By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The scoreboard read 99-99, and the Denver Nuggets had the last possession. Nikola Jokic took matters into his own hands, but the LA Clippers forced him to take a really tough shot. It was off the mark, but Aaron Gordon was in the right place, grabbed the ball in the air, and dunked it for the win at the buzzer.
After the win, which helped the Colorado team tie the NBA Playoff series 2-2, Nikola Jokic compared the game-winning play to a famous EuroLeague moment.
“I don’t know how familiar you are with the EuroLeague, but Teodosic had the same miss when Josh Childress scored in the semifinal against Partizan some time ago. I’ll help you write a story about it,” Jokic said.
He was recalling the 2010 EuroLeague Final Four semifinal matchup between Olympiacos and Partizan, where a last-second rebound play, much like his own, forced the semifinal into overtime and ultimately helped Olympiacos secure the win. Milos Teodosic was in his place, while Aaron Gordon reprised the role of Josh Childress.
😲 Jokic – Gordon sequence is almost identical with Teodosic – Childress sequence back in the 2010 Final Four between Olympiacos and Partizan!
Deja vu 😵💫 pic.twitter.com/qoxuwSZwV6
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) April 27, 2025
Speaking about the final play, Jokic admitted that he was trying to make a shot, not an alley-oop pass to Gordon.
“No, it wasn’t a pass. I wanted to take the final shot. I didn’t want to leave the Clippers even a second. I missed the entire rim, and Gordon was in the right place. As always.”
Despite the final miss, Jokic had an outstanding game, scoring 36 points, with 21 rebounds and eight assists, as the series now returns to Denver for Game 5.