Aaron Gordon’s Buzzer-Beater Dunk Shocks NBA Fans

DENVER, Colorado – Aaron Gordon made NBA history with a remarkable buzzer-beater dunk during Game 3 of the first-round playoff series between the Denver Nuggets and the LA Clippers on Saturday. The game ended dramatically with a score of 101-99 in favor of the Nuggets.

With only eight seconds left and the game tied at 99-99, Nikola Jokic inbounded the ball to Gordon after a missed three-pointer. Gordon gathered the rebound and delivered an incredible dunk just as the game clock expired. Initially, it was unclear if Gordon’s dunk counted, as slow-motion replays showed the ball potentially still in contact with his hand when the backboard lights turned red.

After nearly three minutes of video review, officials confirmed that Gordon released the ball before the buzzer sounded. “Never seen a finish like that before,” said Arash Markazi, founder of Sporting Tribune, on social media. Fellow sportswriter Tim Bontemps remarked, “That was one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.” This dunk is officially the first game-winning buzzer-beater dunk in NBA Playoffs history, according to ESPN.

The Nuggets had dominated the game early, leading by as much as 22 points. However, the Clippers rallied back, briefly taking the lead with Bogdan Bogdanovic scoring in the final moments. Despite the late-game tension, the Nuggets secured the crucial win, tying the series at 2-2.

Jokic was instrumental in the victory, achieving a triple-double with 36 points, 21 rebounds, and eight assists. Reflecting on his last shot, Jokic humorously noted, “This is gonna be bad,” emphasizing he hadn’t meant to pass the ball to Gordon.