The NBA saw three game-winners on a jam-packed Sunday, so it was fitting for an entertaining day of basketball to end with a phenomenal buzzer-beater from a player who is in the midst of his best season in his fifth year. Lets’s see how DeMarcus Cousins saved his team from a devastating loss in Sac-Town against the visiting Suns.
The Kings – missing Rudy Gay (foot) and Darren Collison (abdominal strain) – controlled their matchup against the Suns for the first three quarters, stretching their lead to 14 to start the fourth. But then Sacramento eased up on the pedal, and Phoenix took advantage of their opportunity to rally and knot the score at 83 with 2.5 seconds remaining.
After taking two timeouts, the play was drawn up for the 2015 All-Star reserve. All there was left to do was execute the plan of attack.
Boogie received the inbounds pass from Ben McLemore, took one dribble, pump-faked to get Markieff Morris in the air, and then threw up an off-balanced 19-footer before the final buzzer sounded. The ball bounced around the rim a few times, but eventually found its way through the net to seal the victory for the Kings.
Sacramento’s celebration at midcourt, backed by the roaring sounds of the fans at Sleep Train Arena, reminds us why we love this game.
The Suns have been no strangers to the wrong end of buzzer-beaters this season, as this is the fourth game they have lost on a final shot. The disappointment and frustration is evident when you look at Jeff Hornacek’s reaction as Cousin’s off-balance jumper finally fell through.
As for the Kings, the win on Sunday night snapped a six-game home losing streak and an overall three-game skid. The hero of the night, Boogie, finished with a game-high 28 points on 13-25 shooting to go with 12 rebounds and two blocks.
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