Wednesday featured an insane 14-game slate of NBA games, with buzzer-beaters leading to Kobe Bryant and Kyrie Irving‘s breakout finishes, to more buzzer-beaters. Whose game-winning shot was more impressive?
LeBron James delivered a 97-96 win over Orlando via his layup from after going in isolation against DeQuan Jones near the right break of the three-point line. James got the matchup after Orlando switched defenders on Chris Bosh‘s screen at the top of the arc, getting James on Jones rather than Arron Afflalo, who initially guarded him and is a much more capable perimeter defender.
The payoff? A sweet 16th consecutive victory for Miami, a franchise record.
In the other corner, Boston slipped by Indiana on the road, the East’s legitimate second-best team, via Jeff Green‘s give-and-wraparound-go with just 0.5 second remaining. Where the play goes from being excellent on paper to devilishly good on the actual court is in its blind screen. Green gets the ball out of bounds and passes to Kevin Garnett, who is immediately swiped at by Green’ defender, David West. That swipe puts West a step behind Green, who gets free all by himself under the hoof four steps later when Paul Pierce runs toward KG not as a first option, but as a screener on West.
Two plays, two wholly different approaches to getting a last shot at the rim. Whose play did you think did it best?
What do you think?
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
