Outside the lines, 25.2/Video editing: Ziv Steiner
It's a basket that every player dreams of, a move that every kid makes on the court in the neighborhood: at the last second, from the half, for the entire pot, Max Strauss took a desperate shot that would decide between victory and loss - and threaded it in.
After a big drama in the last minutes and a sweet turnaround, Cleveland managed to beat Dallas 119:121 tonight (between Tuesday and Wednesday), in what many are already crowning as "the basket of the year".
The host Cubs led 115-118 with 29 seconds left, but Dallas managed to steal twice in the final minute and the Mavericks took the lead on PJ Washington's dunk with 2.9 seconds left.
Cleveland didn't have a timeout, the ball was quickly fed to Evan Mobley, who passed back to the Astros - who threw over the half, and scored a great winning basket.
The official distance: 59 feet, 18 meters.
Max Strauss celebrates after the winning basket in a Cleveland uniform/GettyImages, Jason Miller
His voice shook with excitement.
Strauss/GettyImages, Jason Miller
In all, Strauss made his fourth (!) 3-pointer in a span of 67 seconds.
The hero of the victory did not know his soul and ran on the field, before his friends attacked him with joy and the whole hall was on its feet.
"At the end of the day, we have a guy like Max Strauss," Cleveland center Jarrett Allen said, "anything is possible."
And that's beyond the last three.
According to ESPN, Stros is the fourth player in the last 25 seasons to make five three-pointers in the last four minutes of a game.
"He was our man," Cleveland coach JB Bickerstaff said of Strauss.
"One of the best things we have with this team is that on any given night, we have someone who can step up and make huge plays."
No words: Morris' funny reaction on the Dallas bench
Markieff Morris stunned on the Dallas bench by the Stros' victory basket in a Cleveland uniform/screenshot, from social networks
It was the second-longest buzzer-beater in the 3-point era.
Only Devontae Graham shot from farther — 61 feet, about 18.60 meters — in New Orleans' win over Oklahoma City on Dec. 15, 2021.
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The NFL champions also complimented the great winner
Strauss claims he hit a bigger winning shot in college, at Lewis University in Illinois.
"Yes, in my college I made a three-quarter field goal to win the game," he said, but also remained humble.
"Luckily, Donovan Mitchell was out of the game, so someone else had to step up... I was lucky, because he would have hit that shot too."
Mitchell scored 31 points, Strauss added 21 (15 of them in the last quarter), and Cleveland is 3:12 since January 26.
"It should have been him," said Mitchell Spiergan to his friend, "you dream of a shot like that."
Luka Doncic finished with 45 points and 14 assists, Kyrie Irving added 30 for Dallas, which lost for just the second time in 10 games.
"Amazing shot. It was just an amazing shot," Doncic said.
"It was my fault, I should have pressed forward (on Strauss). I thought we played a good game, but it was difficult, obviously."
Dallas led 98:108 with 4:38 left, Cleveland responded with a huge run.
"The last two minutes were intense for us," Kyrie Irving said.
"It's the first time I've lost on a shot from half court. You can't erase it from your mind, you feel it. It burns."
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