Shot At The Buzzer
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In basketball and other such timed sports, a buzzer beater is a shot that is taken before the game clock of a quarter, a half (if the half is the second one, then, a game), or an overtime period expires but does not go in the basket until after the clock expires and the buzzer sounds hence the name "buzzer beater". The concept normally applies to baskets that beat an end-of-quarter/half/overtime buzzer but is sometimes applied to shots that beat the shot clock buzzer. Officials in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, National Basketball Association, Women's National Basketball Association, Serie A (Italy), and the Euroleague ( Final Four series only, effective 2006) are required to use instant replay to assess whether a shot made at the end of a period was in fact released before the game clock expired. Since 2002, the NBA also has mandated
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light strips along the edges of the backboard and the edge of the scorer's table for the purposes of identifying the end of a period.


Notable buzzer beaters

Although buzzer beaters are fairly common, several instances have been recognized as special occasions:


NCAA

*Dubbed "The Dunk", in the 1983 NCAA Championship Finals, NC State forward Lorenzo Charles caught Derek Whittenburg's
airball In basketball, an air ball is an unblocked shot that misses the basket, rim, net, and backboard entirely. Origin The Oxford English Dictionary cites earliest printed use of "air ball" in a 29 January 1967 article from the (Hayward, Calif.) Dail ...
and dunked it as time expired to defeat Houston 54–52. In the most improbable match-ups, NC State won its last 10 games of the season, including ACC Tournament Championship to become eligible for the NCAA Tournament. NC State also had the most regular season losses (10) of any previous NCAA Champion. *In the 1992 East Regional Finals, with 2.1 seconds left and down 103–102 in overtime, Duke forward Christian Laettner caught a full court inbounds pass from
Grant Hill Grant Henry Hill (born October 5, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player who is a co-owner and executive of the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He attended Duke University and is widely considere ...
, turned and hit a 17-footer (5 m) at the buzzer to give the Duke Blue Devils a 104–103 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. The lead changed hands five times in the last 31.5 seconds of overtime. *In the 1992 NCAA Tournament, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets' legendary coach Bobby Cremins led an inexperienced Tech team to the Sweet 16, thanks in no small part to James Forrest's buzzer-beating game-winning 3-pointer in the second round against USC (to which CBS commentator Al McGuire famously shouted, "Holy mackerel! Holy mackerel! Holy mackerel!"). With eight tenths of a second left, Forrest received a half-court inbounds pass, rotated 180 degrees and hit a three-pointer at the buzzer for the win. *On January 5, 2004, the Texas Longhorns' forward
P. J. Tucker Anthony Leon "P. J." Tucker Jr. (born May 5, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns. He was the 2008 Israe ...
hit a buzzer beater in a game against
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to win 79–77 in OT. After extensive looks at instant replay, it was clear that the ball was in his hand when the game clock hit 00.0, but out before the red backboard light came on; by rule, the game ends when the backboard lights up, so the basket counted and Texas won the game. *On January 31, 2005, Guilford College was tied at 88 with Randolph-Macon College. Randolph-Macon was shooting 2 free throws with 6 tenths of a second left. After making the first to take an 89–88 lead, the second shot missed. Guilford player Jordan Snipes grabbed the rebound under the basket and threw the ball towards the other goal. The shot went in, giving Guilford a 91–89 victory. Snipes duplicated the feat several days later on air with the local news network WFMY-TV in Greensboro, North Carolina. *In the 2006 NCAA Tournament First Round, #14 seed Northwestern State (LA) stunned the #3 seed
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64–63 with a last-second three-pointer "off the heels" in the far corner by
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. Northwestern State had come back from 17 points down with 8 minutes to play. *In a 2010 NCAA regular season game against Georgia Tech, the Maryland Terrapins, in essence, made two buzzer beaters (with only the second one counting). First, with 3 seconds on the clock, Greivis Vasquez made a half-court shot on the run to beat what would have been the buzzer. However, Maryland coach
Keith Booth Keith Eugene Booth (born October 9, 1974) is an American basketball coach and former National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Booth played college basketball at the University of Maryland College Park, University of Maryland from 1993 to 199 ...
had called timeout with 1.5 seconds left, before Vasquez had released the ball. Following the timeout on the ensuing inbounds pass, the Terps got the ball to
Cliff Tucker Cliff Tucker (January 12, 1989 – May 28, 2018) was an American professional basketball player. He competed with Maryland Terrapins men's basketball, Maryland at the collegiate level. He was killed in a traffic accident on May 28, 2018. High sc ...
, who made a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the game 76–74.Ranking Tucker's clutch 3-pointer
*On February 7, 2013, in an NCAA regular season game,
Tyler Griffey Tyler Griffey (born September 29, 1990) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Allianz Swans Gmunden of the Austrian Basketball League. He played college basketball for the University of Illinois. High sch ...
made an uncontested buzzer-beating layup off an inbounds pass with 9 tenths of a second left to lead the Illinois Fighting Illini to a 74–72 upset home win over #1 ranked Indiana Hoosiers. *On March 18, 2016, during the first round of the
2016 NCAA tournament The 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 20 ...
,
Paul Jesperson Paul Jesperson (born December 2, 1992) is an American basketball player for Unión Financiera Baloncesto Oviedo of the Spanish LEB Oro. He played college basketball for the Northern Iowa Panthers. College career Jesperson attended Merrill Hig ...
of Northern Iowa made a buzzer beater from half court to win the game for the 11th seeded Panthers 75–72, and upset the 6th seeded Texas Longhorns. *On March 20, 2016, during the second round of the
2016 NCAA tournament The 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 20 ...
, with 2.6 seconds left and the game tied at 63, Wisconsin's
Bronson Koenig Bronson Koenig (born November 13, 1994) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Erie BayHawks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Wisconsin Badgers. Koenig attended Aquinas High School in La C ...
made a 3-point buzzer beater after receiving an inbound pass from Ethan Happ. This resulted in the 7th seeded Wisconsin upsetting the 2nd seeded Xavier. *On April 4, 2016, Villanova's Kris Jenkins hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to defeat North Carolina to win the
2016 NCAA tournament The 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament involved 68 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the men's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 20 ...
, 77–74. *On April 3, 2021,
Gonzaga Gonzaga may refer to: Places * Gonzaga, Lombardy, commune in the province of Mantua, Italy * Gonzaga, Cagayan, municipality in the Philippines *Gonzaga, Minas Gerais, town in Brazil *Forte Gonzaga, fort in Messina, Sicily People with the surna ...
's Jalen Suggs hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to defeat UCLA to win the NCAA Tournament Final Four, 93–90. Gonzaga would go on to the championship, but lost to Baylor 86–70.


NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

* : ** On March 15, 1998, Voshon Lenard hit a buzzer beater to give his Miami Heat a 79–76 victory over the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
. The goal was initially disallowed, but following video review, it was allowed after it was determined that the ball was out of Lenard's hands before the Orlando Arena game clock struck 00:0. * : ** On January 3, 2007, Gilbert Arenas scored a 32-foot buzzer-beater to lead the Washington Wizards to win the game against the Milwaukee Bucks 108–105. ** On January 15, 2007, Gilbert Arenas' game-winning 3-point shot led the Washington Wizards to a 114–111 victory against the Utah Jazz. * ** On December 2, 2008, Troy Murphy tipped in a buzzer-beating shot to lift the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
over the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
118–117. ** On January 23, 2009, LeBron James scored a buzzer beater to lead the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
to a 106–105 victory against the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
. * : ** On December 4, 2009,
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
's game-winning three-pointer over
Dwyane Wade Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. (; born January 17, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Wade spent the majority of his 16-year career playing for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and won three NBA champi ...
gave the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
a 108–107 victory against the Miami Heat. ** On January 14, 2010, rookie Sundiata Gaines hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end a frenzied series of comebacks and give the Utah Jazz a 97-96 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. ** On March 25, 2010, Josh Smith swooped in to slam through Joe Johnson's missed shot just ahead of the buzzer and the Atlanta Hawks finally beat the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
, clinching a third straight trip to the playoffs with an 86-84 victory. * : ** On December 21, 2010, Mike Dunleavy's tip-in at the buzzer gave the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
a 94-93 victory over the New Orleans Hornets. ** On December 29, 2010, Tyreke Evans made a 3-pointer from midcourt as time expired, lifting the Sacramento Kings to a 100-98 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. * – On December 29, 2011, Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder led the team to a 104–102 win over the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
, thanks to his game-winning dagger three-pointer. * : ** On November 9, 2013, Jeff Green hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to lift the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
to a 111-110 victory over the Miami Heat. ** On November 15, 2013, Joe Johnson stole a pass and dropped in a short jumper as time expired in overtime, giving the Brooklyn Nets a 100-98 win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. ** On February 7, 2014, Tobias Harris scored a game-winning dunk as the buzzer sounded as Orlando Magic won 104–103 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. ** On February 24, 2014, Dirk Nowitzki's 19-foot jumper bounced up and then fell in as time expired, giving the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
a 110-108 victory over the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. * : ** On November 14, 2014, Courtney Lee scored on a lob pass as time expired to cap a furious fourth-quarter rally, and the Memphis Grizzlies came from 26 points down to beat the Sacramento Kings 111-110 on Thursday night. ** On January 23, 2015, James Harden creates space and knocks down the game winning jumper as time expires to lead the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
to a 113-111 victory over the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
. ** On February 6, 2015,
Anthony Davis Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the power forward and center positions. Davis is an eight-time NB ...
led the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
to a 116–113 win vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder. * – On March 23, 2016, Emmanuel Mudiay made a 35-footer at the buzzer to finish with 27 points and give the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
a 104-103 victory over the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
. * : ** On January 4, 2017,
Giannis Antetokounmpo Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo (born Adetokunbo; December 6, 1994) is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Antetokounmpo's country of origin, in addition to his s ...
