Raptors broadcaster Rautins almost hit by falling lamp in Game 3 of Finals

OAKLAND, Calif. — Leo Rautins knows the hazards of broadcasting basketball games from his courtside seat.   

But he’s never had to dodge a lamp.

The longtime Raptors television analyst had a near-miss while covering Wednesday’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals, when a lamp fell from the ceiling and just missed him.

“Just sitting there doing the game, and you’re in the game, and I just felt something brush my arm,” Rautins said. “You don’t pay attention to it because people walk by all the time. I felt a thud too. Again, it’s noise, it’s the arena, so I’m doing whatever. I turn and there’s this big bulb on the floor. So I guess it grazed me.”

The white globe lamp was one of several that hung from cables from the Oracle Arena ceiling and moved up and down during pre-game and halftime performances.

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“The fact that it came down and it didn’t shatter, I’m going like, ‘If that thing hits you in the head, you’re done, right?’” he laughed. “And then they’ve got this big steel cable and they’re trying to get it up, ‘You’re putting it back up? What if it comes down again?’”

Rautins and broadcast partner Matt Devlin continued to call the game.

“Matt’s pulling me towards him,” Rautins said. “So the whole thing was kind of a surreal moment in the middle of this freaking Finals game.

“The whole thing was just goofy.”

These are the last games at Oracle Arena as the Warriors are moving to Chase Center in San Francisco next season.

The Raptors take a 2-1 series lead into Friday’s Game 4 in Oakland, Calif.

The Canadian Press