Toronto Raptors Win in 2OT to Force Game 7

The reigning champion Toronto Raptors eeked out a Game 6 victory against the Boston Celtics in a double-overtime thriller. Exhausted and facing elimination, the Raptors outlasted the Celtics to force a Game 7.

What We Know:

  • Leading up to the final possessions of this wild game, it didn’t look like either team was ready to give up. Through much of the fourth quarter and both overtime periods, the players looked tired and fatigued but they still managed to trade clutch baskets. The Raptors trailed for much of the game but Kyle Lowry saved the day with 33 points.
  • In the first overtime period, both teams traded the lead almost every possession. The Celtics were able to get some easy baskets by getting the ball to Daniel Theis, who finished with 18 points. The Celtics went up 104-101 with two minutes left, but Norman Powell hit a big three for the Raptors to tie it up. Powell would miss a three at the end of overtime to win the game, sending it to a second overtime.
  • In the second overtime, the Celtics started off with two big dunks and it looked like they were ready to pull away. Down 4, Kyle Lowry stepped up and hit a tough layup and got a big steal to tie up the game with two minutes left. In the final minutes of the game, the Celtics and Raptors traded clutch shot after clutch shot. With a 121-119 lead, Lowry hit a fadeaway over Kemba Walker to ice the game with 11 seconds left. The Raptors won 125-122.

  • This game was another crazy entry in this memorable second round playoff series. Boston took a 2-0 series lead and looked like they were going to easily defeat the defending champs, but Toronto came right back and won two games in a row to tie the series, including an unforgettable walkoff buzzer-beater by OG Anunoby in Game 3. This Raptors Game 6 win was the first time since 2009 that a team has won a multiple overtime elimination game.

It’s only fitting that a chaotic series like this will end in a Game 7. The Raptors and Celtics will play one last time on Friday and the winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Finals to play the Miami Heat.