made a turnaround jumper at the buzzer to give the Milwaukee Bucks a 105-104 victory over the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. ** On March 5, 2017, then-
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
rookie Tyler Ulis made the 3-point shot at the buzzer to upset the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
and win the game for the Suns 109–106. ** On April 9, 2017, Russell Westbrook led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 106–105 win against the Denver Nuggets with his 42nd career triple-double and a buzzer beater. * : ** On October 23, 2017, Andrew Wiggins made a 3-point shot as the buzzer sounded to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 115–113 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder. ** On December 26, 2017, Tyson Chandler dunked Dragan Bender's inbounds pass from the opposite sideline with 0.4 seconds remaining to give the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
a 99-97 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. ** On February 7, 2018, LeBron James scored another game winner at the buzzer in overtime to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers 140–138 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. * : ** On December 23, 2018, Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks scored a game-tying buzzer beater to tie the Portland Trail Blazers 107–all and force an overtime. ** On February 7, 2019, Rajon Rondo's game winning shot stuns his former team, the Boston Celtics, and wins it for the Los Angeles Lakers to win the game 129–128. ** On February 27, 2019, Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat scored a three-point shot with no time left to defeat the Golden State Warriors 126–125. ** On March 24, 2019, Jeremy Lamb hit the half-court shot to stun the Kawhi Leonard-led Toronto Raptors and win the game for the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...
115–114. * : ** On December 23, 2020, Buddy Hield pushed the ball to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 124–122 win against the Denver Nuggets. ** On March 27, 2021, Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings scored a 3-pointer as the time expired to win the game 100–97 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. ** On April 14, 2021, Luka Dončić scored another regular season buzzer-beater to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 114–113 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies. ** On May 3, 2021,
Ben Simmons Benjamin David Simmons (born 20 July 1996) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the LSU Tigers, after which he was ...
saved Joel Embiid's attempt at a 3-point shot to lift the Philadelphia 76ers to a 113–111 victory against the San Antonio Spurs in overtime. * : ** On October 27, 2021, Harrison Barnes of the Sacramento Kings scores the 3-pointer to 110-107 comeback victory against Phoenix Suns. ** On November 6, 2021, Luka Dončić scored a 3-point buzzer-beater to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 107-104 victory against the Boston Celtics, making him to beat the buzzers twice in six months and two regular seasons. ** On December 15, 2021,
Devonte' Graham Devonte' Terrell Graham (born February 22, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks. High school career Gra ...
scored the improbable 61–foot buzzer-beater, lifting New Orleans Pelicans to a 113-110 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. ** On December 31, 2021, DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls scores the one-legged buzzer beater to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 108-106 victory over Indiana Pacers. The following night, he scored another buzzer-beater to beat the Washington Wizards 120-119, making him the first man to beat the buzzers twice in two days. ** On January 21, 2022,
Stephen Curry Wardell Stephen Curry II ( ; born March 14, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, ...
of the Golden State Warriors scored a buzzer beater against the Houston Rockets guard
Kevin Porter Jr. Bryan Kevin Porter Jr. (born May 4, 2000), also known by his initials KPJ, is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played high school basketball for Rainier Beach Hig ...
to allow the Warriors to win 105-103. ** On February 16, 2022, Stephen Curry's clutch shot gave the Golden State Warriors a 115–114 against the Denver Nuggets. A free throw from the Warriors followed and then Monte Morris scored a game-winning 3-pointer, and the Nuggets won 117–116. * : ** On November 5, 2022, De'Aaron Fox of Sacramento Kings scored the insane buzzer beater from the logo by beating the Orlando Magic 126–123, in overtime.


