[Highlight] When Damian Lillard Hit a Game Winning 3 With 0.9 Seconds Left To Eliminate The Rockets
The play was originally drew up for Aldridge to get a lob off, but Lillard noticed the defender getting distracted and started spriting and clapping for the ball.
Amazing play.
B-Roy flashbacks
B-Roy and Danny Granger gave me so much trouble in the NBA 2k10-14 days I’m still traumatised
Two huge “what if” players.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Etxq8OQUZmI
the exact shot, with almost the exact same scoreboard. this is some time loop glitch in the matrix type shit
Love how casual Lillard looks before the play. Like he’s waiting for the bus lol
Not distracted, there was some communication issues between Harden and Beverly, in how to cover the action. Whether they’d switch, how Bev was supposed to be positioned. You can see it briefly in this clip but in longer ones, you can see Beverly adjusting his positioning multiple times.
Can’t remember off the top of my head but he might have actually started on Lillard and then he switched it with Parsons.
Pretty sure Mo Williams caught the confusion of the defenders and was telling Lillard to go get the ball. Dame was apprehensive at first because the play was for LMA, but Mo kept nodding at him to run to and call for the ball. Or something like that.
yeah lillard’s sprint timing was perfect there
Jeremy Lin talked about how frustrated he was that he got pulled out of the game for this play because he’s been the best at defending Lillard up until then
And they didn’t know what defense they were playing, which led to them trying to communicate on the fly, leaving parsons? playing dame underneath ?and on the weak side? when portland needed a three with one second left.
They didnt need a three though
You’re right, they could have tied, but lilliard wasn’t going backdoor on parsons.
I remember watching that game. That dude deserved to come out.
Kids today may not know how heavily favored Houston was in this series. They were legit title contenders as the combo of Harden and Dwight represented a new power in the West.
Meanwhile Dame was only in his second year and the Blazers hadn’t been expected to win more than 40 games. Despite exceeding regular season expectations, no one thought they’d win game 7 on the road.
This shot swung the whole post season
Nobody was really giving the blazers a chance at the time. That was a really really fun team. Batum LMA and Lillard were really easy to root for.
And that season cemented Lillard as one of my favorite players of that generation. The game winners vs Cleveland and Detroit were amazing moments.
He was just different bro. Might not have ever been good enough to win it all, but he has two of the most iconic shots in NBA playoff history.
I feel like Dame doesnt get the respect he deserves, people forget how amazing of a player he was consistently throughout his entire career. I cant say i have ever been able to blame him for a team underachieving, he just hasnt had enough to work with through most of his career imo
No one was beating San Antonio.
Blazers also won because Dwight was so bad at free throws
Can we stop with this revisionist history? The Vince Carter Mavs took the spurs to 7. The thunder played them a tough 6. They only looked invincible in the finals.
The Mavs got blown out in game 7 and OKC got blown out three times just like Miami.(Game 2 was close until Bron got cramps in the 4th.)
OKC whooped them twice when Ibaka came back and then they got destroyed again in game 5 and Spurs closed them out in 6 in the closest game of the series without Parker in OT IIRC.
They dominated everyone starting game 7 of the 1st round not just Miami.
I think the Spurs would have won anyways, but Ibaka missing the first two games was a pretty big deal. Teams up 2-0 win series 93% of the time.
Them beating the Thunder in 6 when the thunder had their number during that era is a testament to how locked in they were though. Only lost the title because of Ray Allen the year before and came back and beat their biggest rival in 6 and dismantled the Heat in 5. The Spurs were the #1 team in the league by net rating, and the Thunder 3, and the drop off after that was steep. The WCF was really the finals unlike this year.
Also that Mavs team had the 3rd best offense in the league that year, and Monta Ellis and Dirk were cooking. They just had no defense though lol
Only lost the title because of Ray Allen the year before
Yeah sure, that was literally the only reason/s
Takes like this are what makes nba discourse so garbage at times
That 2014 first round was so good. Every other series in the West went to 7 games
Legit title contenders is definitely pushing it. It was a 4-5 matchup. Harden wasn’t near his peak as a player and Dwight was hitting the downside of his career.
