His first season with the New Orleans Pelicans has not gone too swimmingly for veteran guard Devonte’ Graham.
New Orleans had hoped that he’d find a way to replace Lonzo Ball at the point guard spot. As of earlier Wednesday evening, that hasn’t been the case.
Boy, did Graham change this narrative at one fell swoop. Taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road, the game was tied at 110-110 after OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander nailed a three-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining.
The crowd inside Paycom Center went absolutely wild. With the Pelicans inbounding the ball under their own hoop, Devonte’ Graham shut Thunder fans up for good. The dude legitimately hit a 61-foot three-pointer to win the game as time expired. This actually happened. It’s real life.
What in the world did we just witness? No, that’s not all-time NBA three-point leader Stephen Curry hitting it from way beyond halfcourt. Instead, it’s a dude who had hit on all of 4-of-14 shots before nailing that dagger. According to ESPN, this represents the longest game-winner in the NBA in at least a quarter-century.
- Devonte’ Graham stats (2021-22): 13.2 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 4.3 APG, 37% shooting, 35% three-point
As you can see, Graham wasn’t the likeliest hero heading into Wednesday night’s matchup. But he came through big time.
Perhaps, this can act as some momentum for a Pelicans team that was 8-21 heading into the game and continues to deal with the Zion Williamson injury drama.