Playoffs

* In Game 1 of the 1950 NBA Finals, Bob Harrison hit a 40-foot (12 m) buzzer-beater to win the game for the Lakers, 68–66. * In Game 3 of the 1962 NBA Finals, Jerry West steals the ball and makes a layup as the time expired to give the lakers a 2-1 lead over the Celtics. * In Game 4 of the 1969 NBA Finals, Sam Jones hit an off-balance 18-footer (5.5 m) as time expired to lift the Celtics to a series-tying 89–88 win over the Lakers. * In Game 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals, with the Lakers trailing the Knicks 102–100. Jerry West sank a desperation buzzer-beating 60-foot (18 m) shot to tie the game. Since the three-point field goal was not adopted until the
1979–80 NBA season The 1979–80 NBA season was the 34th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning the NBA Championship, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals, and is notable for being ...
, it only tied the game. The Lakers lost 111–108 in OT. * In Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals, Gar Heard hit a buzzer beater against the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
to tie the game at 112 and force a third overtime. This was one of the many high points of the game, which the Celtics won, 128–126. Heard's shot is one of the many reasons the NBA refers to Game 5 as "The Greatest Game Ever Played". * In Game 1 of the 1986 Eastern Conference First Round, Dudley Bradley banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game 95–94 for the Bullets after the 76ers led 94–77 with 3 minutes left. * In Game 3 of the 1986 Western Conference Semifinals, Derek Harper hit a long 3 with 3 seconds left to beat the Lakers, 110–108. * In Game 5 of the 1986 Western Conference Finals, the Rockets and Lakers were tied at 112 with 1 second left and the ball at half-court. Ralph Sampson hit a turn-around shot at the buzzer to win the series for Houston. * In Game 5 of the 1989 Eastern Conference First Round,
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
took the inbounds pass with 3 seconds left, sprinted to the free throw line and hit ''
The Shot The Shot was a basketball play that occurred during a 1989 playoff game between the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It took place on May 7, 1989 at Richfield Coliseum in Richfield Townsh ...
'' over Craig Ehlo at the buzzer to beat the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
101–100. * In Game 4 of the 1993 Eastern Conference First Round, with Charlotte down 103–102 with 3.3 seconds left, Alonzo Mourning took the inbounds pass and hit a 20-footer (6 m) with 4 tenths left. * In Game 4 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Semifinals, "The Shot II". With the score tied at 101, Michael Jordan made an 18-foot fade-away over Gerald Wilkins at the buzzer to give the Bulls a 103–101 victory and sweep Cleveland. * In Game 3 of the 1994 Eastern Conference Semifinals with 1.8 seconds left and the Bulls down 2–0 in the series,
Toni Kukoč Toni Kukoč, nicknamed ''“The Waiter”'' (; born September 18, 1968) is a Croatian-American former professional basketball player who serves as Special Advisor to Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the Chicago Bulls. After a highly successful perio ...
sank a 23-ft (7 m) fadeaway at the buzzer to give Chicago a 104–102 victory over New York. * In Game 5 of the 1995 Western Conference Semifinals, Nick Van Exel hit a 3 with 5 tenths of a second left in OT to give the Lakers a 98–96 win over the Spurs. He had also hit a 3 with 10.2 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 88 and force overtime. * In Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Reggie Miller scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds to erase a 6-point deficit and beat New York, 107–105. * In Game 4 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana's Rik Smits faked a shot over
Tree Rollins Wayne Monte "Tree" Rollins (born June 16, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player who played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, ...
, then hit a 10-footer (3 m) at the buzzer to beat Orlando 94–93. The lead changed hands four times in the last 13.3 seconds. * In Game 1 of the 1995 NBA Finals, Houston's
Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (; ; born January 21, 1963), nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian Americans, Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Ass ...
tipped in a missed layup by Clyde Drexler with 3 tenths of a second left in OT to beat the Magic 120–118. * In Game 4 of the 1997 Western Conference First Round, the Suns' Rex Chapman caught an overthrown Jason Kidd pass and made a falling-out-of-bounds 3 with 1.9 seconds left to tie it at 107. The Suns still lost 122–115 in OT. * In Game 4 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals, Houston's Eddie Johnson hit a buzzer-beating 3 to beat Utah 95–92. * In Game 6 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals, John Stockton hit a 3 at the buzzer, lifting Utah over Houston 103–100 to win the series 4–2. * In Game 1 of the 1997 NBA Finals,
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
hit a jumper over Bryon Russell at the buzzer to give Chicago an 84–82 victory. * In Game 4 of the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals, Indiana was trailing Chicago 94–93 with 2.9 seconds left. Derrick McKey inbounded to Reggie Miller, who hit the game-winning 3 with 7 tenths left. They still lost the Series. The
