Last-second shots: basketball quiz

13 October 2026 · Ten stories about the final seconds: buzzer-beaters and moments basketball still remembers.

Quiz questions

1. On 27 February 2016 in Oklahoma City he won the game in overtime with a shot from about 38 feet. It was his 12th three of the night, tying the NBA record. Who was he?

   • Stephen Curry
   • Klay Thompson
   • Damian Lillard
   • Kevin Durant
   Answer

   Stephen Curry made 402 threes that season, a record at the time.

2. In Game 4 of the 1987 Finals in Boston, with two seconds left, he won it for the Lakers with a hook shot he called his 'junior, junior sky hook'. Who was he?

   • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
   • James Worthy
   • Magic Johnson
   • Byron Scott
   Answer

   Magic Johnson borrowed the name from team-mate Kareem's famous sky hook. The Lakers won 107-106 and took the title two games later.

3. In the 2010 World Championship quarter-final in Istanbul, Serbia knocked out defending champions Spain 92-89. Their point guard hit the decisive three in the final seconds. Who was he?

   • Nenad Krstić
   • Miloš Teodosić
   • Novica Veličković
   • Uroš Tripković
   Answer

   Miloš Teodosić let it go from deep with barely any set-up. Serbia lost the semi-final to hosts Turkey and finished fourth.

4. In January 1990 Trent Tucker of the Knicks caught an inbound pass and hit a winning three against the Bulls with just 0.1 seconds on the clock. What changed after that?

   • Overtime periods were cut to three minutes
   • Video review was introduced for buzzer-beaters
   • The shot clock was shortened
   • A rule that catching and shooting needs at least 0.3 seconds
   Answer

   A rule that catching and shooting needs at least 0.3 seconds. Under the 'Trent Tucker rule', with less than 0.3 seconds left only a tip-in or an alley-oop can count.

5. In Argentina's opening game at Athens 2004, against Serbia and Montenegro, he scored the winner at the buzzer for an 83-82 win. Two weeks later Argentina were Olympic champions. Who was he?

   • Manu Ginóbili
   • Luis Scola
   • Andrés Nocioni
   • Carlos Delfino
   Answer

   Manu Ginóbili's shot set Argentina on the way to gold, and in the semi-final they beat the USA too.

6. Ralph Sampson in 1986, Michael Jordan in 1989, John Stockton in 1997 and Damian Lillard in 2019 all ended a playoff series with a shot at the buzzer. What else do the four shots have in common?

   • All four came in a Game 7
   • All four were three-pointers
   • None of their teams went on to win the title that season
   • All four came against the Los Angeles Lakers
   Answer

   None of their teams went on to win the title that season. Houston lost the 1986 Finals to Boston, Chicago lost to Detroit in 1989, Utah lost the 1997 Finals to Chicago and Portland were swept by Golden State in 2019.

7. In Game 3 of the 2018 Eastern Conference semi-finals against Toronto, he won it at the buzzer with a one-handed running bank shot. Who was he?

   • Kyle Korver
   • Kevin Love
   • J.R. Smith
   • LeBron James
   Answer

   That spring LeBron James also hit a buzzer-beater against Indiana in Game 5 of the first round. Cleveland swept Toronto and reached the Finals again.

8. Late in Game 7 of the 1969 Finals in Los Angeles, his jump shot from the free-throw line hit the back of the rim, bounced high in the air and dropped in. Boston won 108-106. Who took it?

   • John Havlicek
   • Sam Jones
   • Bill Russell
   • Don Nelson
   Answer

   Don Nelson later became a coach and held the record for most NBA coaching wins until Gregg Popovich passed him in 2022.

9. In the EuroBasket 2005 semi-final in Belgrade, Dirk Nowitzki hit the winner with seconds left for a 74-73 win. Who were the opponents?

   • Spain
   • France
   • Greece
   • Lithuania
   Answer

   Spain. Nowitzki's shot took Germany to their first final since their 1993 title. They lost it to Greece.

10. Game 5 of the 1976 Finals went to three overtimes. At the end of the second overtime a Phoenix forward hit a turnaround jumper at the buzzer to force a third. Boston still won 128-126. Who hit the shot?

    • Paul Westphal
    • Alvan Adams
    • Garfield Heard
    • Curtis Perry
    Answer

    Garfield Heard's shot tied the game. Many call it the greatest game in NBA history, and Boston won the title two days later.

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