There are few instances in sports quite like a game-winning basketball buzzer-beater, especially if the offensive team is trailing. In an instant, the game is either won or lost, with no room for an in-between. Baseball can have that, but it takes just the right situation, and the sheer number of outcomes leaves room for something weird to happen. Sudden-death overtime hockey is a giant heart palpitation spread out over an unknown number of minutes. Football comes the closest with a game-winning kick or a final play inside the red zone.
But few things are more satisfying - or heartbreaking, depending on which side you're on - than watching a ball perfectly arc through the air as if time has slowed down, then to see it perfectly swish through the net. Anthony Davis became the fourth such player to do so this postseason in the NBA, with his buzzer-beating three to lift the Lakers to a 105-103 win over the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
Including Davis, here's a breakdown of each of the four game-winning daggers that have happened (so far) this postseason in the bubble:
Luka Doncic (Round 1, Game 3): With the scrappy Mavericks trailing the Clippers 2-1 in the series and 133-132 with just 3.7 seconds left in overtime, the legend of Luka Doncic started to grow. Playing on a sprained ankle, Doncic put up a 43-point, 17-rebound, 13-assist stat line, which on its own is absurd (and something we put into historical perspective a few weeks ago). Add in his step-back game-winner from three, and you've got yourself an all-time performance.
The breakdown of the play: with a sidelines inbound, Doncic was initially guarded by Kawhi Leonard, the best on-ball defender on the planet when he needs to be. But he ran into a screen at the top of the key, leaving the 6-foot-3 Reggie Jackson on Doncic, a 6-foot-7 point-forward. He never stood a chance. Doncic caught the ball about 40 feet from the basket, took a few dribbles, went through the legs, crossed over, stepped back and drained it for the win, as Jackson never came close to altering the shot.
Jimmy Butler (Round 2, Game 2): This had the most boring finish - Jimmy Butler hit a pair of free throws with no time on the clock to push the Heat past the Bucks - but getting there was insane. For starters, Miami was up nine points with less than two minutes to go and still led 113-107 with 19.8 seconds left. Then Giannis Antetokounmpo nabbed a quick dunk, Brook Lopez stole the ball, and then laid it in. Now it's 113-111 with 8.5 seconds left. Butler was fouled off the ensuing inbound and made one of two free throws. So with 7.7 seconds left it was 114-111 in favor of Miami.
Then it all went bananas.
Khris Middleton was fouled (controversially, we add) shooting a potential game-tying three with 4.3 seconds left. He made all three free throws, tying the game.
But you thought the refs were done? Of course not! On the other end, Butler's attempted game-winning baseline jumper was off the mark, but he managed to draw a foul on Giannis in an even more controversial fashion than the one just seconds earlier. Butler made both, game over, Heat wins.
OG Anunoby (Round 2, Game 3): Down 2-0 in the series, the defending champs were cooked. With 0.5 seconds left, Kemba Walker found Daniel Theis for a go-ahead dunk to put Boston up 113-111 on Toronto. About to go up 3-0, all the Celtics had to do was escape that last half-second, and to do so they brought in 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall to defend the inbound. It did not work.
The breakdown: Again, Kyle Lowry (an even six feet) had to inbound over or around Tacko Fall (7-foot-6) on the far sideline. Anunoby was basically hanging around the near corner, a very long pass for Lowry to make. Boston's Jaylen Brown - assuming Anunoby couldn't possibly be part of the play - went to help double Marc Gasol, probably hoping to avoid a quick tip-in or layup around the rim. But Lowry perfectly arced a pass to Anunoby on the left wing, Brown couldn't get over in time, and Anunoby caught it, shot it and drained it in a span of .37 seconds. It gave Toronto life and, instead of a 3-0 hole, made it a 2-1 series, though the C's would ultimately win in Game 7.
Anthony Davis (West Finals, Game 2): Up eight with three minutes left, the Lakers found themselves suddenly down 103-102 with 20.8 seconds left, as the Nuggets' Nikola Jokic went bonkers, scoring 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting. With the ball, Los Angeles' Alex Caruso missed a three, Danny Green grabbed the rebound and got blocked out of bounds by Jamal Murray, giving the Lakers a baseline inbound with 2.1 seconds left.
The breakdown: Rajon Rondo was the inbounder, being guarded by Jokic. The Denver big man, though, was shading to the right, trying to avoid having Rondo inbound it near the basket. Meanwhile Anthony Davis started near the right elbow and started left around a screen. Guarded by Mason Plumlee, you can see Plumlee pointing to Jerami Grant asking for help. But Grant was A) stuck behind the screen and B) looking at Rondo, not Plumlee. So Davis was open, caught a clean pass from Rondo, took a split-second to set his feet and let loose the game-winner to put LA up 2-0 in the series.