Registering a buzzer beater to make his team win, it marks the career of a player. But registering this buzzer beater in the playoffs to qualify his team takes you into another dimension, even into legend. John Stockton in 1997 against the Rockets, or Damian Lillard, twice, can testify to this…
On May 7, 1989, it was Michael Jordan who succeeded in this buzzer shot, immortalized under the expression “The Shot”.
Why did he become legendary? Quite simply because it was a Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs (at the time, the first round was played in the best of five sets), and it was probably that night that Michael Jordan went from being the best scorer in the NBA, to being the best player in the NBA.
That evening, His Highness will compile 44 pts, 9 rbds and 6 pds, driving his appointed bodyguard, Craig Ehlo crazy. This same Ehlo who thought he had given victory to his family three seconds from the end, and who remembers this action.
“I saw the trajectory of the ball and I knew it was going to go there but I kept praying that it would hit the circle and come out or something”
“On the throw-in, Jordan went to the right and Larry (Nance) followed him. Then Michael cut left and it faked Larry” he explains thus. “The rest you know, I find myself alone with him on the wing. The double-take didn’t work at all. I chase him as he goes towards the circle. I always had a good position in defense but he was so quick that I had to chase after him and when I did I tripped over the mat a bit. By the time he stopped to take the shot, I was still running and managed to put my hand in front of his face. Seen the course of the match [Jordan finira à 44 pts], I thought this shoot was going to come in. I saw the trajectory of the ball and I knew it was going to go there but I kept praying that it would hit the circle and come out or something. It affected him a bit, but then he came back and our season ended. That’s why I fell to the ground, I didn’t want our season to end like this. I suffered from defeat. Besides, seeing him jump for joy was even worse. »
No offense to Craig Ehlo and his fans, we invite you to review the last seconds of this match with his images of jubilation, and in particular Doug Collins who jumps into the arms of Phil Jackson then simple assistant of the Bulls.
