Dwyane Wade hits miracle buzzer-beating three-pointer as Miami Heat beat Golden State Warriors
Thursday 28 February 2019 11:42, UK
Dwyane Wade hit a miracle shot at the buzzer to stun the Golden State Warriors and earn the Miami Heat a dramatic 126-125 win over the defending NBA champions.
Wade scored 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting as the Heat ultimately resisted Warriors' second-half comeback.
With Golden State having battled back from a 15-point half-time deficit to lead 124-120 with 18 seconds remaining, Wade called on his years of experience to wrestle the game back in Miami's favour.
The 37-year-old Heat icon nailed a three-pointer from the top of the key to reduce Miami's deficit to one with 15 seconds left.
Then, after Kevin Durant made 1-of-2 free throws to double the Warriors' advantage, the Heat looked to Wade to win the game on the final possession.
Wade initially drove into the lane but reversed course thanks to good defense from Andre Iguodala. He passed off to team-mate Dion Waiters who drew a double-team and fired a pass back to a now-open Wade.
What happened next will live long in the memory of Miami fans. Wade faked to evade the onrushing Durant, then elevated to shoot but his effort was blocked by Warriors defender Jordan Bell.
Fortunately, Bell's block deflected the ball back into Wade's hands and, with just 0.3 seconds left on the clock, the off-balance Heat star improvised, swivelling his body to loft another shot off one leg from beyond the three-point line.
As the buzzer sounded, Wade's shot banked into the Warriors' basket off the glass to seal a memorable 126-125 victory for Miami.
Wade was immediately mobbed by his team-mates before climbing on the scorers' table and pounding his chest to the delight of the home fans.
Speaking after the thrilling win, Wade, who will retire from the NBA at the end of this season, said: "I passed up some shots last game so I told my coaches if I passed up any today, 'Fine me'.
"We kept fighting, kept believing. The ball bobbled around and I got it and just tried to get it up. The good Lord put it in for me so I'm very thankful right now. I'm a little overwhelmed. It's been a while since I've had a moment like that against a team like that. I told Steph [Curry], 'I appreciate that. I needed that on my way out'."
Click the video at the top of the page to watch Wade's miracle game-winning shot.
