Soon-to-be Hall of Famer Ray Allen was at the center of one of the most improbable comebacks in NBA Finals history, as a memorable corner three in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals tied the game and sent it to overtime, allowing the Miami Heat to come back from the grave after being inches from the dirt, eventually sending the series to a Game 7, winning it in dramatic fashion over the San Antonio Spurs.
Allen doesn't talk about “The Shot” much, but he revealed to Shams Charania of The Athletic that the Larry O'Brien trophy was being already carted to the court with under a minute left in Game 6.
“It hurt,” Ray Allen said. “It hurt so bad. I was angry. I was so pissed because the game wasn’t over with yet. I just remember 2001 when we lost to Philadelphia, the ropes came out and they celebrated the Eastern Conference championships early. That was going through my mind watching the yellow ropes come out, and seeing the trophy”
“I was so pissed because the game wasn’t over with yet. That’s what happened in 2013, too, when they were assuming that the Spurs were going to win. It was that same feeling that I had in 2001. It was anger. That’s why you just don’t give up and fight until the end.”
“I remember us never giving up, never letting our own arena feel we gave up.”
The Heat would come back to tie the series 3-3 in overtime with a 103-100 victory. Allen played 41 minutes coming off the bench in this overtime affair, scoring only nine points in 3-of-8 shooting from the floor.
The three he hit over Tony Parker's outstretched arms was his only one made through the entire game, and one that would mark his legacy forever.
https://youtu.be/44T6FYdLcLc
Allen does remember that particular one fondly, and while he won't go down a list to see which monstrous dagger he calls his favorite, he'll admit it had a special place in his heart.
“I don’t rate my shots, but it was special,” Allen said. “There are so many shots that I have been a part of. The shot is one thing, but I know what I have done to get in that position. The things that happen in practice mean more to me than anything. The games are what fans see, but practices are really how I was made.”
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