"The OKC Thunder were up five points at the start of clutch time. IQ's back-to-back triples put the Raptors up four with 1:16 left. That was two of his incredible six-for-10 makes from downtown. Then, potential Defensive Player of the Year Scottie Barnes stepped up. He blocked the lanky Chet Holgrem on a step-back jumper, and then grabbed Jamal Shead's second missed free throw, protecting the Raptors' two-point lead. That forced OKC to foul IQ, and he hit both free throws to ice the game."
"Kenrich Willaims tried to answer in clutch time with three 3-point attempts. He couldn't stretch a three-point lead into six by missing a wide open triple. With 3:21 left, he missed a triple contested by Mamu. He got IQ to bite on a pump fake, but air balled the 3, inadvertently passing the ball into Holmgren's hands for an easy two."
"OKC missing open 3s were a consistent theme throughout the game. Their bench shot a measly 6-26 (23%) from downtown, and aside from Lu Dort, who shot 4-8, Jaylin Williams was the only starter to make a 3. But the Raptors ultimately made OKC pay in a game with 17 lead changes, neither team getting to double-digit leads (the biggest lead was seven for both)."
The Raptors prevailed in a tight, back-and-forth contest marked by 17 lead changes and no team reaching double-digit advantage. Improbably lethal from deep, IQ drilled six threes on ten attempts and sank the final free throws after being fouled to secure the win. Scottie Barnes delivered pivotal defense with a blocked step-back on Chet Holmgren and a crucial offensive rebound on Jamal Shead's miss. OKC struggled from long range, bench players combining for 6-26 shooting while Lu Dort and Jaylin Williams were the lone reliable perimeter threats. Key misses by Kenrich Williams in clutch moments and timely corner threes from RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick swung momentum.
Read at Raptors Republic
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