It is not very often that big men hit buzzer beating shots. Considering how many teams go hero ball at the end of games, it tends to be guards that dribble for entire possessions that get the attempts at game winners. On Wednesday, Nikola Vucevic accomplished that rare feat for the Orlando Magic though, breaking the heart of the Los Angeles Lakers with a long, contested jumper.
(vine via Zach Harper)
That is a really tough shot for any player, particularly one that just recently returned from injury. Not only does Vucevic need to get the shot off quick, he had to get it up over the long arms of Roy Hibbert who defended Vucevic pretty well on the play. According to Eddy Rivera, a former Magic blogger, the shot was the first game winner of Vucevic’s career.
The buzzer beater also continued the trend of the Magic being in close games this season, as they had already played five games this season decided by five points or less. While the team hasn’t been good in the close games so far (the Vucevic shot pushes them to just 2-4 in those situations), they are clearly growing up before our very eyes. Considering the bottom of the East is still figuring things out, this could very well be a shot with important implications for the Magic at the end of this season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google