Amidst the full-throttle NBA trade season, it’s easy to be drawn into the whirlwind of rumors, smokescreens, and speculative deals circulating on social media. However, the Lakers’ nail-biting 145-144 double-overtime triumph against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday serves as a stark reminder, pulling us back to the essence of these transactions we passionately follow—the opportunity to witness the premier basketball talents competing at their zenith.
Saturday night’s showdown extended beyond the familiar LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry narrative. It transcended Anthony Davis’s initial injury scare, evolving into a Willis Reed moment as he returned to propel his team into overtime. Even the post-game chatter about the Lakers’ 43-to-16 free throw attempts advantage, courtesy of Warriors coach Steve Kerr, couldn’t overshadow the real focus.
This game was about the fans—the driving force behind the hefty ticketexpenditures to watch beloved players and teams, the purchases of jerseys and trading cards, and the fervent hopes of youngsters leaning over railings, yearning for a player’s used shoe, an autograph, or even a fleeting glance.
Here are 10 pivotal, clutch plays that played a role in delivering one of the standout games of the 2023-24 NBA season.
1:43 4th quarter – DLo for 3
At 1:43 in the fourth quarter, D’Angelo Russell drained a crucial 3-pointer, propelling the Lakers into the lead. Despite trailing by nine points with under four minutes on the clock, this marked their first lead since the early stages of the third quarter. Russell, positioned on the right wing, capitalized on a slight opening, exploiting Curry’s slightly delayed closeout. The precision of Russell’s shot left nothing but net, exacting a toll on Curry and the Warriors.
DL🎯 pic.twitter.com/lmzkLcA44h
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 28, 2024
1:27 4th quarter – Wiggins misses both
While the Warriors didn’t frequent the free-throw line on Saturday night, their efficiency left much to be desired, converting only 11 of 16 attempts. Particularly detrimental were Andrew Wiggins’ two crucial misses. Wiggins had the opportunity to give the Warriors a one-point lead with less than 90 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter after drawing a foul from Davis. However, the Lakers retained their lead, reshaping the dynamics of the remainder of the game.
0:21 4th quarter – The inadvertent whistle
In the NBA, there are moments that defy explanation. One such instance occurred when Jonathan Kuminga secured an offensive rebound from a missed shot by Curry with a little over 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Kuminga passed the ball to Klay Thompson in the corner, and initially, it seemed that Russell had blocked Thompson’s 3-point try. However, a whistle interrupted the play. Was it a foul? Did Thompson step out of bounds? Traveling, perhaps? Surprise twist—it was an inadvertent whistle!
This led to a jump ball situation, and with the Warriors trailing by three at that moment, possession by the Lakers could have sealed the victory. However, Draymond Green emerged victorious in the tip-off, setting the stage for a Curry layup that narrowed the Laker lead to just one point.
0:06 4th quarter – Steph cooks AD
With only 0:06 left in the fourth quarter, Steph Curry showcased his skill against Anthony Davis.
Curry, often encountering varying success when maneuvering past big men in critical moments, outplayed Anthony Davis in this instance. After breezing past Davis but sensing limited space, Curry dribbled through the lane, initially giving the impression of pulling the ball out. Yet, he abruptly halted, changed direction, and left Davis trailing for the game-tying layup that ultimately propelled the game into overtime.
Game was on the line &
Stephen Curry delivered. pic.twitter.com/HlMRlDvLOH— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 28, 2024
3:40 OT1 – Shot clock reset
At 3:40 in overtime, the shot clock reset became a pivotal moment.
As the shot clock was ticking down and with a little under four minutes remaining, Draymond Green thwarted Davis’ attempt at a corner 3-pointer. Despite seemingly having five seconds left on the shot clock, the referees, for reasons unclear, reset it to 14 for the subsequent possession.
Sure enough, James used all of the clock and made a jumper over Thompson to put the Lakers up by four.
0:53 OT1 – Curry from the corner
Down by four with less than a minute left, the Warriors’ chances were running out. But after falling down earlier in the play, Curry recovered and made his way to the corner, where Green found him for a 3-pointer that cut the Laker lead to a single point.
From the corner
CLUTCH. pic.twitter.com/dsVSjwhY8y— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 28, 2024
0:07 OT1 – Klay comes up clutch
Up by three with 11 seconds left, the Lakers elected not to intentionally foul (Davis had the opportunity to foul Green with his back to the basket), and they were burned by one of the best 3-point shooters of all time. Using a Curry screen, Thompson got a step on Austin Reaves, then pump-faked him into the first row before calmly knocking down the game-tying shot that eventually sent us to double-overtime.
0:53 OT2 – One-man fast break
What do you do when you’re down by two with less than a minute left on a one-on-three fast break? If you’re D’Angelo Russell, you pull up for one of the gutsiest shots of the night … and make it, of course. Without hesitation, Russell knocked down a clutch 3-pointer from almost the exact spot he had made one in the fourth quarter. This one gave the Lakers a one-point lead.
After the game, Russell pointed out that he was upset that he had turned the ball over on two previous possessions and wanted to make up for it. Boy, did he.
0:06 OT2 – Steph … again
After a Reaves free throw put the Lakers up by two points, the Warriors inbounded the ball with just over seven seconds left. Curry used a (possibly illegal) Green screen to get a wide-open look from 28 feet away. For normal humans that’s a heave. For Curry, it’s a layup.
Curry’s 3-point dagger looked like it would be the game-winner, but James simply wouldn’t be denied. He took the inbounds pass, got a step on rookie Brandin Podziemski, then knifed and bullied his way to the rim, where he was fouled by Green.
James has made countless clutch shots over the course of his career, but free throws have never been the strongest part of his game (74% for his career). He didn’t let that stop him this time, knocking down a pair to give the Lakers a hard-fought, memorable, double-overtime win.
“It’s something that I’ll be able to talk about with my grandkids, you know, talk about me being able to compete versus one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” James said after his latest matchup with Curry. “Hopefully I can be cool with my grandkids at that point for sure.”
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