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went on to win the NBA Championship against the Utah Jazz. * In Game 4 of the 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals, the Lakers were trailing the Kings 99–97 with 11.8 seconds left. The Lakers were trailing 2–1 in the series and faced Game 5 in Sacramento. After Kobe Bryant and Shaq missed consecutive layups, Vlade Divac swatted the ball away in a vain attempt to run out the clock. However, it went right to Robert Horry, who caught the ball and hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Lakers a 100–99 victory. * In Game 1 of the 2003 Western Conference First Round, Stephon Marbury of the Phoenix Suns scored a buzzer beater and had a 96-95 victory against the San Antonio Spurs. * In Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals, Tim Duncan made a fade-away 18-footer (5.5 m) over Shaquille O'Neal to give the Spurs a 73–72 lead with 4 tenths of a second left, but Derek Fisher hit a 20-footer (6 m) at the buzzer to win the game for the Lakers 74–73. * In Game 5 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Semifinals, with the series tied at 2, the Detroit Pistons were down 88–85 to the Nets with no timeouts. Chauncey Billups banked in a 3 from half-court at the buzzer to tie the game at 88. Detroit lost in 3OT, but won the series in 7 and proceeded to defeat the Lakers 4–1 in the NBA Finals. * In Game 4 of the 2006 Western Conference First Round,
Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
made a buzzer beater to defeat Phoenix 99–98 and give the Lakers a 3–1 series lead. The Phoenix Suns, however, won the series in seven games and are the 8th team to overcome a 3–1 series deficit. * In Game 2 of the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, LeBron James took the inbounds pass and hit a 3 at the buzzer to give the Cavaliers a 96–95 victory over the Orlando Magic. This buzzer beater caused the Cavs to tie the series against the Orlando Magic. * In Game 5 of the 2010 Western Conference Finals, after Kobe Bryant air-balled a 3, Ron Artest hit the put-back at the buzzer to give the
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
a 103–101 win over the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
to give the Lakers a 3–2 series lead. The Lakers won the series 4–2 and went on to win their 2nd straight title. * In Game 1 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals, with the Heat down 102–101 in overtime against the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...
, LeBron James made a driving lay-up as time expired in OT to give the Heat a 103–102 win over the Pacers. * In Game 3 of the 2014 Western Conference First Round, Vince Carter hit a 3 from the left corner at the buzzer, giving the Mavericks a 109–108 victory and a 2–1 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs. However, Dallas would lose in 7 games to the eventual NBA champion Spurs. * In Game 6 of the 2014 Western Conference First Round, with the Portland Trail Blazers down 98–96 with 9 tenths left, Damian Lillard hit a buzzer beating 3 off the inbounds pass to beat the
Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
99–98 and win the series 4–2. * In Game 3 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals,
Derrick Rose Derrick Martell Rose (born October 4, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball for the Memphis Tigers before being drafted ...
banked in a 3 at the buzzer to give the Chicago Bulls a 99–96 win against the Cavaliers and take a 2–1 series lead. * In Game 4 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals, LeBron James hit a corner 2 at the buzzer to give the Cavaliers an 86–84 win against the Bulls and tie the series at two, while Cavaliers coach David Blatt was being held back from trying to call a timeout. Cleveland had none at the time, and the technical foul would have given Chicago a free throw and possession. * In Game 3 of the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Paul Pierce banked in a step-back 21-footer (6.5 m) at the buzzer to give the Washington Wizards a 103–101 win against the Atlanta Hawks and take a 2–1 series lead. * In Game 1 of the 2016 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors hit a half-court shot at the buzzer to tie it at 90. Toronto eventually lost to the Heat 102–96 in OT. * In Game 5 of the 2018 Eastern Conference First Round, LeBron James hit a game winner at the buzzer to give the Cavaliers a 98–95 win against the Pacers and take a 3–2 series lead. * In Game 3 of the 2018 Eastern Conference Semifinals, LeBron James hit a floater at the buzzer to defeat the Raptors 105–103 and take a 3–0 series lead. * In Game 5 of the 2019 Western Conference First Round, Damian Lillard hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer from 36 feet and Paul George's outstretched arm to beat the Thunder 118–115 and win the series 4–1. * In Game 7 of the 2019 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Kawhi Leonard's last-second shot bounced off the rim four times before falling to give the Raptors a 92–90 victory over the 76ers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. * In Game 4 of the 2020 Western Conference First Round,
Luka Doncic Luka may refer to: People * Luka (given name), a South Slavic masculine given name cognate of Luke, and a Japanese given name * Luka (singer), stage name of Brazilian singer and songwriter Luciana Karina Santos de Lima (born 1979) * Luka Keʻelik ...
hit a 28-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to win the game for the Mavericks, 135–133. * In Game 3 of the 2020 Eastern Conference Semifinals,
OG Anunoby Ogugua "O.G." Anunoby Jr. (born 17 July 1997) is a British professional basketball player for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers. Early life Ogugua Anunoby Jr. ...
hit a corner 3-pointer with 5 tenths of a second to give the Raptors the win over the Celtics, 104–103. * In Game 2 of the 2020 Western Conference Finals, with the Lakers trailing 103–102,
Anthony Davis Anthony Marshon Davis Jr. (born March 11, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He plays the power forward and center positions. Davis is an eight-time NB ...
hit a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds to win the game, 105–103, and give the Lakers a 2–0 series lead. * In Game 2 of the 2021 Western Conference Finals, with the Suns trailing 103–102, Deandre Ayton puts up 24 points, alongside a buzzer-beating, game-winning alley-oop dunk, and 14 rebounds, to beat the Los Angeles Clippers. * In Game 1 of the 2022 Eastern Conference First Round, the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
defeated the Brooklyn Nets 115–114 with Jayson Tatum's buzzer-beating layup.


