Luka Doncic does not recall catching a glimpse of the rim before releasing the shot. He was off-balance and tripped when he split a pair of Memphis Grizzlies defenders after catching the incoming pass to the left wing with 1.8 seconds to go, and he let go of the runner inches behind the three-point line.
But Doncic saw the whiz, his momentum put him on the court as the ball splashed through the net, bringing the Dallas Mavericks to an astonishingly unlikely 114-113 victory over FedExForum on Wednesday.
“I was really surprised when it went in,” said Doncic, who celebrated the race winner he called “a bit of luck” by walking quietly to the baseline before raising his hands triumphantly and being harassed by his Mavericks’ teammates. “Those are the best feelings ever.”
Moments like that have quickly become part of the 22-year-old superstar’s lore.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, this was the fourth game-tying or go-ahead 3-pointer in the last five seconds of the fourth quarter or the extension in Doncic’s career, including the playoffs, which won the Denver Nuggets’ Jamal Murray most surpassed such shots since Doncic entered the competition in 2018/19.
Doncic, whose step-back 3 at the buzzer last year won Game 4 of the Mavs’ first-round playoff series over the LA Clippers, joins Utah Jazz player Bojan Bogdanovic as the only players in the NBA with multiple winning buzzer beaters for the past two seasons. (The game-winning 3 Doncic hits to beat the Boston Celtics on Feb. 23 are ineligible as there was one-tenth of a second left on the clock.)
“Sometimes you’re going to make it, but sometimes you’re going to miss it,” said Doncic, who is 10 out of 25 in terms of potential equalizing or go-ahead shots in the last 30 seconds of a game in his career, a success rate of 40% comparing favorably with the career totals of the competition’s most prolific pairing stars such as LeBron James (57-of-178, 32%), Kevin Durant (43-of-143, 30%) and Lillard (37 of 106 , 35%).
‘You have to take that too. I think that’s the most important. If my team trusts me at that point, I will keep working on it. ‘
It took a little miracle before Doncic even had a chance to take a win for Dallas. After Doncic missed a free throw with 3.2 seconds remaining, Grizzlies shooting guard Grayson Allen grabbed the rebound and an error was made a second later, trailing the Mavs by two points.
Allen, who came into play as a 90.6% free throw shooter, could have sealed the win by taking both shots. But he missed both, setting the stage for Doncic to perform a miracle.
“In those situations, you win in a blue moon like that,” said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, whose team improved to 30-24, a game behind the Portland Trail Blazers for sixth place in the Western Conference. . “It just doesn’t happen that often. Luka took one of the signature special shots that you will see for a long time to come.
“This is one of those joyous nights we escaped. We had Houdini. He took us out of here alive. “
However, Carlisle said he “expects” Doncic to shoot that kind of footage, just like the other MAVs available during the post-game media availability. Their confidence doesn’t just come from Doncic’s track record in competitions. They’ve seen him take countless high-difficulty shots during training and shootarounds, many only when he’s messing around.
For example, after warming up to the Philadelphia 76ers a few hours before Monday’s loss, Doncic juggled the style of ball football until he was a few feet in front of the tunnel on the corner of the American Airlines Center. He grabbed the ball with his hands and shot it, swinging from about 12 feet away – and behind the backboard – a trick shot that went viral after being caught by ESPN’s cameras.
So a one-foot stumbling 3-pointer was no shock, even with a game against eighth-place Grizzlies at stake.
‘Watch. That’s what I think, ”said Mavs center Dwight Powell. “I’m confident it will at least get a chance, but I’m putting my money into it.”
Carlisle said he has learned not to bet against Doncic under any circumstances, and said he has “lost thousands of dollars” to Doncic after betting on half-court shots.
“Once in Mexico City [his] the second year I paid it off in pesos because I was so pissed off about it, “Carlisle said, laughing.” I don’t bet with him anymore because I’ve seen him do everything. I’ve seen him calling swishes from half court. I’ve seen him kick the ball from 40 feet. Every time we walk into practice and he sits on a table and stretches behind the basket and he says, “Hey Coach, if I take a shot, is practice over?” I always look at him like, “Don’t forget,” because he’s going to have the chance. He’s going to take the shot somehow.
“He’s just a very, very special and unique man when it comes to things like this. He sees angles and possibilities and has a belief system that few of us can fathom. Pretty amazing things.”