By admin 
Basketball is a sport that thrives on moments of high drama and tension, with the most thrilling plays often coming in the final seconds of a game. These are the moments that define careers, create legends, and live on in the memories of fans for generations. In NBA history, there have been countless such instances where players have stepped up to deliver last-second heroics. But among them all, some buzzer-beaters stand out as truly iconic.
One such moment occurred during Game 5 of the 1989 Eastern Conference First Round between Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. With just three seconds left on the clock and his team trailing by one point, Michael Jordan received an inbound pass from Brad Sellers. Jordan darted towards the foul line before leaping into the air and releasing what would become one of his most famous shots ever – “The Shot”. As time expired, Jordan’s jumper found nothing but net to give Bulls a 101-100 victory.
Another memorable buzzer-beater came courtesy of Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Magic Johnson in Game 4 of the 1987 NBA Finals against Boston Celtics. With just two seconds remaining and Lakers down by one point, Johnson drove into key before lofting a junior sky hook over several defenders to seal an important win for Lakers.
Fast forward to more recent times; we cannot forget Kawhi Leonard’s shot during Game 7 of Eastern Conference Semi-finals in 2019 between Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia Sixers. The game was tied at 90 apiece with only four seconds left when Leonard took matters into his own hands. He dribbled around Joel Embiid before launching a fadeaway jump shot from corner as time ran out. The ball bounced off rim four times before finally dropping through hoop – sending Raptors onto Eastern Conference Finals and eventually their first-ever NBA Championship.
Lastly but not leastly is Derek Fisher’s miraculous shot with only .04 seconds left on clock during Game 5 of the 2004 Western Conference Semifinals between Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. Fisher caught an inbound pass from Gary Payton, turned around, and launched a shot all in one motion that found its way into the basket to give Lakers a stunning victory.
These are just some of the many thrilling buzzer-beaters in NBA history. Each one is unique, each one has its own story to tell. These moments serve as reminders of why we watch and love sports – for those instances where time seems to stop, where everything hangs in balance, and where heroes emerge at very last second to snatch victory from jaws of defeat.