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Above-the-Rim Angle of RJ Barrett’s Game-Winner Is Absolutely Mesmerizing

As the ball hung in the air in Toronto on Friday night, time stood still.
Tyler Lauletta|
RJ Barrett’s game-winning shot in Game 6 of the Raptors first-round series against the Cavaliers falls through the hoop.
RJ Barrett’s game-winning shot in Game 6 of the Raptors first-round series against the Cavaliers falls through the hoop. | @NBAonPrime / X

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Toronto RaptorsCleveland Cavaliers

Toronto, you have a new postseason hero.

Just shy of the seven-year anniversary of Kawhi Leonard’s incredible Game 7 shot against the 76ers that sent the Raptors to the Eastern Conference finals en route to their first NBA title, RJ Barrett decided it was his turn to etch his name into history.

With the Raptors down 3–2 to the Cavaliers in the series and facing potential elimination at home, it was a do-or-die game. An incredible defensive stand gave Toronto possession with 10 seconds left in overtime trailing by a single point. Scottie Barnes drove to the basket but was smothered by the Cleveland defense, and kicked out to Barrett for a three.

Barrett’s shot arced through the air and hit the back heel of the rim, popping straight into air and out of frame for the audience watching the game on television. Then it came straight down.

It’s a jaw-dropping shot, and becomes even moreso when viewed from the above-the-rim angle.

Just incredible stuff.

Barrett’s shot sends the series back to Cleveland for a decisive Game 7

There is one glaring difference between Barrett’s shot and Leonard’s—Kawhi won the series with his make, while the 2026 Raptors still have work to do if they hope to advance.

With the win on Friday night, Barrett & Co. forced the series to return to Cleveland for Game 7 on Sunday. Securing that final win will be no easy task—the Raptors are 0–10 as a franchise on the road against the Cavaliers in the postseason, but after the shot Barrett made on Friday night, they have plenty of momentum on their side.

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Tyler Lauletta
TYLER LAULETTA

Tyler Lauletta is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI, he covered sports for nearly a decade at Business Insider, and helped design and launch the OffBall newsletter. He is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, and remains an Eagles and Phillies sicko. When not watching or blogging about sports, Tyler can be found scratching his dog behind the ears.

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