Basketball is a fast-paced, energetic game where the score can change in favor of either team in a matter of moments (possibly multiple times). In the end of an even game, those of weaker natures faint and those of tougher natures at least tremble with their knees.
With the final siren, a kick from half court and the ball miraculously falls into the basket. Scoreboard shows three points for the lucky team and the score changes in their favor. Crowd goes wild (or falls to the floor). Histories like this are written on scoreboards all over the world.
The following chapters feature six endings to games that have shaped the history of the world’s most famous basketball competition – the American NBA. Enjoy!
In the 2002 Western Conference Finals, they faced the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers. The series began on the Lakers’ home court and went to Sacramento with a 1-1 tie. Their home team won the third game and was on the verge of winning the fourth game as well.
Kings entered the game with a huge lead and were already up by 24 points after the first quarter. At halftime they had a 14-point lead, which shrunk to seven points after the third horn. With a few seconds left, home team was still in the lead by two points. In vain, the visitors Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal tried to get the ball to the basket.
It seemed that Sacramento would survive the Lakers’ last possession, yet Robert Horry changed everything, as he is to this day one of only two players to have won an NBA title with three different teams. He earned the nickname Big Shot Rob during his career because he was able to score in the most important moments of the games. Just like this one.
Sacramento’s Vlade Divac tried to drive the ball down the middle of the court at the last second, but only pushed it to Horry, making a shot across the three-point line as the siren sounded. That ball went right into the basket and the Lakers were able to celebrate. The Lakers evened the series at 2-2 and eventually won it 4-3, which paved the way to the finals where they defeated the New Jersey Nets 4-0 to win another title.
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