LeBron James won his Cleveland Cavaliers’ third game against the Toronto Raptors with a last-second game winner. The superstar then described the play, while Dirk Nowitzki and others reacted on Twitter.
Raptors-Rookie O.G. Anunoby had equalized the match with a trio to 103:103 about 8 seconds before the end. James then received the Inbounds Pass at his own baseline, marched across the field and climbed up the left side of the court to a stepped-in bank shot, deciding the game with the siren 105:103 for Cleveland.
After the Quicken Loans Arena, James described the game at the press conference: “I had more than enough time to get the ball from our baseline to the other side,” said the 33-year-old. He did not know beforehand exactly what conclusion he would seek, “but I have confidence in every litter because I practice them all beforehand.
“This can be a pullup three-way like[in game 5] against Indiana, a drive that results in a layup, a floater like today… I practice pretty much every roll I take in the game, whether in the first quarter or at the end of the game. That’s why I feel pretty comfortable with all the litters,” James continued.
His team-mate Kyle Korver could confirm this: “I have seen him take this litter countless times in training or at the shootaround. It is incredible that he can then bring such an action into the situation,” said the sniper.
For James, it was the fifth play-off buzzer beater of his career, and the second in these play-offs after the 5th game against Indiana. When asked how difficult the litter was that USA Today reporter Jeff Zillgitt asked, James replied with a grin. “It was very difficult. Don’t copy that at home, Jeff.”
Of course, many players reacted to the litter on Twitter – Bradley Beal from the Wizards wrote: “The litter hurt my heart, but we’re not playing at all. Dirk Nowitzki also spoke: “Heavy throw. He makes it look simple…”