Craziest buzzer-beater in NBA playoff history lights up social media

The Denver Nuggets are very much alive in their first-round playoff series now, thanks to the last-second heroics of Aaron Gordon on Saturday night. Down 2-1 in the series and having just blown a 20-point fourth quarter lead, the Nuggets were on the ropes, to say the least.

On the final possession, Nikola Jokic attempted a twirling fadeaway three over two defenders that wasn’t even close, but luckily, Aaron Gordon was there to catch the ariball above the rim and finish the putback dunk as the buzzer sounded to give the Nuggets a 101-99 win and tie the series at 2-2.

A true photo finish for the ages

But the play was reviewed and, even with instant replay, this was as close a call as you’ll ever see. It was almost impossible to tell if Gordon’s fingertips were still touching the ball, even while it was in the rim, as the LED lights came on and the buzzer sounded.

Fans and social media were blowing up with varying opinions, and fans of different teams were seeing what they wanted to. But it was honestly just that close; truly an eye of the beholder situation. With a playoff game hanging in the balance, it was one of the more dramatic reviews ever, but ultimately, the officials confirmed the ruling on the court, counted the basket, and gave the Nuggets a walk-off win for the ages.

First buzzer-beating dunk in NBA playoff history

On top of all the other dramatics, this was the first dunk at the buzzer to win a game in NBA playoff history. The Nuggets have had their fair share of historical accolades during this recent era, but most of these clutch moments have belonged to Jamal Murray and Jokic.

But Gordon is always working hard, doing all the little things on both ends, and contributing to winning as much as anyone (all while battling a calf injury, no less). It was awesome to see Mr. Nugget get his moment, which will go down in NBA playoff lore forever.

And that’s the case. It’s easy to be prisoners of the moment, but this was an all-time ending to a playoff game. We’ve never seen a walk-off dunk like that, and for it to come in an epic series like this, with so much resting on the outcome of the call, was unbelievable.

David Adelman said after the game, “That’s going to be on NBA TV one day. I’m glad we won.” And that’s the perfect way to look at it. This game had it all: an amazing performance by the best player in the world (Jokic had 36/21/8), a thrilling comeback (the Clippers trailed by 20 to start the 4th quarter), and one of the best endings in NBA playoff history.

Now, hopefully, Denver can win two of these next three games, win this series, and advance to the next round. That would fully cement this play and moment by Gordon as one of the greatest in the history of the Nuggets franchise.