Is there something higher in basketball than a buzzer-beater? The ball is within the air, the destiny of the sport is within the steadiness, the buzzer sounds, and for a second in time, all the things stands nonetheless. The perfect half is that nice buzzer-beaters needn’t occur within the NBA to be memorable. In truth, the school sport most likely boasts extra of them. With that in thoughts, let’s check out the most effective, most memorable buzzer-beaters in basketball historical past.
![Jalen Adams](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1331,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/f/3/f32c5a4ce5fc1e862ad84c214bd820a2dec050d2/jalen-adams.jpg)
Icon Sports activities Wire / Contributor
Cincinnati and UConn had been engaged in a traditional within the American Athletic Convention Event in 2016, nevertheless it appeared just like the Bearcats had been going to come back out on high in three overtimes. They held an 88-85 lead with simply 0.8 seconds left and UConn needing to go the size of the ground with no timeouts. Freshman guard Jalen Adams had different concepts. Adams completed with a career-high 22 factors, and the Huskies gained the quarterfinal matchup, 104-97.
![Jeff Capel](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_2000,w_1333,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/b/9/b92c94e4c0b76221f7ee6b5dbeb1c804bf32088b/jeff-capel.jpg)
Jed Jacobsohn / Workers
Every little thing means extra when North Carolina and Duke, faculty basketball’s greatest rivals, do battle. That extends to buzzer-beaters, too. The Blue Devils had been down three in time beyond regulation in a 1995 battle with the Tar Heels, however bought new life due to a missed free throw. Capel took the outlet move, took a couple of dribbles simply inside half courtroom, and buried a operating three-pointer simply earlier than the clock hit zeroes. In the end, his heroics weren’t sufficient, as North Carolina went on to win, 102-100.
![Caitlin Clark](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1333,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/2/2/22e2909d93c639a0d138c4d84e42000c0fc9b83b/caitlin-clark.jpg)
Joseph Cress/Iowa Metropolis Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
Clark turned girls’s faculty basketball — and actually, the basketball world at-large — on its ear during the last two years. Along with her routinely audacious taking pictures performances, she additionally had a aptitude for the dramatic, hitting a couple of buzzer-beaters to ship Iowa to victory. You may go along with her emblem ball to beat Michigan State, however I am keen on her off-balance, contested winner in opposition to Indiana, notably because the Hawkeyes had been down two on the time, whereas her winner over the Spartans got here in a tie sport.
![Bryce Drew](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1391,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/f/9/f91fc5f803d80cd046e88624cfb164bdf9bd66e6/bryce-drew.jpg)
Stephen Dunn / Workers
There’s actually a lot to like about Drew’s iconic winner that despatched Thirteenth-seeded Valparaiso previous Mississippi within the first spherical of the 1998 NCAA Event. There’s the dynamite inbounds move, the superbly drawn-up and executed catch and tip move, after which Drew’s three, which he later admitted he thought was quick when he let it go. His flopping celebration? Additionally nice. Add all of it up and you’ve got a buzzer-beater that has actual endurance, greater than 1 / 4 century later.
![Tyler Ennis](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_719,w_950,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/d/7/d75b33ac7e194bc89cc57a73d4a5c32e2f1ec634/tyler-ennis.jpg)
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports activities
High-ranked Syracuse was on the street and on the ropes in 2014 in opposition to one among their bitter rivals, the Twenty fifth-ranked Pitt Panthers. Issues appeared grim for the Orange, as they had been down 56-55 with 4.4 seconds left, and needed to go the size of the courtroom. Enter Tyler Ennis. Regardless of tight protection all the way in which up the courtroom, and a number of Panthers flying at him as he rose to shoot, he buried a 35-footer to maintain Syracuse atop the rankings and ship Pitt followers dwelling sad.
![Derek Fisher](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1334,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/7/6/7649a7f5c50611ce7db861a93399b55c9b2bad28/derek-fisher.jpg)
Leon Halip-USA TODAY Sports activities
When you’re a basketball fan to any important diploma, you understand that the minimal period of time essential to catch and shoot is 0.3 seconds. You additionally most likely know that really executing a shot in that point is exceptionally troublesome. The 2004 Western Convention Semifinals sequence was knotted at two, and the Lakers had been looking at a 73-72 deficit after Tim Duncan put the Spurs forward with a contested fallaway jumper over Shaquille O’Neal. Los Angeles had simply 0.4 seconds on the clock, however that was no drawback for Fisher. The entire sequence is value your time.
