Nikola Jokic answers Luka Doncic clutch dunk with buzzer-beater
Friday 15 March 2019 07:47, UK
Nikola Jokic answered Luka Doncic's clutch dunk with a buzzer-beating game-winner to seal a dramatic 100-99 win for the Denver Nuggets over the Dallas Mavericks.
Mavericks rookie Doncic narrowly missed out of a triple-double with 24 points (10-of-23 shooting), 11 rebounds and nine assists.
The Slovenian teenager must have thought he had won the game with his final offensive contribution. With Dallas trailing 98-97, Doncic drive into the heart of the Nuggets' interior defense and threw down a resounding sledgehammer dunk to reclaim the lead with 5.8 seconds left in the game.
Jokic and the Nuggets had other plans. Following a Denver timeout, the Nuggets inbounded the ball to their Serbian center on the left wing.
Faced up by Mavericks big man Dwight Powell, Jokic dribbled into the lane but his path to the basket remained blocked by the Dallas defender.
Jokic picked up his dribble at the free throw line, threw Powell and shoulder fake then stepped to his right to create an open shot. Powell stood firm in defense, forcing Jokic to improvise a floater-cum-hook shoot as time ticked away.
A gentle flick of Jokic's wrist sent the shot towards the Mavericks' basket where, as the buzzer sounded, the ball swished sweetly home giving Denver a dramatic one-point win.
Click the video at the top of the page to watch Jokic's game-winning buzzer beater.
