They went up at six o'clock, in a city called Torontonians by Six, with less than three minutes left.
The NBA Championship is there to take.
And the Toronto Raptors can't finish it.
The Raptors still lead the NBA Final 3-2, even after losing at home to Golden State Warriors 106-105 on Monday night. But they will return to California on Tuesday, and allow the Warriors - NBA champions twice to be injured - to renew their lives in their search for the third consecutive ring.
Kawhi Leonard's jumper with 3:28 remaining left the Raptors up 103-97. They are outscored in the remaining 9-2. They missed five of their last six shots - the only result achieved with a goal - and went 0 for 3 from a distance of 3 points in that important closing range. Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry scored nine Golden State points in the final kick.
Larry O'Brien's Trophy returned to his tote bag.
Departing for Oracle is valid for Game 6 on Thursday night, the last Warriors home match will ever play in that building.
Raptors still control the series. The worst thing that can happen to them in the next few days is having Game 7 at their Scotiabank Arena on Sunday night to determine the championship.
They have won three times at Oracle this season. But they also know this is a chance that escapes.
And against teams with championship pedigrees like that, even if Kevin Durant can't return to this series, any missed opportunities can be very expensive.
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