![Tate George](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_2000,w_1312,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/0/9/09cc1848ff0bf23794f136222c95de71d37caeb1/tate-george.jpg)
Getty Pictures / Workers
Jim Calhoun’s UConn Huskies had been something however a perennial nationwide energy in 1990. In truth, that 12 months’s crew being a #1 seed within the NCAA Event was a stunning improvement. That stated, they cruised by the primary two rounds earlier than assembly fifth-seeded Clemson within the Candy 16. It appeared like Calhoun’s run would finish there; Clemson led 70-69 with one second left, and UConn needing to go the size of the courtroom. Scott Burrell’s inbounds move discovered George, who barely bought off the profitable turnaround jumper as time expired.
![Devin Harris](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1406,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/5/5/551a214b04887c5f7d91f001dcf6aea335dc71ec/devin-harris.jpg)
Jim O’Connor-USA TODAY Sports activities
The Nets and Sixers had been locked in a decent battle in February 2009, and fact be instructed, whereas it was an in depth sport, it could usually have been simply one other forgotten contest in a really lengthy, grinding NBA season. Philadelphia took a 96-95 lead with 1.8 seconds left. The Nets had been out of timeouts. Making an attempt to explain in phrases what New Jersey’s Devin Harris did subsequent wouldn’t do it justice. I’ve watched it three or 4 instances already, and nonetheless cannot imagine it occurred.
![LeBron James](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1291,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/7/3/739ae47e9f77696d40fa35a343bd8a524b8dc524/lebron-james.jpg)
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports activities
The Magic had been already up 1-0 of their 2009 Japanese Convention Finals sequence in opposition to James and the Cavaliers. Cleveland may in poor health afford to go to Orlando down 2-0. Cleveland was down 95-93 with only one second left when James performed hero, hitting a contested catch-and-shoot three over Hedo Turkgolu to offer Cleveland a 96-95 victory. Alas, it wasn’t sufficient, because the Magic went on to win the sequence in six video games.
![Kris Jenkins](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1331,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/8/e/8e2d3b17d053e2230e432280b1200dc88cff0b54/kris-jenkins.jpg)
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports activities
A nationwide championship determined by a real buzzer-beater? That is a rarity. That is additionally what we bought in 2016, when Villanova, a No. 2 seed, locked horns with top-seeded North Carolina within the title sport. The groups waged a back-and-forth battle all night time, punctuated by a double-clutch, game-tying Marcus Paige three. Villanova was left with 4.7 seconds to get a superb shot. Kris Jenkins gave them an amazing one. And Grant Hill known as it.
![Paul Jesperson](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1315,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/e/8/e89d75bb8409555f417da81c4efc0494266f8f02/paul-jesperson.jpg)
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports activities
The Eleventh-seeded Panthers had been locked in a decent battle with sixth-seeded Texas within the first spherical of the 2016 NCAA Event. Texas had simply tied the sport at 72 on a floater with 2.7 seconds left. As an alternative of calling a timeout, Northern Iowa inbounded the ball to Jesperson, who took one dribble, lower to the center of the courtroom, and heaved in a prayer that banked dwelling, thrilling the group and sending the Longhorns packing.
![Michael Jordan](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1458,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/1/4/142d1aec0d34240fe69e19f2d61e329cdee8074e/michael-jordan.jpg)
Rick Stewart / Stringer
Positive, we may cite Jordan’s buzzer-beater to down the Jazz in Recreation 1 of the 1997 NBA Finals. It was a real buzzer-beater, and it was one other instance of Jordan at his most unstoppable. However that shot occurred after he was firmly entrenched as the most effective participant on Earth. The extra memorable shot, the shot that broke the hearts of a complete metropolis, and actually began his rise to true superstardom? That occurred in Cleveland, within the decisive fifth sport of the primary spherical of the 1989 Japanese Convention Playoffs. A man named Craig Ehlo was taking part in protection.
![Toni Kukoc](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1500,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/2/3/2305f73cea7093b3e9b081ca9723ae4aacb1cee9/toni-kukoc.jpg)
Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports activities
Kukoc’s last-second thriller, a contested turnaround jumper from the highest of the important thing that despatched the Bulls previous the Knicks in Recreation 3 of the 1994 Japanese Convention Semifinals, was notable not just for how spectacular the shot was, but additionally for the truth that Scottie Pippen, offended that Phil Jackson drew up the final play for Kukoc, refused to take the courtroom for the ultimate seconds. Kukoc had simply six factors previous to his ultimate shot, and whereas it thrilled the house crowd, the Knicks in the end dispatched the Bulls in seven video games on their option to an NBA Finals look.
