As per NBA rules, if a team has .2 on the shot clock, they can’t catch-and-shoot but can only tip in a ball for a basket. That’s where this wild play comes in.
Facing the Thunder, the Jazz were up four points in the second quarter when they had to inbound the ball with .2 left. Gordon Hayward threw in a bounce pass to Booker, who was posting up against Russell Westbrook. He then tapped the ball over his head, like a volleyball bump, and the ball miraculously sank into the basket, sealing the miracle shot for the incredulous Booker.
To my knowledge, the no-look backwards-tap shot has never been accomplished successfully before.
The commentators during the broadcast say: “He doesn’t even touch it…it’s almost as if he’s done it before…I know he’s laughing because he can’t believe it.”
Booker was so amazed that the play worked he even gave a Jordan-esque shrug
OKC ended up winning over Utah 98-94.
Booker finished with eight points on 3-of-8 shooting.
Booker is no stranger to last-minute buzzer-beating shots with high degrees of difficulty. In this 2011 video, watch as Booker (as a Washington Wizard) sinks a buzzer-beater with a very tough fadeaway against the Denver Nuggets:
If the Booker shot from last night’s action didn’t satisfy your hunger for wild circus shots, you’ll want to check out this NBA video highlights package titled “Top 10 Circus Shots of 2014.”
The Jazz are at 13-24 and positioned fourth in their division. The Thunder are 18-19 and have climbed to second in the same division.
