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The 2022-23 NBA season has already been a wild one. Teams that have not been to the playoffs because the begin of the century are turning into playoff contenders ( you, Sacramento). A staff with at the least three future Hall of Famers, the Lakers, began the season off as one of many worst within the league. The final week has featured a 60-point triple-double with 21 rebounds by Luka Doncic, and a 71-point recreation by Donovan Mitchell.
Amazingly sufficient, issues acquired even wilder Wednesday evening.
The nationally televised recreation between the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks had a bizarre first quarter. In as we speak’s NBA, if one staff solely scores 25 factors within the first, you’ll take into account {that a} mildly profitable quarter, however what if I instructed you the 2 groups mixed for 25 factors? The Bucks led after one quarter 13-12. I’ve seen junior excessive video games with increased scores.
The subsequent two quarters have been extra like a typical recreation. Until the four-minute mark within the fourth, the matchup was nothing to write down residence about, because the Bucks took a 90-69 lead with 3:50 left after a Brook Lopez dunk. Usually, with a staff up 16 factors just like the Bucks have been with 1:14 to go, followers and even some gamers have already checked out mentally.
Well, that’s the place this recreation turned from mundane to completely insane, whilst followers began submitting out of Scotiabank Arena.
The final 1:14 seconds led to the Raptors’ unbelievable regulation comeback.
After a Bobby Portis dangerous go led to an OG Aununboy dunk, the Bucks’ lead was reduce all the way down to 14. Here are the Bucks’ subsequent six offensive possessions.
- Giannis two missed free throws
- Giannis turnover
- Grayson Allen two make free throws
- Bucks five-second violation
- Bobby Portis steps out of bounds
- Giannis misses an alley-oop on the buzzer
After the Portis turnover, Gary Trent got here round a display and nailed a 3-pointer to tie the sport at 97 with 1.1 seconds left. Then Giannis could not put residence an alley-oop try, and, miraculously, we have been heading to time beyond regulation.
Even Raptors Head coach Nick Nurse could not imagine it.
“I don’t think I’ve seen one that weird,” stated Raptors head coach Nick Nurse post-game. “It’s right up there with the weirdness of the whole game.”
With 36 seconds left within the recreation, the Bucks had a 99.9 p.c probability to win. The Bucks have been outscored 18-2 within the final 1:14. You heard that proper: in a single minute and 14 seconds, the Bucks gave up 18 factors.
Look at it this manner: The Bucks gave up extra factors within the final 1:19 seconds than they did in 12 minutes of the primary quarter. Somehow in that timeframe, they gave up each a four-point play and had a 5-second inbound turnover.
I watched Tracy McGrady 13 factors in 33 seconds stay, and this was the very first thing I considered watching this recreation unfold. The distinction between the 2 is McGrady’s heroics led to a Rockets win, and sadly for the Raptors, they fell brief in time beyond regulation 104-101 after a 31-foot shot from Fred VanVleet clanged off the rim.
We have already seen some historic scoring video games, Ja Morant staring on the basketball for 20 seconds and wild unbelievable comebacks and nearly comebacks, and we’re simply within the first week of January. And the best way this season has gone, what’s subsequent? Someone scoring 82? Maybe a comeback from down 40 factors? All we all know for sure is that this could possibly be a loopy a number of months to finish the 2022-23 NBA season.
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