WNBA

*On September 4, 1999, during Game 2 of the
1999 WNBA Finals The 1999 WNBA Championship was the championship series of the 1999 WNBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Houston Comets, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, defeated the New York Liberty, top-seeded champions ...
, Teresa Weatherspoon of the
New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as part of the league's Eastern Conference. The team was f ...
made a buzzer beater from just beyond the half-court line to beat the
Houston Comets The Houston Comets were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Houston. Formed in 1997, the team was one of the original eight WNBA teams and won the first four championships of the league's existence. They are one of two ...
68–67, and tie the series at one game apiece. The Comets eventually won the series, two games to one.


Olympics and Europe

*In the 1972 Olympic Finals, Alexander Belov of the Soviet Union scored a last-second basket after catching a full-court desperation launch by a teammate. As time expired, Belov hit a layup that won the game 51–50 against the U.S. team. *In the second round of the
1997 Eurobasket The 1997 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1997, was the 30th FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship held by FIBA Europe, which also served as Europe qualifier for the 1998 FIBA World Championship, giving a ber ...
, in a high-strung game between FR Yugoslavia and Croatia (the first one after the breakup of SFR Yugoslavia and the ensuing Yugoslav wars), Aleksandar Đorđević won the game for Yugoslavia 64–62 with a coast-to-coast three-pointer. The same player won the 1992 Euroleague title for Partizan Belgrade in strikingly similar fashion (albeit with 2 seconds left on the clock). *(Euroleague) On April 7, 2004, Maccabi Tel Aviv was trailing Žalgiris at home, on the decisive round-robin match to determine which team advances to the Final Four tournament, held later that month on Maccabi's home court in Tel Aviv. Maccabi's failure to advance would mean utter disaster, as team officials battled all season long against Euroleague attempts to relocate the tournament due to ensuing Al-Aqsa Intifada and similar UEFA ban on football (soccer) matches hosted in Israel. With 2 seconds remaining and Maccabi trailing by 3,
Derrick Sharp Derrick Lanorris Sharp ( he, דריק שארפ; born October 5, 1971) is an American-Israeli retired professional basketball player and coach. At a height of 1.85 m (6'1") tall, he played at the point guard and shooting guard positions. He play ...
caught a long pass from
Gur Shelef Gur Shelef ( he, גור שלף; born January 10, 1974) is an Israeli former professional basketball player. Standing at 201 cm (6' 7") he played at the small forward and power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is on ...
, turned to the basket and fired a game-tying fade-away three-pointer, forcing overtime. Maccabi won that game, advanced to the Final Four and became Euroleague Champion, winning the final game against Skipper Bologna by the all-time record score of 118–74. * On August 15, 2004, in the first game of the Olympic Games, after a run of Alejandro Montecchia, Manu Ginóbili received the ball trailing 82–81 against Serbia and Montenegro with 7 tenths of a second left. He made the shot while falling sideways after it hit the board. Argentina then would win the gold medal. * In an exhibition match between the US and Germany during the run-up to the 2004 Olympics, a less than stellar Team USA was saved by
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson (; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) at both the shooting guard and point guard positions. Iver ...
(then of the Philadelphia 76ers), who hit a half-court shot to keep the game from going into overtime. * On April 25, 2010, in the title game of the 2009–10 ABA League, Partizan Belgrade topped Cibona Zagreb in overtime in Arena Zagreb, thanks to an off-the-glass three-pointer by
Dušan Kecman Dušan Kecman (Serbian Cyrillic: Душан Кецман; born November 6, 1977) is a Serbian professional basketball executive, coach and former player. During his playing career, he played both shooting guard and small forward positions. Club ca ...
