Men’s hoops: What a Crock(er)
By Scott Wright
I asked Jeff Capel after Tuesday night’s win if he had ever seen someone make a four-point play to win a game. He said he had never seen it.
That’s funny. I saw it happen several times.
They all began the same way — I dribbled along at the top of the key (a.k.a. the edge of the driveway), counting aloud the final seconds of the big game. I was the clock, the play-by-play announcer, the shooter, the defender and the official, all in one.
“Three… two… He shoots! And he’s fouled! The shot goes in and Scott is going to the free throw line with a chance to win it for the Millers!”
Happened all the time. Of course, sometimes, the 3-pointer wouldn’t go in and I’d have to make all three free throws to force overtime. And then I’d occasionally miss a free throw, but there’d be a lane violation — sometimes multiple lane violations, due to my mediocre free throw percentage.
But we always won.
In all honesty, I’ve never seen anything like what transpired in the final 10 seconds Tuesday night.
A a go-ahead four-point play on a double-pump 3-pointer.
A foul with one second on the clock in a one-point game.
Two missed free throws with a chance to tie or win the game.
An offensive rebound and put-back attempt in the final second that could have won it.
If just one of those four things had occurred Tuesday night, it would have been thrilling. To see all four take place is a feeling that can’t really be explained.
I got home from the game a little after midnight and turned on SportsCenter to see the highlights — just to verify that all I had seen actually happened. It did.
By the way, OU had the No. 1 and No. 3 plays on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays Tuesday night. No. 1 was Crocker’s game-winner and No. 3 was Austin Johnson’s alley-oop pass off the backboard to Blake Griffin.
That was easily the best game I’ve ever watched in person and right up there with the best I’ve seen in any form.
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Agreed! I was there and it all seemed like I was watching a scripted play, or movie. It just didn’t seem real. But when I went home, caught Gamenight Final on ESPN, they said if could easily be the best game played this year. Amazing game and Boomer Sooner! Gotta love Sooner Magic, especially on the court!