The Celtics were half a second away from taking a commanding 3-0 series lead against the Raptors in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
All they needed was one defensive stop.
They didn't get it.
Trailing by two with half a second remaining, Kyle Lowry threw half-court out pass over the 7-foot-5 Tacko Fall to OG Anunoby who was right behind the three-point line and the 23-year-old nailed the shot to give the Raptors a stunning 104-103 win over the Celtics Thursday night.
"That was a (expletive) disgrace," said Jaylen Brown, who was covering Anunoby on the final play. "That was terrible. I take responsibility for that. We shouldn't have lost that game."
After the Raptors tied the game with just over 20 seconds remaining, Kemba Walker found Daniel Theis through a double-team on a perfect pass for an easy dunk, which gave the Celtics a two-point lead heading into the final possession and Anuoby's game-winner.
It was a tremendous back-and-forth game, but now Toronto potentially has the momentum it needs for the remainder of the series. The Celtics had a great chance to win the game, including leading by 10 at halftime, but the Raptors just would not go away.
Following such a tough loss, it will be very interesting to see how the Celtics come out in Saturday's Game 3.
Walker was outstanding in the game, as he finished with 29 points. Tatum was solid as well, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds on six assists. Meanwhile, Lowry had a game-high 31 points and eight assists.
Game 4 is set for Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
