LeBron James Does a Laettner to Deny Wolves in OT

Published on 7-Feb-2018 by Biff BoJock

Basketball - NBA    NBA Daily Update

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LeBron James Does a Laettner to Deny Wolves in OT

It's one of the most famous buzzer beaters in basketball.

Not this one.

The one in 1992 when Duke and Kentucky were going hard to determine who'd advance to the Final Four.

Trailing the Wildcats, 103-102, with 2.1 seconds left, the Blue Devils' Grant Hill fired a 74-foot completion to notable villain Christian Laettner, who wheeled on a bounce and shot himself into history:

 

Some have theorized that LeBron James misses the gravy parts of college hoops. Exhibit A was his desire to be recruited, which hit a nadir with that ultimate in un-wokeness, The Decision.

 

Dude shoulda stuck to the donuts.

However, in a moment no one had time to choreograph and screw up -- looking at you, Jim Grey -- James got another shot at emulating a college experience.

After a brilliant display of intensity by both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves in tonight's waning minutes, James did a Laettner.

 

Damn. Playoff level in the regular season. Even the fans had to go home and shower after all that.

Actually, for both squads, this was a sorta pre-playoff. Both are vying for early-round home court advantage.

  • The Cavaliers are clinging to third place in the East, but only a game ahead of fifth-place Milwaukee; and
  • The Timberwolves are holding down fourth in the West, two games ahead of Oklahoma City.

The season may have two months left in it, but already both conferences are hosting some serious jockeying for home seeding.

If both clubs can bottle what they did tonight, the final two months should be less stressful.

Among other things, they pushed each other to the point where they set the NBA record for made treys with an eye-popping 40 of them:

 

James finished with a monstrous triple-double: 37points, 10 boards, and 15 dimes.

 

Karl-Anthony Towns notched 30 points with 10 boards, and Jimmy Butler totalled 35 points to lead the Timberwolves.

It's good to be them, too. But being King is better.