Horry Scale: Kevon Looney's putback persistence wins it for Warriors
Kevon Looney puts back his own miss at the buzzer after corralling Klay Thompson's errant 3.
A reminder on The Horry Scale: It breaks down a game-winning buzzer-beater (GWBB) in the categories of difficulty, game situation (was the team tied or behind at the time?), importance (playoff game or garden-variety night in November?) and celebration. Then we give it an overall grade on a scale of 1-5 Robert Horrys, named for the patron saint of last-second answered prayers.
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The NBA closed out 2022 with a Horry Scale shot, and it took only two nights of 2023 action to provide us with a first for the new year.
At the end of the second overtime against the Hawks on Monday, Warriors center Kevon Looney collected an errant Klay Thompson 3-pointer, then grabbed his own miss and scored at the buzzer for the 11th “Horry” of the season. A crushing loss for the Hawks, who led by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter.
GAME SITUATION: The Hawks had ground their way back into this one after a slow start, and actually led much of the fourth quarter. But much isn’t all, and with :00.6 seconds to play, Donte Di Vincenzo collected a loose ball and swished a tying 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. An 11-11 stalemate later, it was time for the second overtime.
After a few exchanges, the Warriors took a five-point lead when Draymond Green beat the shot clock from deep with 43.8 seconds left. Dejounte Murray answered with a 3-pointer, and then a Thompson miss set up Trae Young’s teardrop floater 8.2 ticks from the finish. Tie game. Time for that one last look.
DIFFICULTY: With no timeouts, Green took the inbounds and sprinted up the left sideline. He managed to screen for and dribble handoff to Thompson, whose straightaway 3-pointer bricked off the back rim. Looney, positioned on the right block with Murray between him and the hoop, rose unchallenged for a one-handed putback that caromed off the glass. Tracking it out of his hand, Looney lifted off again, rising between Young, De’Andre Hunter and Bogdan Bogdanovic to catch and quickly release the winning bank shot.
All of this >
https://t.co/ocDF2EHeJH pic.twitter.com/HmYBJQAZQK
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 3, 2023
CELEBRATION: Looney fist-bumped and started a sweeping turn past the dejected Hawks’ bench, laughing wide all the way into a spin-jump celebratory collision with Jordan Poole. The mob closed in and the bodies heaved toward the scorer’s table and a jubilant home crowd, then back out past midcourt, where Looney eventually escaped for a few high fives as he headed out through the tunnel.
These moments
Goodnight, #DubNation
https://t.co/ocDF2EHeJH pic.twitter.com/moIy3WEHqG
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 3, 2023
GRADE: Rebounding is a right-place, right-time game. The first one could’ve been chance. The second one, that’s all effort — especially two overtimes deep. Tap it in, and take it home. 3 Horrys.
