‘Most Skilled Ever!’ Kyrie Irving ‘Special’ Shot: Dallas Mavs & NBA World React

Damian Lillard and Jalen Brunson were among the NBA players impressed by Kyrie Irving’s game-winning shot with his left hand in the Dallas Mavericks’ 107-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Few players can leave fans and fellow NBA players speechless like Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, but his game-winning shot against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday may have been his best performance yet.

With 2.8 seconds remaining in a tied game, Mavs forward Maxi Kleber inbounded the ball to Irving. The explosive guard dashed to the basket, with Nuggets center and two-time MVP Nikola Jokic hot on his heels. Irving took the shot with his off hand at the free throw line and Jokic’s hand in his face, after briefly checking the shot clock.

The left-handed floater found nothing but net at the buzzer, eliciting a jubilant shout from the American Airlines Center. Irving’s teammates’ reactions ranged from disbelief with hands on their heads to storming the floor to celebrate his heroics during a 107-105 victory over Denver on Saint Patrick’s Day.

“I thought I got a little closer in the paint, but when I looked at it after the game, I was pretty far out,” Irving recalled of his buzzer-beating shot. “[Those are] shots that I work on and just being ambidextrous and being able to trust the skills that I work on when no one is watching and fortunate enough, it went in tonight.”

Irving explained that the majority of his shot selection decisions are intuitive. It comes from hours of hidden preparation. Jokic took my pull-up to the left. I’d hit one or two tonight, so I figured he’d show up, but I had no idea he’d be so committed. He was pushing me inside the 3-point line, and as soon as I felt him behind me, I thought, ‘Oh, I have my left hand [and] it’s wide open, so why not go to it?’ “That’s how I saw it.”

Irving did it everything offensively for Dallas (39-29), tallying 24 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. His heroics were set up by fellow superstar player Luka Doncic, who nailed the game-tying three-pointer with 25 seconds remaining. After missing one game due to a hamstring injury that rendered him questionable for Sunday’s game against Denver (47-21), he ended with 37 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.