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Christian Laettner
![Christian Laettner](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1326,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/1/1/11237494352b9db39af9e3348284b12610591b90/christian-laettner.jpg)
Focus On Sport / Contributor
There is a compelling case to be made that Laettner’s shot to beat Kentucky and ship Duke to the 1992 Closing 4 is probably the most well-known shot in faculty basketball historical past. Kentucky’s Sean Woods had simply hit a operating financial institution shot to offer the Wildcats a 103-102 lead with simply 2.1 seconds left in time beyond regulation. That set the stage for Laettner, who took an ideal 75-foot inbounds move from Grant Hill, calmly delivered a shoulder pretend, spun, and hit a turnaround jumper for the win. Laettner’s shot capped a 31-point night time that noticed him go 10-for-10 from the sphere, and 10-for-10 from the road. The Blue Devils went on to win back-to-back nationwide titles.
![Kawhi Leonard](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1528,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/5/c/5c38000327c9d2d254a896409124b4daf1e44ad7/kawhi-leonard.jpg)
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports activities
One of many sometimes annoying issues about sports activities films is that they often make sport motion extra over-the-top than it truly is, primarily for dramatic functions. I defy you to look at Leonard’s shot, which despatched the Raptors to the 2019 Japanese Convention Finals, and inform me Hollywood may have finished it any higher. The ball bouncing on the rim, the group’s anguished wait, Leonard’s uncertainty about whether or not the ball would undergo, even the asserting crew’s shocked response — it is all good. Except you are a 76ers fan, in fact.
![Damian Lillard](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1333,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/8/1/81957ddf68c71c0ea402afd8dca581d0ce14f729/damian-lillard.jpg)
Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports activities
A contested 37-footer might be not what most coaches would draw up for a game-winning shot. Heck, it is most likely not what most gamers would try. Most gamers are usually not Lillard, in fact. Portland’s level guard delivered an unbelievable dagger to the Thunder, finishing a 4-1 sequence victory for the Path Blazers within the 2019 Western Convention First Spherical by burying a 3 over Paul George. It is arduous accountable George, who most likely figured Lillard would attempt one thing apart from take a half step inside the brand and fireplace.
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Arike Ogunbowale
![Arike Ogunbowale](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1612,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/9/d/9d9c6e52aa317242dae18fb1476821d938ff2e84/arike-ogunbowale.jpg)
Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports activities
If we’re going for sheer clutch photographs, did anybody on this record have a greater two-game run than Ogunbowale? First, she despatched Notre Dame previous undefeated UConn within the nationwide semifinals with a step-back jumper that swished by with only a second remaining. She one-upped herself in spectacular vogue two days later with a real buzzer-beater to take down 37-1 Mississippi State, and win a title for the Irish. Significantly, try the swish, and the diploma of problem. Probably the greatest, most vital buzzer-beaters ever.
![U.S. Reed](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1333,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/7/a/7aeace6f97fece5dc8ad913e79e8b4a5bde8cc57/reed.jpg)
Icon Sportswire / Contributor
Half of the attraction of Reed’s game-winning heave to ship Arkansas previous defending nationwide champion Louisville within the 1981 NCAA Event is how dated the entire thing appears. There’s Bryant Gumbel throwing it to Marv Albert, who has to take the throw, set the scene, and name Reed’s shot all inside a couple of four-second span. Albert nailed the decision simply as a lot as Reed nailed the shot. This picture does not match what I am describing? After all it does not, however it’s an Arkansas-Louisville basketball matchup. Guess which means you will have to look at the video for your self.
![Austin Rivers](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1333,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/d/e/def2a9850c577181b536e3ce1fcd8101a8ab478e/austin-rivers.jpg)
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports activities
![Charlotte Smith](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_2000,w_1302,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/3/b/3b3d252d70aa009bca55e84057f3310e1ff5e1b2/charlotte-smith.jpg)
Jim Gund / Workers
Earlier than Arike Ogunbowale or Caitlin Clark, there was Smith. North Carolina trailed Louisiana Tech 59-57 with 0.7 seconds left within the 1994 Nationwide Championship Recreation. With the Tar Heels inbounding from below the basket, Smith slipped away from visitors within the lane, caught the ball on the wing, and let fly with a three-pointer. Her intention was true, and North Carolina gained their first nationwide title in program historical past. As a pleasant footnote to her profitable shot, Smith additionally tied an NCAA Event file with 23 rebounds.
![Jordan Snipes](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1334,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/5/5/55791943fada84ecf8cdea2a5da20119648af09b/jordan-snipes.jpg)
Michael Hickey / Contributor
When you’re of a sure age, you bear in mind life BY (Earlier than YouTube). In that bygone period, this will have been probably the most well-known, craziest buzzer-beater you could possibly discover on varied websites. It might make the rounds, and nearly 20 years later, it is nonetheless nearly as wild. We’ll let the video inform the story.
(Oh, and congratulations to the 2022 Randolph-Macon Males’s Basketball crew, which gained the Division III Nationwide Championship. Their image must do within the full absence of any photographs of the Guilford School basketball crew, previous or current. Do you assume they even know of the horrors visited on their program by Mr. Snipes, practically 20 years prior? However I digress.)
![Max Strus](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1333,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/7/d/7d6ff135e57119cea4ff6db50a508110bd545475/max-strus.jpg)
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports activities
Relying on who you speak to, the NBA’s rule {that a} timeout advances the ball to half courtroom within the ultimate two minutes of the fourth quarter and time beyond regulation is both an ingenious option to create extra memorable moments, or a contrivance that unfairly favors the offensive crew. One inarguable consequence of the rule is that you simply not often see any insane coast-to-coast game-winning photographs, or loopy heaves from past half courtroom to win a sport. Strus pulled off the latter for the Cavaliers in opposition to Dallas on Feb. 27, hitting a 65-footer for the 121-119 win. I would recommend you watch the video. There are a variety of enjoyable nuggets contained inside. Properly, for non-Mavericks followers, anyway.
![Jalen Suggs](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1333,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/d/0/d0a54ffaccbb9ec42978071839d20e78ed467ac6/jalen-suggs.jpg)
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports activities
The 2021 NCAA Event was totally different from the norm, at the very least when it comes to its presentation. All video games had been held within the state of Indiana, and venues operated at 25 % capability, whereas the nation nonetheless recovered from the preliminary onslaught of COVID-19. The environment might have been totally different, however the dramatics had been the identical. Suggs and Gonzaga had been attempting to increase their good season in opposition to Eleventh-seeded UCLA within the Closing 4. A Johnny Juzang layup with 3.3 seconds left appeared sure to ship the sport to a second time beyond regulation tied at 90, however Suggs had different concepts, speeding up the ground, pulling up simply inside half courtroom and banking dwelling the winner to finish among the best event video games this century.
![Jerry West](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1444,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/4/a/4af70c49836daf2727bc706e934fc9e6357421e5/jerry-west.jpg)
Focus On Sport / Contributor
A late jumper by Dave DeBusschere appeared just like the dagger for the Lakers in Recreation 3 of the 1970 NBA Finals. The Knicks led, 102-100, and there have been three seconds on the clock, which was nonetheless operating. Wilt Chamberlain rapidly inbounded the ball to West, who heaved a shot from properly past half courtroom that discovered nothing however web, stunning New York and delighting the group. After all, the three-point shot was nonetheless years away from coming to the NBA, so the miraculous heave solely compelled time beyond regulation. In the end, the Knicks prevailed within the sport, 111-108, and took the sequence in seven video games.
![Morgan William](http://res.cloudinary.com/ybmedia/image/upload/c_crop,h_1428,w_2000,x_0,y_0/c_scale,f_auto,q_auto,w_700/v1/m/9/3/932f4b03ae1a141caa995a1b14be7b9bc09e63b1/morgan-william.jpg)
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports activities
Know what nobody else on this fraternity of buzzer-beating shooters can declare? Making one which snapped a 111-game profitable streak, like William did. The Mississippi State guard vanquished mighty UConn with an ice-cold jumper from the correct elbow after a damaged ultimate possession that appeared prefer it won’t yield a high quality ultimate look. William’s shot propelled the Bulldogs to the Nationwide Championship Recreation of their first-ever Closing 4 look, however they in the end got here up quick in opposition to South Carolina.
Chris Mueller is the co-host of The PM Group with Poni & Mueller on Pittsburgh’s 93.7 The Fan, Monday-Friday from 2-6 p.m. ET. Proprietor of a canine with a Napoleon complicated, shopper of beer, cooker of chili, closet Cleveland Browns fan. On Twitter at @ChrisMuellerPGH – please snort.