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Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic described the emotional swing of a season-defining victory after his team’s 112-110 overtime win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Scotiabank Arena on Friday night.
“Glory to God. That was a fun one, right? Thank God,” Rajakovic said, opening his postgame press conference.
Toronto forced a Game 7 in Cleveland after RJ Barrett hit a 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime. The shot came after Cleveland’s Evan Mobley missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer.
Rajakovic emphasized the mindset inside the huddle during the decisive moments. “We just talked about how fun this is, how much we love the challenge that’s ahead of us,” he said. “How much we love to fight through it, to find the last atom of energy.”
He continued by highlighting the team’s mentality under pressure. “To dig in and really find the last resources that we have,” Rajakovic said. “Really proud of the guys and what they brought out there on the court. It was a heck of a fight.”
The Raptors coach was directly involved in the final play design for Barrett. “Call me crazy, call me psychic, but I saw this one coming tonight,” he said. “I was planning plays for the end of the game to get RJ in those situations.”
As the final shot went in after a high bounce, Rajakovic admitted the moment felt stretched. “I know it was half a second, but it looked like eternity,” he said. “I was just hoping for him, for this city, for everybody… that it’s going to drop down. Thank God he did.”
Rajakovic also praised Scottie Barnes, who logged heavy minutes and finished with 25 points and 14 assists. “Scottie is going to do whatever it takes to win,” he said. “All he wants to do is win and he trusts his teammates.”
He pointed to Barnes’ late-game decision-making as a key detail. “That play really showed when he kicked the ball back to RJ,” Rajakovic said. “That shows how much he trusted his teammates and what kind of leader he is.”
Ja’Kobe Walter’s performance also drew strong praise after he added 24 points in a high-pressure setting. “He is the same guy. Same approach, same professional preparation for every single game,” Rajakovic said. “Really proud of him.”
The Raptors led for stretches but had to recover from a fourth-quarter collapse before executing in overtime. Rajakovic said the group’s defensive urgency was the turning point.
“It starts on the defensive end,” he said. “Everyone came together, we were in gaps, flying around.”
Looking ahead to Game 7, Rajakovic framed the series as a test of endurance and mentality. “We got to continue digging for more,” he said. “That’s the NBA playoffs. Sports is not going to your limits. It’s going above your limits.”
The series now shifts back to Cleveland, where the Cavaliers remain unbeaten at home in the matchup. Rajakovic’s team will aim to overcome that trend in a winner-take-all game on Sunday.
