Toronto Shot 13% From Three and Still Murdered Cleveland in Game 4: How the Raptors Won the Ugliest Playoff Game in NBA History

The Toronto Raptors just pulled off something genuinely historic on Sunday: they beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 in Game 4 while shooting 4-for-30 from three-point range. That's a 13.3% clip from deep. That's historically bad. That's also apparently good enough to win a playoff game, because the Raptors just tied up their series at 2-2.

This wasn't just cold shooting. This was the lowest 3-point percentage with at least 25 attempts in a playoff win in NBA history. Let that sink in. The Raptors made more history by shooting terribly than most teams do by shooting well.

Defense Carried the Day When Nothing Else Would

Toronto shot just 32% from the field overall. Cleveland wasn't much better at 37%. Both teams looked like they were playing in wet socks, but the Raptors refused to panic.

"We just never flinched; we continued guarding and guarding," Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said after the win. "I told our guys at halftime, it's awesome, we're shooting 27% from the field and 15% from the 3-point line. And I was lying. I told them that we're going to shoot better in the second half. We did not."

But here's the thing: Rajaković and his squad understood what this game needed. Not buckets. Defense. "But whatever it takes, just find a way to win the game," he said.

The Open Looks Were There. They Just Wouldn't Fall.

The weirdest part? The Raptors were getting open looks and still missing. According to ESPN Research, Toronto shot 2-of-21 on open 3-pointers. That's the worst mark by any team in a playoff game since ESPN began tracking in 2014, with a minimum of 20 attempts.

Brandon Ingram made three of Toronto's four 3s, including its only made 3 in the entire second half. "We all communicated with each other, just keep shooting," Ingram said. "We're getting good looks. Not only 3s, we just had to keep playing."

Game 5 is coming. The Raptors are still in this thing, even if their shooting form looks like it went to visit Seattle's rainy weather and decided to stay.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.