Kyrie Irving game-winner: LeBron James among NBA players blown away by Mavericks star’s left-handed floater
With the score tied at 105 with 2.8 seconds left on the clock, who else but Kyrie Irving?
The Mavericks guard capped off a wild ending to the team’s win against the Nuggets, burying a high degree of difficulty shot as only he can with a left-hand floater from beyond the free throw line.
The game-winner capped off an impressive night for Irving, who helped the Mavericks record their fifth win in six games. The eight-time All-Star finished with 24 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, three steals and a block.
OH MY GOODNESS, KYRIE IRVING WINS THE GAME WITH A LEFT-HANDED FLOATER ‼️
SPECIAL. 🤯#TissotBuzzerBeater#YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness pic.twitter.com/NJiVbYtV7p
— NBA (@NBA) March 17, 2024
“I’ve seen a lot of great shots, but I think that one takes the cake,” Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II said.
“In Kyrie we trust. As soon as we give him the ball, we know he’s going to find a great shot or make a great opportunity for someone else. So whenever we see him get the ball, we just sit back and watch it happen.
“He made the shot.”
Here’s how Irving and the Mavericks pulled off the victory over the Nuggets.
How Kyrie Irving, Mavericks beat Nuggets
In a back-and-forth battle, Luka Doncic gave the Mavericks a 102-100 lead after making 1-of-2 free throws with 1:26 remaining.
It wasn’t long until the score was tied again as Nikola Jokic’s hook shot leveled things at 102-102 with 1:05 on the clock. Jamal Murray then gave the Nuggets a 105-102 lead with a big-time 3-pointer after trailing by as many as 13 points in the final frame.
Sure enough, Doncic responded again with a deep triple of his own to tie things up at 105-105.
MORE: Where is the MVP buzz for Luka Doncic, who is enjoying a historic season?
Doncic set the pace for the Mavericks, scoring a game-high 37 points and pulling down nine rebounds, but when it came down to clutch time, it was Irving who answered the call.
“Opposite hand, understanding Kai probably is going to go down as one of the best finishers ever, and his flow game with the right-left, it’s just natural,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said.
“And he delivered. Luka put us in position by tying it. And Kai being able to read the situation and get the ball.
Check out the tense final minutes leading up to Irving’s heroics below:
WHAT A FINISH 🤯🚨
Check out the final minutes leading up to Kyrie Irving’s unbelievable #TissotBuzzerBeater between the Nuggets and Mavericks ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/5pOou4kuwG
— NBA (@NBA) March 17, 2024
MORE: Luka Doncic’s brilliance has turned Daniel Gafford into Wilt Chamberlain
Kyrie Irving stats vs. Nuggets
- 24 points
- 9 assists
- 7 rebounds
- 3 steals
- 1 block
- 9-23 field goals
- 4-11 three-pointers
- 2-2 free throws
Kyrie Irving game-winner reactions
The NBA world was completely blown away by Irving’s late-game heroics.
Here’s a look at some of the top reactions:
Kyrie the most skilled mf ever bra…
— Damian Lillard (@Dame_Lillard) March 17, 2024
EVER!!! 💩 is crazy
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 17, 2024
.@KyrieIrving 💯
— Kevin Garnett (@KevinGarnett5KG) March 17, 2024
A left hand running hook ? Cmon son 🤦🏾♂️
— Mo Bamba (@TheRealMoBamba) March 17, 2024
Just saw Kyrie floater at the buzzer…🤦🏽♂️
— Nicolas Batum (@nicolas88batum) March 17, 2024
— PJ Washington (@PJWashington) March 17, 2024
That what @KyrieIrving does. A left-handed floater — over Jovic, from the free throw line — at the buzzer to lift @dallasmavs over the @nuggets. And this….AFTER @luka7doncic’s deep-3 tied it. This is special…..exactly why we should root to see Mavs advance deep into the…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 17, 2024
Kai with the Left! Crazzy finish!!
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) March 17, 2024
Wow, as @andre says Kyrie is that guy who you have to fear most late game.
Guy just hit a left hand running hook/floater from the free throw line for the WIN vs Denver.
— Andrew Bogut (@andrewbogut) March 17, 2024
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