Ja’Kobe Walter stepped into the spotlight for the Toronto Raptors in Game 6 and did not flinch, scoring 24 points on 13 shots with three steals as Toronto beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-110 in overtime to force a decisive Game 7.
After the game, Walter said the moment felt real from the opening tip. “I had a front row to it,” he said of RJ Barrett’s game-winning 3-pointer. “As soon as I saw the shot go up and I saw it go in the air, it didn’t waver. It just kind of stayed over the basket.”
Walter’s own performance came after a difficult Game 5, and he said the response started with film study and confidence from the group. “Just trying to stay steady and confident,” he said. “Watching the film, seeing what worked for me, what didn’t work.”
Toronto needed Walter to help replace Brandon Ingram’s scoring after the veteran forward was sidelined, and the young guard embraced the challenge. “Someone like Brandon, the caliber of someone who scores the way he does, that’s a lot we got to replace,” Walter said. “But we just do it in different areas, get out in transition more, get more stops on defense, just do what we’re good at.”
The Raptors got exactly that. They forced 18 Cleveland turnovers, turned them into 25 points and finished with a 20-6 edge in fast-break scoring, a formula Walter said fits the team’s identity.
“You can’t stop the offense and worry about trying to force feed Scottie all the time,” Walter said. “Coach always says if it’s an open shot, don’t second guess yourself no matter who you are, just shoot the shot.”
Walter has now become one of Toronto’s most reliable young answers in a series that has swung on energy and toughness. “Anything can happen. That’s one thing I learned,” he said. “It all comes down to who wants it more, more energy, who’s more physical, who wants to execute more.”
That mentality carried into his view of the closing moments, when Barrett’s shot sealed the win. “It gives me a lot of confidence,” Walter said. “A lot of people always tell me in these moments I kind of step up. But for me, I just see it as another game.”
Walter also described how the group has grown through the series. “We know how much we want it,” he said. “We just have to show the physicality and who wants it more.”
Toronto now heads to Cleveland for Game 7, where Walter said the focus will be simple. “We got to learn what we can from this game, flush it, and focus on the next one.”