You should include how good Aldridge was, he ruined Terrence Jones career and killed the Rockets so badly they started playing Asik and Howard together to try to to deal with him. Game 1 and 2 especially he absolutely destroyed them, he was the best player in the series.
Before Dame broke out I used to practice LMAs turnaround fade at the elbow in the street lol. I know he’s eventually going to be forgotten but he was a killer for sure
They weren’t that big of favorites. Tgey were like -175? And that obviously swung after the first game.
Harden and dwight were good, but the rest of the team was awful, and harden was very new to being a team leader with dwight being pretty difficult to work with
This doesn’t get talked about enough. Houston’s 1st season with Harden they had Lin and Omer starting and were able to have them on the bench when Howard came, and when Bev got promoted. Only problem was the real lack of shooting that they got from Garcia and Daniels.
I like how hyped the Blazers announcer is after Lillard drilled the game winner. One of the things that I still remember besides this shot.
Dwight’s reaction is one of the things that brings me back haha
Yup, him hunched over is imprinted in my brain
That’s Mike Tirico (so not the Blazers team announcer) but yeah I agree his enthusiasm makes it so much better
This call is forever etched in my brain. One of those moments where you remember exactly where you were when you watched it (same with the OKC shot too)
Yep. 100%.
The call will be burned into my memory forever.
I like this. (It’s my username)
Insanely underrated shot, one of my favorites
He didn’t even run a play, just sensed his man was snoozing and sprinted to the ball and drained it. He just decided to win
I think Batum was even a bit surprised he got so free, the pass was a beat slow
Edit: scratch that, I think hes looking down low to Aldridge, then turns and passes to Dame. Maybe now I’m remembering him saying that in an interview too, that the first look wasn’t for him
Yeah I recall something like that too. I believe Dame ignored their own play bc he sensed an opportunity. That’s a rare kind of confidence and clutch.
The most underappreciated thing about Dame was his fitness. You can tell he was the only one left with any juice left, and that’s true for most of his big playoff shots.
Lillard was so coy about it too at the beginning. Then BOOM he gone, left Parsons in the dust to get that ball and shot off.
Still stings, but hard to deny how crazy this shot was
bro caught the defense sagging a millimeter then took off
James Harden signature loser mentality, he should’ve switched on Dame instead of hugging Mathews
Still one of the coldest shots ever. Dame Time.
God Harden was really working with absolutely nothing in Houston until CP3 came. Chandler Parsons, past his prime Dwight and Patrick Beverly lol
What?? Parsons was really good that season and Dwight Howard was still close to his peak.
Also Harden shot 38% from the field that series vs the Blazers and 27% from 3.
Dwight averaged 26 and 14 with 3 blocks on 55% shooting.
Parsons at best was a 4th player on a championship team. There’s no possible way you actually watched much basketball if you really think Dwight was even close to his peak here
26 and 14 with 3 blocks on 55%. In his prime or not that is a solid fucking statline
He was very good. He was not close to “prime dwight”. Prime dwight was in the stratosphere of Shaq in terms of physical dominance. He clearly had lost a few steps in Houston, even though he was still a very good player.
Prime Dwight was not in Shaqs universe as an offensive player. 26-14 for a series is as good as you were ever going to get from Dwight.
You’re either a teenager or didn’t watch ball back then. 09-10 dwight was an absolute physical freak. He was essentially a poor mans shaq(which is a compliment)
I did watch ball back then and he was never a dominant offensive player. Defensively and rebounds wise he was a god, but he was always in the low to mid 20’s in ppg in his prime
It’s hilarious whenever people argue like this. You just deny that 26 and 14 is anywhere near prime production from Dwight, when his best regular season average was 22 and he only averaged 20 a game 3 other times in his career.
Dwight was nowhere near his peak lol, but he was solid for them. Easily their 2nd best player
This was probably Dwight’s first season on the downside of his peak, but he was amazing in that first round
Harden was absolutely rat shit in this series - Dwight only scored 10 less points than him, way more efficiently as a clear second scoring option
And garden got a bunch of garbage time points. I watched this series Dwight was ballin out in the playoffs as usual and harden was turning it over and being indecisive. He was the main reason they lost.
Tbh the main reason they lost is because they didn’t adjust on LMA until he dropped 40 twice.
