À l'œuvre, on connaît l'artisan.
Tony Parker did it again. For the second time in as many games, the San Antonio Spurs' guard hit the key bucket in a win. One night after draining a go-ahead, three-point shot in a win over the New Orleans Hornets in the final minute, the four-time All-Star nailed a buzzer beater to defeat the reigning Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder, 86-84.
Before Parker inked a "W" in the Spurs' 2012-2013 ledger, OKC point guard Russell Westbrook seemed to have locked up the win for his team. The hyperkinetic combo guard reeled off four straight points to stake the Thunder to an 84-81 lead that lasted into the final minute of the game.
Then the 30-year-old Frenchman took over.
First, Parker leveled the game at 84-84 with a 3-point shot. After Westbrook turned the ball over following a Thunder timeout, the ball was back in Parker's hands. Danny Green received an inbounds pass at the top of the key and found Parker free on the wing. Having started the play down on the weak side baseline, Parker emerged wide open from the crowd. Parker caught the ball just beyond the three-point arc, took a dribble across the line and then rose and fired from 21 feet. The shot dropped through the iron as the red light edging the backboard illuminated. Per ESPN Stats & Info, this was Parker's first true buzzer-beating winner since 2009.
For those who wish to repeatedly watch Parker sink this buzzer beater without ever having to click "replay," here is your GIF.
(H/T Bleacher Report)
With this game going up against the uninspiring Chiefs vs. Chargers matchup on "Thursday Night Football," there were plenty of people tuned in when Parker's game-winning shot went down. Here are some of the top reactions on Twitter to the first* buzzer beater of the NBA season.
*George Hill of the Pacers hit a game-winner in the final seconds against the Raptors on Wednesday night but that shot dropped with two seconds remaining.