Furkan Korkmaz: Game-winning three-point shot for 76ers against Blazers was biggest of my career
Sunday 3 November 2019 11:57, UK
Philadelphia's Furkan Korkmaz was just as stunned as anyone by his game-winning three-pointer against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Korkmaz hit his three with just 0.4 seconds left as the unbeaten 76ers rallied for their fifth straight victory 129-128 on Saturday night.
"I didn't know how to feel or how to act. It was the biggest shot of my career," he said.
"I'm really happy we got the 'W'. We just need to keep going and playing as a team. I'm so happy."
Anfernee Simons made a corner three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left to put Portland in front but the Sixers got the ball back after a timeout to set up Korkmaz's falling-down, 24-footer for the win - without suspended center Joel Embiid.
The 76ers are the last undefeated team in the league with their first 5-0 start since the 2000-01 season, when they opened with 10 straight victories en route to the Eastern Conference championship.
The Blazers led by 21 points in the third quarter but the Sixers closed the gap to 103-100 on Raul Neto's driving layup with just over 10 minutes left. Damian Lillard's 3-pointer with five minutes to go put Portland up 121-113.
Portland's Rodney Hood, who finished with 25 points, left the game with 4:29 left after he tangled with Tobias Harris. It appeared that Hood injured his left knee.
Ben Simmons and Al Horford made back-to-back dunks to pull Philadelphia within 125-124. Mario Hezonja fouled Simmons with 10.1 seconds left and he made both to give the Sixers the lead.
Korkmaz called his three to win it a "dream come true".
He said: "We were working on that in practice. I knew that if I was open I would take the shot. That was my mentality when I was going in."
Horford set a screen which helped Korkmaz get free for his trey, and he praised his colleague's mettle for making the big shot.
The summer acquisition from the Boston Celtics said: "We work on that in practice. It doesn't necessarily go in but he was so confident, he stepped right into it with rhythm."
Simmons said: "As soon as I saw Furk open - I think he was shocked he was that open - I trusted Furk to make that shot."
Live NBA: Chicago @ Indiana
Horford finished with 25 points and Harris added 23. Simmons had 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Lillard had 33 points, including eight of Portland's 19 3-pointers.
"We played such a great game and they just chipped away, got back into it and we let one slip," Lillard said.
"I think the way we lost sucks. Any time anybody hits a last-second shot, and puts you up against the clock, it's a bad feeling."
