Ian
priscilla 1All Time Greatest NBA Playoff Shots
June 9th 2010 00:28
An entire season can rest on one shot in a fraction of a second. The pressure is enormous and the outcome can change careers.
Sports Illustrated takes a look at the most clutch playoff shots in NBA history.
Below is a selection, see the full set here.
It's still known simply as The Shot. With his Bulls trailing 100-99 and 3.2 seconds left in the decisive Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series, Jordan took an inbounds pass and sank a hanging jumper over Craig Ehlo at the horn to silence 20,000 Cleveland fans and give the Bulls their first playoff series triumph of the Jordan Era.
It might have been the most amazing shot in NBA playoff history. With the Lakers down two with 0.4 seconds left in Game 5 of the '04 Western Conference playoff series, Derek Fisher took an inbounds pass and threw up a 19-foot prayer to stun the Spurs and give L.A. a 3-2 series lead. Buoyed by Fisher's miracle, the Lakers would go on win the series and reach the Finals for the fourth time in five seasons.
It was the most clutch shot in the Greatest Game Ever Played. With his Suns trailing by two points with one second to play in double OT of Game 6 of the '76 Finals in Boston, Garfield Heard took an inbounds pass and swished a turnaround 20-foot jumper from the top of key to send it into a third extra period. The Suns would go on to fall, 128-126, but Heard's heroic jumper was truly Heard Round the NBA World.
It's still known as the Memorial Day Miracle. With the Spurs trailing by a point late in Game 2 of the '99 Western Conference finals, Sean Elliott took an inbounds pass, tiptoed along the sideline and nailed a three-pointer with nine seconds left to lift San Antonio to the victory. The incredible shot shifted momentum of series and sent the Spurs on to the first of their four NBA
It was the perfect ending to Michael Jordan's career (at least we thought so at the time). With his team trailing by a point late in Game 6 of the '98 NBA Finals in Utah, Jordan stripped Karl Malone at one end, dribbled down court and swished a 20-footer with 5.2 seconds left to lift the Bulls to their second three-peat of the decade. Jordan, who was set to retire, held his pose for a moment as if to say farewell.
Sports Illustrated takes a look at the most clutch playoff shots in NBA history.
Below is a selection, see the full set here.
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