NBA Roundup: Pelicans’ Devonte' Graham Nails 61-Foot Buzzer-Beater

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12/17/2021Updated: 12/17/2021

Devonte' Graham made one of the greatest game-winning buzzer-beaters in NBA history, banking in a 61-footer to give the New Orleans Pelicans a thrilling 113–110 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.

Just moments before Graham’s heave from three-quarters court, the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nailed a deep 3-pointer of his own with 1.4 seconds left to tie the game. Gilgeous-Alexander’s 30-footer came as he was avoiding a foul that would have sent him to the free-throw line for two shots.

According to ESPN, Graham’s shot was the longest game-winning buzzer-beater in the NBA in the last 25 years. Additionally, ESPN noted that Wednesday’s thriller marked the first game in the last 25 seasons to feature two tying or go-ahead baskets of at least 30 feet in the final five seconds of a game.

Before Graham’s shot, Brandon Ingram (34 points) scored the Pelicans’ previous 10 points. He tied the game with a layup and then put the visitors ahead with a steal and a dunk on the next possession. Jonas Valancuinas had 19 points and 16 rebounds for New Orleans, while Graham added 15 points and eight assists.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points to lead the Thunder, making all nine of his free throws. In fact, Oklahoma City made all 19 of its free-throw tries—14 in the fourth quarter.

Lakers 107, Mavericks 104 (OT)

Austin Reaves hit a 3-pointer with one second left in overtime and LeBron James scored 24 points as visiting Los Angeles beat Dallas for its third straight win.

Russell Westbrook had 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers, who rallied from a seven-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter and tied the game at 93 on Wayne Ellington’s trey with two seconds left in regulation.

Anthony Davis returned from a two-game absence and tallied 20 points and 12 rebounds for Los Angeles, which won for the sixth time in its past eight games. Reaves finished with a career-high 15 points. Jalen Brunson scored 25 points to lead Dallas, and Kristaps Porzingis added 23 points and 12 rebounds.

Heat 101, 76ers 96

Gabe Vincent scored a career-high 26 points, draining a career-best seven 3-pointers, to lift Miami past host Philadelphia.

Vincent’s trey with 39.2 seconds left snapped a 96-all tie and proved to be the winning shot after the 76ers had wiped out a 23-point deficit. The short-handed Heat played without Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Markieff Morris, Victor Oladipo and Caleb Martin. The only player in health and safety protocols was Martin.

Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 27 points and Tobias Harris added 24. Joel Embiid had 17 points and 14 rebounds but missed a potential tying 3-point attempt with less than two seconds left. Danny Green chipped in with nine points, six rebounds and five steals.

Bucks 114, Pacers 99

Milwaukee put together a 21–0 run in the fourth quarter to defeat visiting Indiana for the third time this season.

After Indiana took a 92–91 lead with just about 10 minutes remaining, the Bucks held the Pacers scoreless for nearly eight minutes to compile a rally that would hand them their ninth straight home win.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donte DiVincenzo in health and safety protocols and Khris Middleton sidelined due to a hyperextended knee, Jrue Holiday led the Milwaukee offense with 26 points and a season-high 14 assists. Domantas Sabonis had 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Pacers.

Jazz 124, Clippers 103

Donovan Mitchell scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half and three other Utah players scored at least 20 points in a victory over Los Angeles in Salt Lake City.

Jordan Clarkson scored 21 points, Rudy Gobert tallied 20 points with 17 rebounds and Bojan Bogdanovic added 20 points to help lift the Jazz to their eighth straight win.

Marcus Morris Sr. led the Clippers with 24 points and eight rebounds. Eric Bledsoe contributed 21 points with eight assists as Los Angeles saw its four-game winning streak come to an end. Paul George (elbow) missed his fourth straight game.

Hawks 111, Magic 99

Trae Young had 28 points, John Collins totaled 21 points and 10 rebounds and Atlanta ended a two-game losing streak with a win over host Orlando.

