5 strangest finishes to NBA playoff games
Monday's wild finish in Game 2 between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs brings to mind some other unusual endings to NBA postseason contests over the past two decades.
Raptors fall to Nets in Game 7
A steal by Terrence Ross in the final 10 seconds of the Toronto Raptors' Game 7 showdown against the Brooklyn Nets two years ago set up this broken play by Kyle Lowry to try and win the series. Was he fouled?
Nick Anderson chokes, Rockets tie and win
Orlando Magic swingman Nick Anderson missed four straight free throws in the final 10 seconds of Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets, allowing Kenny Smith to tie the game for Houston. The Rockets won in overtime on the way to a four-game sweep.
Larry Johnson's 4-point play
It's legend in Gotham because it remains one of the New York Knicks' last great moments. In Game 3 of the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, Larry Johnson turned a three-point deficit into a one-point victory in the final six seconds.
Ray Allen, 2013 Finals
Security staff was already lining the court to prevent Miami Heat fans from getting onto the floor to disrupt the San Antonio Spurs' championship celebration. Then the Heat scored the final six points of regulation, with Ray Allen doing this:
The Heat won in overtime, then took Game 7 for their second straight NBA title.
8 points, 9 seconds
The pinnacle of the Knicks-Pacers rivalry of the '90s, courtesy of Reggie Miller in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals.