Dallas Mavericks: Who did it better, buzzer-beater edition

The Dallas Mavericks saw a lot of great highlights last season, but there is one individual moment from Luka Doncic that sticks out to many Mavs fans. How does that moment compare to another great moment from the NBA Playoffs?

The legend of Luka Doncic has been established in the Dallas area and some other NBA locations around the league. From his 11 straight against the Houston Rockets, half court shots in Houston and Brooklyn, blocking LeBron James twice in one play and many other moments that established him as one of the baddest dudes in the league.

For me, one moment sticks out above all the rest and that moment took place in Portland against the Trail Blazers. With 0.6 seconds left in the game, the Mavericks had the ball under the basket and were down three points. A quick heave was the only option for Dallas to send this game into overtime and the Blazers were ready for it.

Luka had shot 1-6 from three in the 47:59 leading up to this shot, so the confidence of him hitting a tough quick release three was not at its highest. We had seen some great moments from Luka up to that point but nothing quite like this.

Obviously this shot went down as the buzzer rang throughout the stadium. Luka caught the ball in the deep corner on the baseline and released a near impossible one-hand floater while falling out of bounds over the top of a flailing Maurice Harkless. The shot hit its peak above the shot-clock, clipped the inside of the back of the rim and fell through as the Blazer crowd tried to figure out what just happened.

Now, the competition. For anyone who wasn’t able to stay up for the late game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Oklahoma City Thunder last night, you really missed out. Despite the big play that we will talk about in a second, the Blazers came back from a 15-point deficit with less than seven minutes remaining in the game.

Damian Lillard was absolutely scorching the entire game. His final big shot put him at 50 points for the game and sent the Blazers into the 2nd round of the playoffs. Let’s take a look.

So how do these two shots compare? Let’s break it down with three different criteria.

Level of Difficulty – Advantage Luka

Sure you can make the argument that Lillard’s shot was a lot further than Luka’s but I think the quick release necessary to get the shot off, the spot on the floor, the fadeaway and the float on the shot all give Luka the edge on this one. Dame’s was obviously impressive, but when he is on, he can hit from anywhere on the court.

Timing – Advantage Dame

I think Dame has the clear cut advantage on this one. Luka’s shot was a regular season game that the team still ended up losing. Although most will tell you the shot is harder when you are down as opposed to tied going into the shot, the playoff aspect of Lillard’s shot is the key.

Importance – Advantage Dame

Again, this one just has to go to Dame. The shot by Luka was important for starting his legacy as one of the best rookies the league has ever seen and really was maybe the pivotal moment of everyone across the league saying, this dude is the real deal. But, Lillard’s shot will be viewed as one of the most amazing shots in NBA history. Give it to Dame.

Clearly this is just for fun, but it is definitely cool to see some of the most likable guys in the league hitting big shots on the Portland court. Best of luck to Damian Lillard going forward in the playoffs and as for Luka, we can’t wait to see you next year.