Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Malcolm Brogdon’s game-winner may have been lucky, but the gorgeous move that came before was not.
The Indiana Pacers straight up stole a game from the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. Despite the Pelicans holding an 10-point lead with 2:22 to play in regulation, and then a six-point lead with less than a minute to go, Indiana roared back in the game’s waning seconds to force overtime.
Thanks to a Victor Oladipo 3-pointer with 20.5 seconds remaining, a Lonzo Ball turnover for the Pelicans and a Myles Turner triple with 8.2 seconds left, the Pacers turned their six-point deficit into a tie ball game. Brandon Ingram’s desperation shot didn’t go, and Indiana forced the extra period.
In overtime, it was the Pelicans who erased a four-point deficit with 1:02 to play, tying the game up on Ball’s dunk with 25.5 seconds remaining. It was at that point that Indiana entrusted the ball to their point guard for the final play, and he delivered with a gorgeous hesitation move, behind-the-back dribble and running floater that bounced in for the Pacers:
Malcolm Brogdon’s game-winning move in overtime was incredible
Watch that play again. Hesitation moves are one thing. Behind-the-back dribbles are another. Mixing the two into one is a thing of pure beauty, especially against a high-quality defender like Eric Bledsoe, but Brogdon pulled it off, and it’s probably the reason the basketball gods were on his side with that lucky bounce that helped the ball fall through the net.
Brogdon finished his night with 21 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds, shooting 8-for-18 from the field and 4-for-9 from 3-point range. Victor Oladipo led the scoring charge with 25 points, while Ingram put up 31 points in the loss.