It was a dramatic ending to the overtime period between the Warriors and Timberwolves in Minnesota, and it all happened in the final 5.8 seconds of the extra session.
With 5.8 seconds remaining, the Warriors inbounded the ball to Kevin Durant, who has fouled en route to making a three-pointer and tying the game at 130 points apiece.
The referee, however, stated that the foul was before the shot. With the Timberwolves' foul-to-give, instead of a possible four-point play, the Warriors gained nothing from KD's shot other than an extra possession.
On the ensuing play, Stephen Curry made a corner three, leaving only 0.8 seconds on the game clock.
Then, Durant was called for a foul on the inbounds pass to Towns, which meant free-throws. With only 0.5 seconds remaining, the Timberwolves All-Star calmly sunk the first attempt and intentionally missed the second one to seal the team's overtime victory over the two-time defending champions.
Here's how it all unfolded:
The last 5.8 seconds of Warriors-Timberwolves was absolutely wild. pic.twitter.com/hdGUFdeRRZ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 30, 2019
Here's what Warriors' head coach Steve Kerr had to say about the ending of the game:
Kerr on the late KD foul call: “You mean when the lob was going 10 feet over the rim? Never seen it.”
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 30, 2019
Kerr on the late waved off KD and 1: “That’s a 4-point play. Mind-boggling.” pic.twitter.com/3CeHi8NN75
En route to 37 points, Curry had his eighth game of 11 or more three-pointers – that's the same amount as the rest of the NBA combined in the league's history. Curry made those 11 long range bombs on 19 attempts while dishing out 5 dimes in 42 minutes of action.
The Warriors had four other players in double figures with Kevin Durant being the best of the rest with 23 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 blocks.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves had eight players score in double figures with Andrew Wiggins as the top scorer with 24 points while Karl-Anthony Towns had an all-round statline of 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists.
👀 the BEST OT PLAYS as the @Timberwolves top the @warriors in a thrilling finish at home! #AllEyesNorth pic.twitter.com/u4St8W2UXL
— NBA (@NBA) March 30, 2019
With the Warriors' loss, they are now 0-5 in overtime this season. And with the Denver Nuggets winning in OKC, both teams are tied up once again for the top spot in the West standings.
Both teams are set to face off for the fourth and final time this season on Wednesday in Oakland.
Per tankathon, the Warriors have the 10th easiest remaining schedule while the young Nuggets squad have the fourth toughest.
Who will clinch the top seed for home court advantage all through the West Playoffs?
