Fansided

30 best shots in NBA Playoffs history

By John Buhler

June 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) moves the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the second half in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
June 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) moves the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the second half in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /
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HOUSTON, : Houston Rockets Eddie Johnson (R) races down court in front of Utah Jazz Jeff Hornacek 23 May during game three of the Western Conference Championships at The Summit in Houston, TX. Johnson had a game high of 31 points, as the Rockets beat the Jazz 118-100 but trails in the best of seven series 2-1. AFP PHOTO Hector MATA (Photo credit should read HECTOR MATA/AFP/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, : Houston Rockets Eddie Johnson (R) races down court in front of Utah Jazz Jeff Hornacek 23 May during game three of the Western Conference Championships at The Summit in Houston, TX. Johnson had a game high of 31 points, as the Rockets beat the Jazz 118-100 but trails in the best of seven series 2-1. AFP PHOTO Hector MATA (Photo credit should read HECTOR MATA/AFP/Getty Images) /

19. Eddie Johnson shocks Utah Jazz from three: 1997 Western Conference Finals, Game 4

Though there were two Eddie Johnsons playing basketball around this time, the guy we’re talking about here won NBA Sixth Man of the Year back in 1989 with the Phoenix Suns. After spending a year overseas in Greece, Johnson came back to the NBA for five more years.

This is the time frame where Johnson had his signature moment in the NBA. Playing for the Houston Rockets, Johnson came up big for Houston against the Utah Jazz in Game 4 of the 1997 Western Conference Finals.

Houston was still very much Clutch City in the late 1990s. They had a fierce Western Conference Finals foe in Utah. The Jazz wanted to get to the NBA Finals, but Houston wasn’t going down without a fight.

With 6.7 seconds left on the clock, Houston in-bounded the ball with the game tied at 92. After trying to go to the left side of the court, the ball would find its way into Johnson’s hands well beyond the three-point arc. He would sink the buzzer-beater to defeat the Jazz 95-92 to win Game 4 at home. Houston went bonkers.

The Jazz would go on to win that series a few nights later in Game 6 to reach Utah’s first trip to the NBA Finals. Though Houston would not win another NBA Championship in the Hakeem Olajuwon era, Johnson’s game-winner was the final highlight of that era of Rockets basketball.

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