In a night filled with exciting basketball, the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls might have topped everything. The Bulls managed to win 119-117 in a way that was hard to believe.
It felt like there were four potential game-winning shots, each one more dramatic than the last. The last 30 seconds of the game were truly amazing and deserve a closer look.
0:27 – Reaves` Clutch Shot
With 27 seconds left, the Lakers were ahead by just one point, 111-110. Austin Reaves found himself matched up against Nikola Vucevic, a player the Lakers had targeted before. Reaves drove to the basket, stopped quickly, and made a difficult fadeaway shot, putting the Lakers up by three.
After Josh Giddey missed a shot for the Bulls, Reaves was fouled and made both free throws. This extended the Lakers` lead to five points (115-110) with only 13 seconds remaining, seeming like an insurmountable advantage.
But the Bulls weren`t ready to give up.
0:10 – Quick 3-Pointers by the Bulls
Chicago`s coach, Billy Donovan, designed a smart play after a timeout. Vucevic passed the ball quickly to Patrick Williams, who hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 10 seconds on the clock. This was the start of an unbelievable sequence.
On the following Lakers` inbound pass, LeBron James tried to pass to Reaves, but Giddey intercepted it. Giddey quickly passed to Coby White, who made another 3-pointer from the wing. Suddenly, the Bulls were ahead by two points with only six seconds left.
Game over? Not even close.
0:06 – Reaves` Layup and Giddey`s Buzzer Beater
Reaves came through again for the Lakers, driving to the basket and making a layup. This gave him 30 points and looked like it would be the game-winning score with 3.1 seconds to go.
However, Giddey quickly took the ball inbounds and passed to Williams, who immediately passed it back to Giddey. Giddey dribbled once to just past half-court and launched a long shot that went right through the basket as time expired.
The Bulls won 119-117. It was the kind of ending you might only see once in a lifetime of watching basketball.
Bulls Climbing in the Eastern Conference
This victory was the Bulls` fourth in a row, putting them in a strong position to compete for the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. With a record of 33-40, Chicago is now two games behind the No. 7 seed Atlanta Hawks (35-38) and 1.5 games behind the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic (35-39).
Giddey was clearly the star of the game, not just because of the final shot. After missing a shot earlier, he bounced back to make a crucial steal and assist, completely changing the game`s momentum.
For the Lakers, who had led by as much as 18 points in the fourth quarter, this was another tough loss as they try to improve their position in the Western Conference standings. The loss dropped the Lakers to 44-29, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies and 1.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed.
Reaves scored 30 points to lead the Lakers, while Luka Dončić added 25 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists. James finished with 17 points and 12 assists.
Lakers coach JJ Redick described his reaction to the loss as “Devastation,” calling it “a hell of a way to lose a basketball game.”
Jasper Hawthorne