post-season game in 10 tries.
Scottie Barnes had a double-double with 25 points and 14 assists, adding seven rebounds. Barrett, from Mississauga, Ont., had 24 points and nearly had a double-double of his own with nine rebounds.
Evan Mobley had his best performance of the series with a double-double, scoring 26 points and grabbing 14 rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell overcame a slow start to complete with 24 points and James Harden flirted with a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Toronto was without two of its regular starters: point guard Immanuel Quickley and all-star forward Brandon Ingram, who was the team’s scoring leader within the regular season.
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Second-year guards Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead began of their stead. Walter finished with 24 points.
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Ingram was ruled out by the Raptors lower than two hours before opening tipoff. He had been listed as questionable after leaving early in Wednesday’s 125-120 road loss in Game 5.
The 2-time all-star aggravated inflammation in his right heel and the Raptors said it has not improved despite a day of rest.
Quickley has missed your entire series with a strained right hamstring.
Sandro Mamukelashvili stole the ball from Cavaliers point guard Dennis Schroder with 35.5 seconds left in the primary quarter. Mamukelashvili sprinted down the court and laid it in to tie the sport 32-32.
Barnes had a slam dunk with 7:02 left in the primary half after which blocked Harden on the following Cleveland possession, screaming and giving a fan within the front row a high five to rejoice the defensive play.
Each Barnes and Barrett had six points within the second quarter but Walter led the period with eight because the Raptors built a 61-51 lead by intermission.
Cleveland’s dominance within the paint — and its inability to capitalize on second probabilities — was apparent in the ultimate minute of the third quarter.
Michell missed a 27-foot three-point attempt but Jaylon Tyson rebounded it, allowing Schroder to get take one other three-point shot that he missed. Thomas Bryant rebounded that shot and fed Mitchell who went for a driving floater, but he also missed.
A 12-2 Cavaliers run, capped by Mobley’s dunk with 5:48 left to play, cut Toronto’s lead to at least one.
The 2 teams stayed neck-and-neck for the following jiffy of play with the Raptors holding on to their narrow lead but Cleveland’s offence firing right back.
Barnes was sent to the free-throw line with 1:17 left to play, but he only made considered one of his shots to offer Toronto a 104-102 lead. Mitchell missed a three-pointer with 42.4 seconds on the clock and Barrett gathered the rebound.
The Canadian swingman put up a three-point attempt with 15.8 seconds to go, however the referees called a 24-second shot clock violation on the Raptors, giving Cleveland one last possession.
After a Cavaliers timeout, Mobley scored on an easy layup to tie the sport 104-104. Although Shead got an ungainly jumper off at the opposite end of the court before time expired, he didn’t make the basket and the sport went to time beyond regulation.
Cleveland outscored Toronto 23-12 within the fourth, the primary period that the visitors had outscored the Raptors.
The 2 teams traded field goals through time beyond regulation, with Mitchell seemingly sealing the Cavaliers comeback when he made a layup with 33.7 seconds left.
Shead made considered one of two free throws on the following possession. After Mobley put the ball out of bounds with 10.9 seconds left, Toronto got one last possession to establish Barrett’s heroics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press