from half-court at the buzzer, bringing the celebration of Cibona players and staff (who already invaded the floor as Bojan Bogdanović hit a corner three-pointer for Cibona with just 6 tenths left on the clock) to an abrupt end. Partizan thus won its fourth consecutive Adriatic League title. The final score was 75–74. * On January 24, 2014, in a Top 16 Euroleague game between Anadolu Efes and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, Efes was trailing by two points when
Keith Langford Andre Keith Langford (born September 15, 1983) is an American professional basketball player who last played for AEK Athens of the Greek Basket League. Standing at 6' 4" (1.93 m), he primarily plays at the shooting guard position. He played colle ...
from Milan had another free throw attempt (after hitting the first one) with three seconds left on the game clock. He then probably missed the second free throw on purpose so that Anadolu Efes cannot take another timeout. Zoran Planinić from Anadolu Efes then grabbed the rebound, took one dribble and threw the ball from within their own three point line to the basket of Milan. He made it and no time remained on the game clock; the final score was 61–60. * On April 25, 2014, in the semifinal game of the 2013–14 ABA League Final Four, between Partizan Belgrade and
Cedevita Zagreb Košarkaški klub Cedevita Junior ( en, Cedevita Junior Basketball Club), also known as Cedevita Junior, is a men's basketball club based in Zagreb, Croatia. The club is named after its main sponsor Cedevita, and competes in the Croatian HT Premi ...
, Cedevita was trailing with 1 point and possession less. Milenko Tepić of Partizan missed the three-point shot with 6 seconds left, Nolan Smith of Cedevita grabbed the ball, ran to the other side of the court with his defenders not guarding him, and hit a running three-point buzzer beater from 30 feet (9 m). The final score was 81–79. The significance of that shot is even more than just a victory, if it is known that it secured a direct spot in the
2014–15 Euroleague The 2014–15 Turkish Airlines Euroleague was the 15th season of the modern era of Euroleague Basketball and the fifth under the title sponsorship of the Turkish Airlines. Including the competition's previous iteration as the FIBA Europe Champion ...
season for Cedevita, while leaving Partizan out of the Euroleague for the first time after 14 years, and the first time since ULEB takeover of the competition in 2000. * On September 16, 2018, Greece national basketball team qualified to the
2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup The 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 18th tournament of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for men's national basketball teams. The tournament was hosted in China and was rescheduled from 2018 to 2019, becoming the first since 1967 FIBA World Ch ...
after a thrilling win with a buzzer beater made by Kostas Papanikolaou after a Nick Calathes assist in Tbilisi over Georgia 86–85.


Asia


PBA

* In Game 6 of the
2016 PBA Governors' Cup Finals The 2016 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors' Cup Finals was the best-of-7 championship series of the 2016 PBA Governors' Cup, and the conclusion of the conference's playoffs. The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Meralco Bolts compe ...
, Justin Brownlee hits the championship-winning 3-point shot at the buzzer against the
Meralco Bolts The Meralco Bolts is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team began in 2010 after the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) acquired the PBA franchise of the Sta. Lucia Realtors. The team is one of three ...
to end the 8-year championship drought of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, with the score of 91–88 at the end. This is the first-ever championship-winning buzzer beater in professional basketball. * In Game 5 of the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup Finals, Mark Barroca gave the Magnolia Hotshots a 3–2 Finals lead against the eventual champions
San Miguel Beermen The San Miguel Beermen are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is one of three PBA clubs owned by the San Miguel Corporation group of companies along with the Magnolia Hotshots and Barangay Ginebra ...
, the final score is 88–86.