It’s hilarious how slandered Howard got after going to the Lakers. He was still just 28 and averaged 18 and 12 that year.
This was Dwight at 80% capacity. But that 80% was still an all NBA player
Chandler Parsons was good as well. We meme him because Memphis overpaid at the same time he got hurt, but he was a solid piece at this time
Dwight was close to his prime here. Not sure what u are talking about. Parsons was very good as well
He was nothing close to his prime bro lol. The next season was even worse
LMA was really cooking that series no joke. I think he had 2 of his best games ever
People love exaggerating how “PERFECTLY BUILT FOR HARDEN WHAT MORE COULD HE WANT?!?!” those rockets rosters were.
Dwight wouldnt even run pick and roll with him lol
If Dwight would have just run a pick and roll, he’s time in Houston could have been so different. You saw it years later when he accepted that role instead of trying to be the man, he won a championship with LA. Alternatively once he was gone and Capela was willing to just be a lob threat he looked amazing next to Prime Harden. What could have been…
You know what I like about the Blazers? That logo isn’t an animal or a ball or anything, it’s just abstract art.
Franchise Killah ™️
The zoom in on Dwight’s face at the end always cracks me up
As an OKC fan, I’m just glad it wasn’t that other Lillard walk-off 3 to eliminate a team in the playoffs.
The lack of situational awareness by Harden there is baffling. Just jump out and switch on the most dangerous man on the opposing team. Help in any fucking way. Instead guarding Matthews in long-middy range. smh. Why’s he on the floor at all.
this shot was cold blooded. the wave goodbye after is what makes it legendary tbh
The wave was after the OKC shot, not this one.
oh you’re right actually, got my highlights mixed up. good catch
Watch Batum on the inbound, he had 0 faith in that shot. He was looking to Aldridge first but Lillard was wide open so he had to give it to him. I’m glad he did because this is such a great moment
I will never forget living in Jersey at the time and thought my Blazers lost and it was SO LATE on east coast and Lillard hit that and didn’t want to wake up my neighbors and screamed into my pillow lol
The whole play is a disaster from everyone except Lillard.
The play design is “Let’s attack Dwight Howard, hundred-time DPOY.” And with LaMarcus Aldridge, who is not exactly Wilt Chamberlain. The play appears to be “Hope Howard falls down.” That shockingly doesn’t work, but Batum tries to stare down Howard, or something.
Meanwhile, no one guards the most dangerous shooter. Batum tries to ignore him as long as he can, but finally relents and passes him the ball way too late, making the shot much harder than it needed it be – a fading 27 footer instead of wide-open from the top of the key.
And then Lillard drills it anyway.
Plays like this is exactly why people mock Harden’s playoff performances so much. First he waived Parsons off when they were discussing defensive assignments, then he decided to be a traffic cone instead of switching when he saw Dame running.
harden had 34 on 50% shooting and this was super early in his career as the #1 option. Mocking him decades later for this would be ridiculous
Man that was a tough one. Not as soul snatching as “Stockton for three” but it’s right there.
This was the play that made me a basketball fan. I remembering walking into my neighbor’s dorm to watch this play and losing my mind when Lillard hit the shot.
Should of never subbed Jeremy out. He would have been on him like glue.
This play was 100% Harden’s fault. The original intent was to switch everything. That’s the only reason why you would put Chandler Parsons on Dame, so you don’t actually have the slow, white dude chasing around the quickest player on the court when he takes off. However, Harden tells everybody not to switch, and you see what happens.
Maybe the worst defender in the league shouldn’t be trying to strategize on a defensive play, just a thought
Then the OKC byebyebuzzerbeater happened years after
I’ve watched this about 2000 times. I know every millisecond.
One of my favorite plays and calls of all time
Can we not?
Sensational
What a defensive abomination. The guy guarding the inbounds is not even close to the inbound man. Then, Parsons is trailing Dame instead of being between the ball and man leading to a wide open passing lane for a quick shot.
Fun little stat: the Rockets outscored Portland by 2 for the series.
No fucking way parsons was on dame
They need to stop having the announcers half a second ahead of the video feed.
Clock doesn’t start till way after he catches it about whole extra second
Not even remotely close, they play an angle where you can see it right after this. I’ve seen it probably 20+ times