The Hawks led by as many 23 points in the second half as they returned to the .500 mark. Clint Capela contributed 11 rebounds, seven points, four assists and two blocks, and Cam Reddish went 3-for-6 from beyond the arc and had 13 points.

Orlando’s losing streak reached six games, while the Magic dropped to 2–9 at home. Terrence Ross had 18 points and a career-high eight assists and Moe Wagner chipped in a season-high 19 points off the bench for Orlando, while starting guard R.J. Hampton hit three triples and scored 15 points.

Kings 119, Wizards 105

Harrison Barnes saved 15 of his 19 points for a fourth-quarter surge that allowed Sacramento, with Doug Christie serving as acting head coach, to overtake visiting Washington.

The Kings’ De'Aaron Fox lost a scoring duel 30–28 to the Wizards’ Bradley Beal, but Barnes and four Sacramento teammates complemented Fox with double-figure scoring to help the hosts snap a three-game losing streak. Christie slid over on the bench from his assistant’s seat to replace interim head coach Alvin Gentry, who tested positive for COVID and could not attend the game.

Beal was one of five Wizards to score in double figures on a night when the visitors shot just 5-for-24 (20.8 percent) from 3-point range.

Grizzlies 113, Trail Blazers 103

Desmond Bane scored 23 points and Dillon Brooks added 22 as Memphis notched a victory over host Portland.

Kyle Anderson added 13 points and a season-best 11 rebounds and Tyus Jones scored 12 points as the Grizzlies improved to 9–1 since star guard Ja Morant sustained a knee injury. Memphis also won its fifth straight road game.

Norman Powell scored 25 points and Anfernee Simons added 22 for Portland, which lost its seventh consecutive game and 10th in the past 11. Damian Lillard tallied 21 points but was just 6 of 21 from the field and Jusuf Nurkic had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Trail Blazers.

Cavaliers 124, Rockets 89

Darius Garland scored 17 of his 21 points during a runaway first half as host Cleveland blitzed short-handed Houston.

Garland shot 7 of 11 from the floor and hit a trio of 3-pointers as the Cavaliers extended their winning streak to five games, their longest since April 2018. Isaac Okoro chipped in 20 points while Kevin Love (15 points, six rebounds) and Ricky Rubio (seven points, 12 assists, and four steals) continued their stellar play off the bench for Cleveland, which has won 9 of 11.

The Rockets trailed by as many as 45 points and were without Christian Wood (knee), Eric Gordon (groin), Jalen Green (hamstring), and Kevin Porter Jr. (thigh). Alperen Sengun had 19 points and 11 boards for Houston.

Timberwolves 124, Nuggets 107

Anthony Edwards scored 38 points and hit 10 of 14 3-point attempts, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 32 points, and visiting Minnesota beat Denver.

D'Angelo Russell had 16 points and Patrick Beverley scored 11 for the Timberwolves, who snapped a 12-game skid against Denver by going 23-for-48 from 3-point range.

Nikola Jokic had 27 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his sixth triple-double of the season, and Monte Morris scored 15 for the Nuggets. Markus Howard had 14 before leaving with a left knee injury.

Hornets 131, Spurs 115

Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 41 points for visiting Charlotte, which built a 21-point lead in the first quarter and romped past San Antonio.

Hayward shot 15 of 19 from the floor, 5 of 6 from beyond the arc and finished three points shy of his career high. Cody Martin added 21 points for the Hornets, with Miles Bridges hitting for 19, Jalen McDaniels contributing 15 points, Terry Rozier scoring 13, and P.J. Washington tallying 12 points in the win.

Bryn Forbes paced the Spurs with 25 points. Keldon Johnson racked up 21, Derrick White scored 18, and Doug McDermott, Dejounte Murray and Devin Vassell hit for 10 points apiece. San Antonio finished a 2–3 homestand.