MPBL

* In the winner-take-all championship game of the
2021 MPBL Invitational The 2021 MPBL Invitational, officially known as the Chooks-to-Go MPBL Invitational powered by TM for sponsorship reasons, was an invitational tournament that serves as the prelude to the 2022–23 MPBL season. It commenced on December 11, 2021 an ...
, Philip Manalang of the Basilan Jumbo Plastic, hits the championship-winning 3-point shot at the buzzer against the
Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards are a professional basketball team based in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), and formerly in the Filbasket under the name of Nueva Ecija Capitals, as well a ...
to win the 2 million peso prize with the score of 83–80 in overtime.


In other sports

The term is sometimes applied to analogous achievements in other sports.


Ice hockey

In ice hockey, a buzzer beater is a goal that is scored just before the clock expires in a period. Unlike in basketball, the puck must completely cross the goal line with 0.1 seconds or more remaining on the clock in order for the goal to count; if the period expires (the exact moment when the green goal light comes on at 0.0 seconds) before the puck completely crosses the goal line, the goal is disallowed.


Football

In
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
there are kicks after the siren, where a mark or free kick awarded just before the end of a quarter may be kicked as the final action of that period. In
Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
play is extended to allow for the kick of a free kick or puck awarded prior to the end of a half. In
gridiron football Gridiron football,"Gridiron football"
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Ret ...
, a touchdown after time expires or a
field goal A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
(or, much more rarely, a successful fair catch kick in American football or an open-field single point in Canadian) kicked as time expires can be described as a "buzzer beater," though no actual buzzers are used in that sport. More generally, in all codes, if a play (whether or not involving a kick) is in progress at the time the clock expires, play continues until the ball is dead. (In American football, the snap on the buzzer-beating play must take place before the clock expired, except if the defense commits a foul on the last play, in which case an untimed down is added. In Canadian football, a play can and must be executed even if the clock expires after the previous play but before the snap.) Several important games have been decided on the outcome of buzzer beaters, such as Super Bowl XXXVI and
Super Bowl XXXVIII Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League (NFL) c ...
, both of which were decided on successful kicks by Adam Vinatieri; in contrast, Scott Norwood's infamous missed kick in Super Bowl XXV decided that game in favor of the opposing
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. A related concept in football is the
Hail Mary pass A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with an exceptionally small chance of achieving a completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes reference to the Catho ...
. In rugby union the game does not end until the ball goes dead after time has expired – therefore if a side trailing by less than one score can maintain possession and keep the ball in play they have a chance of victory. A rule change in 2017"2017 Rugby Law Changes"
"Sport24", 31/01/2017 amended the rules so that if a penalty is awarded the ball can be kicked out and a line-out taken, even if time has elapsed. The rules in rugby league also allow for play after time has elapsed; however, a tackle will also end the game, meaning that significant extensions are less likely.


Lacrosse

Starting with the 2018 season, the National Federation of State High School Associations rules for high school boys' field lacrosse in the United States allow for buzzer-beaters. A goal counts if the shot was released before the official's whistle signaling the end of play for any period of the game, even if it goes in after having previously contacted part of the goal or a defensive player (post-whistle shots that contact an offensive player in any way before entering the goal, however, do not count). The opposing team may request a
stick Stick or the stick may refer to: Thin elongated objects * Twig * The weapon used in stick fighting * Walking stick, a device to facilitate balancing while walking * Shepherd's crook * Swagger stick * Digging stick * Swizzle stick, used to stir d ...
check after buzzer-beaters, unless it comes at the end of the game and does not result in overtime, since the rules consider the game over at that point.Rule 4, Section 9, Article 2o, ''2018 Rule Book'', p. 42 US Lacrosse similarly changed the youth rules the same season to allow buzzer-beaters.Rule 4.8.1; However, the National Collegiate Athletic Association rules for men's lacrosse still require that any shot enter the goal before the whistle to score.Rule 4, Section 11a,


See also

*
List of longest NBA field goals The following list shows successful field goals by National Basketball Association (NBA) players during a regular season or playoff game, shot from a known distance of at least from the basket. These attempts are generally buzzer beaters when there ...
* Walk-off home run


References

{{Basketball Basketball terminology Ice hockey terminology