It is the magic of game-winning shots-the moments that define the NBA. Each one of us loves about Latest news in basketball especially if it involves those moment-shaking, jaw-dropping game-winning shots. These are not about winning- they’re about defining careers, deciding championships, and underpinning the history of basketball’s latest news. From buzzer-beaters that leave us gasping to last-second daggers that give us goosebumps, these are legends.
1. Michael Jordan: “The Shot” 1989
Michael Jordan’s shot over Craig Ehlo in the 1989 playoffs makes any layman refer to game-winning shots. Jordan took the inbounds pass with 3 seconds to go, fumbled once, and then launched over Ehlo that impossible jumper at the buzzer. That type of shot makes people sign the memory for clutch situations with Michael Jordan and thus sends the Bulls into the next round. That’s one of those moments that are engraved in the books of the latest news in basketball history for good.
2. Corner Three by Ray Allen (2013)
Down 3 by Spurs, and Heat in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals, as the game entered final play. In those final minutes of a game in which the team could do nothing to win, and one would think that all his hopes were dashed to smithereens, Ray Allen still managed a fluke of sorts by shooting from downtown in the corner when only 5.2 seconds remained on the clock. He tied the game, and the rest is The Heat made it home with the championship. It remains one of the most beautiful three-pointers in recent memory and one of the moments that still have fans talking about the “greatest Finals shot ever.”
3. Kawhi Leonard’s Bouncing Buzzer-Beater (2019)
Kawhi Leonard is an ice-cold dude, and he surely proved that in the 2019 playoffs with the 76ers.The ball hit the rim four times. Do not forget that this superb shot was possible only because it was this very one, finally letting the ball fall into the basket; thus, the Raptors were coming into the Eastern Conference Finals. It was a shot that could get the headlines create ripples in the league and at last go down in the history book as one of the first championships won by the Raptors in the NBA.
4. Damian Lillard’s Iconic Deep Three Over Paul George (2019)
Damian Lillard has long been seen as maybe the game’s most clutch shooter. He proved to everybody what he is all about in Game 5 of the 2019 Western Conference playoffs when time was running out in a game tied. Lillard launched a three-pointer nearly 40 feet out and sank it over Paul George. It sealed the series win for the Blazers, sent the Thunder packing on their home turf, and arguably is one of the most brazen game-winners in recent memory.
5. Kyrie Irving’s Championship-Winning Three (2016)
For a fan, this would be what Kyrie Irving kept in his mind as he made the clutch shot for the Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals. He took the three past Stephen Curry and dropped it in the net within less than a minute to give the Cavaliers the lead that the team could then hold onto to win the game. The shot was his and marked Cavaliers for their first championship title in the NBA as well as made Irving establish himself in NBA history.
6. Derek Fisher’s 0.4 Seconds Miracle (2004)
He is also a clutch player, and Derek Fisher proved once again in the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals. He received an inbounds pass with 0.4 seconds to go when the Lakers were down by a point and shot with one motion fluidly through that netted basket testifying to his coolness in pressure situations of one of the most improbable shots ever recorded in the history of playoffs. Fisher’s coolness under pressure in such moments solidifies his reputation, a trait admired by sports enthusiasts at platforms like Cricaza
7. Robert Horry’s Heroics (2002)
Of course, we all knew by now that Robert Horry had a nickname for a reason: “Big Shot Bob.” And so, as the 2002 Western Conference Finals Game 4 unfolded, the Lakers were losing to the Sacramento Kings. With time running out, Horry just launched this three-pointer that got in at the buzzer. All these were sufficient to redeem the hope of the Lakers winning the championship and also got him into the hearts of the latest news in basketball historians as a clutch player.
8. Magic Johnson’s Junior Sky Hook (1987)
Then in Game 4 of the 1987 NBA Finals, Magic Johnson made a shot that many would think impossible. The Celtics defenders stacked up on Magic as he shot an extended skyhook that was long enough to pass over Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. This hook gave Los Angeles a 3-1 lead in the finals then led his team to win a championship in that series. Magic’s hook shot is one of the best ever made in the history of the NBA in the Latest basketball news.
9. Larry Bird Steal and Assist 1987
Where it wasn’t something colloquially referred to as a championship shot, the steal and assist by Larry Bird in game 7 of the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals was pure genius. This revealed the basketball latest news sensibility of baseball and delivered big when it mattered.
10. Jerry West’s 60-Foot Buzzer-Beater (1970)
Jerry West, known also by the nickname “Mr. Clutch,” sank one of the most improbable shots ever in NBA playoff history. The Lakers were two behind with six seconds to go in the game. West shot a 60-foot attempt from half-court as time was dwindling to tie the game and send it into overtime. But in that game, the Lakers lost, and yet, Jerry West’s shot will forever remain part of NBA lore.
Game-winning shots have helped to secure greater legacies in their respective teams.
More than a play, moments meant to change the direction of the NBA, grab the fans, and remind us time and again why we love this game as much as we do. Stories that we pass on from generation to generation, inspire generations of basketball latest news fanatics.
And as we sit there watching the latest development that continues to unravel in the latest news in basketball, we can’t help but wonder what amazing shot comes next?
Explore our next blog If you want to know the Latest News in Basketball: Biggest Playoff Upsets of All Time.
