Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks just pulled off one of the craziest game-winners in NBA history. The Slovenian came up with an acrobatic, one-legged game-winner against the Memphis Grizzlies which naturally had us skimming the league archive to find the best (and craziest) game-winners of all time.
Obviously, Luka's epic game-winner on Thursday deserves its place among the list, but here are five of the best and most acrobatic game-winners we could find.
5. Matt Barnes Half-court Heave
In the 2015-2016 NBA season, Matt Barnes played his lone season with the Memphis Grizzles. Though Barnes' 13th season in the league was rather dull, he was able to pull off an incredible game-winner that's up there as one of the craziest heaves in NBA history.
With Memphis down by two, they were able to come up with a couple of defensive stops against the Pistons which ended with Barnes grabbing a huge defensive board. Barnes had five seconds to try and dribble the ball as close as he could and, with a couple of seconds left in the clock, Barnes pulled up from way out with a double-pump, one footer which found the bottom of the net.
Unfortunately, there was still a second left on the clock after Barnes drained the dagger so this isn't technically a buzzer-beater. Still, Barnes' amazing shot definitely deserves a spot in any list.
4. Devin Harris Hail Mary
Speaking of crazy half-court heaves, we can't forget about Devin Harris' unbelievable buzzer-beater back in 2009 when his New Jersey Nets were playing the Philadelphia 76ers. Looking back, I'm not sure why this play has been buried in everyone's memories and isn't getting enough hype.
Harris and the Nets were down by a single point and had just 1.8 seconds to come up with something. Anything. Without a timeout, the Nets had to take the ball out from full court and drew up a play for Harris to basically turn water into wine. And, he did in a crazy fashion.
Harris got the ball from the Sixers' three-point line and was clamped by Andre Iguodala. Harris initially threw the ball up but his first shot attempt was blocked by Iguodala. Harris then got the ball back in mid-air and threw a prayer as the final buzzer sounded. The ball didn't even hit the rim. Absolutely insane.
3. LeBron James breaks Canadian hearts
As part of the Cleveland Cavaliers' impressive run in the 2018 NBA playoffs, LeBron James pulled off one of the best game-winners in his glorious career in the league. He does have a handful under his belt but this is surely up there when it comes to his miraculous buzzer-beaters.
On Game 3 of the second round of the playoffs, the Cavs had the ball with eight seconds left to try and grab a commanding 3-0 series lead against the Toronto Raptors. James got the ball with OG Anunoby covering him from full court and calmly brought the ball down. The four-time MVP crossed half-court with just three seconds left before turning up the jets. James then pulled up from mid-range with a one-legged floater and banked in a heartbreaking shot as time expired. Game, set, match.
2. Dwyane Wade cements his Miami legacy
We all know that Dwyane Wade is arguably the greatest ever to play for the Miami Heat. After winning three titles with the franchise, Wade decided to play his last season with the team that drafted him way back in 2003. Though Wade's swan song for South Beach ended short of a post-season trip, he still managed to claim one of the best game-winners in NBA history, on that's very reminiscent of Luka's viral heave too.
In one of his last few months for the Heat, Wade put up a crazy game-winner against the defending champions Golden State Warriors. Miami was down by two and had the ball with 10 seconds left. The former Finals MVP tried to go hard to the basket but was locked down by the Warriors defense which forced him to kick the ball out to Dion Waiters. Waiters eventually was doubled in the three-point line which left Wade all alone in the top of the arc.
Wade had to adjust in mid-air after Kevin Durant defended his shot which gave Jordan Bell enough time to challenge and eventually block Wade's three. Wade though had the presence of mind to grab the ball back, step outside the three-point line and throw up a one-footer which needed the help of the backboard before going in. After knocking down the buzzer, Wade ran the entire length of the floor and found himself standing on the announcer's table one last time.
1. A Laker miracle in San Antonio
Derek Fisher's 0.4-second miracle shot for the Los Angeles Lakers back in 2004 is by far one of the best game-winners in the league. It might not be as acrobatic as the others on this list but the magnitude of the shot, plus its sheer impressiveness, makes it one of the most memorable shots in the history of the NBA.
The Lakers were on the verge of elimination against the San Antonio Spurs who had a 2-1 lead in this best-of-five series. With the game on the line, Tim Duncan knocked down an incredible fade-away jumper in the face of Shaquille O'Neal which put the Spurs up by one with just 0.4 seconds left. The thing is, 0.4 seconds was an eternity for Phil Jackson's Lakers as the mentor drew up an incredible play to keep his team in the series. With microseconds remaining, Fisher got the ball, turned around, and punched in one of the biggest shots in Lakers history. Falling away against the outstretched arms of Manu Ginobili, Fisher found the bottom of the net which helped the Lakers steal an away win and eventually propelled the Lakers to winning it all in the NBA Finals.
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