The 2022-23 NBA season has already been a wild one. Groups that have not been to the playoffs because the begin of the century are turning into playoff contenders (taking a look at you, Sacramento). A workforce with not less than three future Corridor of Famers, the Lakers, began the season off as one of many worst within the league. The final week has featured a 60-point triple-double with 21 rebounds by Luka Doncic, and a 71-point recreation by Donovan Mitchell.
Amazingly sufficient, issues acquired even wilder Wednesday evening.
The nationally televised recreation between the Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks had a bizarre first quarter. In right this moment’s NBA, if one workforce solely scores 25 factors within the first, you’d contemplate {that a} mildly profitable quarter, however what if I informed you the 2 groups mixed for 25 factors? The Bucks led after one quarter 13-12. I’ve seen junior excessive video games with larger scores.
The following two quarters had been extra like a typical recreation. Till the four-minute mark within the fourth, the matchup was nothing to put in writing residence about, because the Bucks took a 90-69 lead with 3:50 left after a Brook Lopez dunk. Often, with a workforce up 16 factors just like the Bucks had been with 1:14 to go, followers and even some gamers have already checked out mentally.
Effectively, that’s the place this recreation turned from mundane to utterly insane, whilst followers began submitting out of Scotiabank Enviornment.
The final 1:14 seconds led to the Raptors’ unbelievable regulation comeback.
After a Bobby Portis dangerous cross led to an OG Aununboy dunk, the Bucks’ lead was minimize right down to 14. Listed here are the Bucks’ subsequent six offensive possessions.
- Giannis two missed free throws
- Giannis turnover
- Grayson Allen two make free throws
- Bucks five-second violation
- Bobby Portis steps out of bounds
- Giannis misses an alley-oop on the buzzer
After the Portis turnover, Gary Trent got here round a display and nailed a 3-pointer to tie the sport at 97 with 1.1 seconds left. Then Giannis could not put residence an alley-oop try, and, miraculously, we had been heading to time beyond regulation.
Even Raptors Head coach Nick Nurse could not consider it.
“I don’t suppose I’ve seen one which bizarre,” stated Raptors head coach Nick Nurse post-game. “It’s proper up there with the weirdness of the entire recreation.”
With 36 seconds left within the recreation, the Bucks had a 99.9 % likelihood to win. The Bucks had been outscored 18-2 within the final 1:14. You heard that proper: in a single minute and 14 seconds, the Bucks gave up 18 factors.
Have a look at it this manner: The Bucks gave up extra factors within the final 1:19 seconds than they did in 12 minutes of the primary quarter. Someway in that timeframe, they gave up each a four-point play and had a 5-second inbound turnover.
I watched Tracy McGrady 13 factors in 33 seconds reside, and this was the very first thing I considered watching this recreation unfold. The distinction between the 2 is McGrady’s heroics led to a Rockets win, and sadly for the Raptors, they fell quick in time beyond regulation 104-101 after a 31-foot shot from Fred VanVleet clanged off the rim.
We’ve got already seen some historic scoring video games, Ja Morant staring on the basketball for 20 seconds and wild unbelievable comebacks and nearly comebacks, and we’re simply within the first week of January. And the way in which this season has gone, what’s subsequent? Somebody scoring 82? Perhaps a comeback from down 40 factors? All we all know for sure is that this may very well be a loopy a number of months to finish the 2022-23 NBA season.