Aaron Gordon completed the first buzzer-beating, game-winning dunk in playoff history in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Denver Nuggets had possession with eight seconds remaining and the game tied at 99. They went to their main Nikola Jokic matched up against Ivica Zubac, who attempted his patented his Sombor shuffle fadeaway as Kawhi Leonard came over to double-team.
As the shot was in the air, Gordon had the presence of mind to recognize it was going to be long and rose up to grab it and slam the ball home just as the buzzer sounded. The replay center needed to take its time because it was a split second difference between the 0.1 of when the ball was still in his and the 0.0 when it was out.
According to referee Zach Zarba in the pool report, the replay center official determined there was “clear and conclusive evidence that the ball was out of Gordon’s hands when the red light came on to end the game.”
With the shot initially called good, it was always going to be difficult to overturn.
“Joker was trying to get in his bag with the Sombor Shuffle,” Gordon said after the game. “He’s made shots like that before. … He shot it in enough time that it gave us a chance to rebound it.”
The dunk saved a truly special Jokic performance of 36 points, 21 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a block. The Clippers trailed by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter before mounting an insane comeback.
An incredible series is now knotted at two with Game 5 going back to Denver on Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. EST.
Gordon Was Nearly Ejected Before Halftime
There is a huge sliding doors moment from the first half worth remembering.
With just under seven seconds remaining in the second quarter, James Harden didn’t take kindly to a foul committed by Christian Braun. As the two started jawing at each other, Jokic rushed to the defense of his teammate before Gordon joined in, too.
Harden then shoved Gordon, who immediately saw red and very aggressively tried to pursue Harden, who backed away. The only thing that prevented Gordon from getting to Harden was Ivica Zubac holding him back.
After the play was reviewed, Braun, Jokic, and Gordon were all assessed technical fouls. Harden, Norman Powell, and Kris Dunn were also handed offsetting technical fouls.
