Raptors HC Darko Rajakovic’s ‘psychic’ reaction to RJ Barrett’s game-winner vs. Cavs

Without Brandon Ingram for Game 6 of their first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Toronto Raptors seemed to be in trouble. Down 3-2 in the series, the Raptors needed to get a win no matter what it cost to avoid seeing their season come to an end at home on Friday night. And for a second there, the Raptors looked dead in the water — until RJ Barrett made a gutsy three-pointer right in Evan Mobley’s grill to give them a 112-110 win in overtime.

After the game, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic’s confidence was in full display, as he even revealed to reporters that he knew that Barrett was going to shoot them to victory even before he made the shot that caromed high off the back iron and down the net.

“Huge moment. Call me crazy. Call me psychic. I saw this one coming tonight. I was talking to assistant coaches before the game and I was planning ATO plays to get RJ in those situations. It’s surreal that he made that shot,” Rajakovic said, via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic on RJ Barrett: “Huge moment. Call me crazy. Call me psychic. I saw this one coming tonight. I was talking to assistant coaches before the game and I was planning ATO plays to get RJ in those situations. It’s surreal that he made that shot.” pic.twitter.com/LAY3DHu9eu

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 2, 2026

Barrett did not have a great shooting night, as before he made his game-winning triple with a little over a second left on the clock, he had only made seven of his 20 field-goal attempts. But he made them when it mattered the most, and the Raptors deserve credit for putting him in that position, especially after they recovered the ball thanks to a Mobley turnover on the previous possession.

It must be very surreal for Barrett, being a kid who was born in Toronto, to make a shot of that much importance in front of his hometown crowd in Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors can attest to the age-old notion of there being no place like home, although they must find a way to get it done on the road for Game 7 on Sunday.

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