VIDEO: This is Not How the Trail Blazers Drew Up Noah Vonleh's Buzzer-Beater
By Kyle Koster
The Portland Trail Blazers trailed the San Antonio Spurs by one point and had possession of the ball with six seconds remaining. It would take a well-designed play to get a good look at a game-winning shot.
Actually, that’s not true. Portland won as a result of running the messiest of offense. Shabazz Napier collided with Meyers Leonard and the ball pinballed about before falling to a wide-open Noah Vonleh, who converted an easy layup as the buzzer sounded.
Gregg Popovich, perhaps realizing that all the long hours he’s spent honing his play-calling skills has been a waste of time, could do nothing but laugh.
Noah Vonleh gets the game-winner at the buzzer and all Pop can do is laugh ?#RipCity pic.twitter.com/eUu5L0Kv64
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) April 11, 2017
Fun fact: a coach can go to jail in 28 states just for diagramming a play like this on a whiteboard — and for good reason.