Top 5 longest buzzer-beaters in NBA history ft. Max Strus
On Tuesday night, Max Strus had the NBA world buzzing. He secured a victory for the Cleveland Cavaliers with one of the craziest game winners this season. With two seconds left in the game, he heaved a half-court shot as time expired to put away the Dallas Mavericks.
Strus hit this shot from just under 60 feet away, making it the longest game-winner in the NBA this season. However, it also landed him in the history books. Following this jaw-dropping final shot, here are some of the longest game-winning shots in league history.
Longest game-winning shots in NBA history
5) Tyreke Evans, 2010
Coming in at No. 5 is former NBA Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans. Back in 2010, he nailed a game-winner from 50 feet away.
Down one against the Memphis Grizzlies, Evans had 1.8 seconds to get a shot off. Just a few steps behind halfcourt to end the game in dramatic fashion.
4) Julius Erving, 1986
Next up on this list is NBA Julius Erving. Back in 1986, he too knocked down a game-winning shot from beyond halfcourt.
Dr. J inbounded the ball and quickly began running up-court. The ball got passed back to him, where he was left wide-open to get the last shot off by the logo. In an unexpected turn of events, the shot fell and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Dallas Mavericks. This shot was measured at around 53 feet from the basket.
3) Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, 1992
The third longest game-winning shot in history belongs to longtime sharpshooter Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. While with the Denver Nuggets, he hit a last-second shot from 55 feet away.
After getting a stop at the rim, the Nuggets quickly had to rush up the court to get a shot off. As time expired, Abdul-Rauf left off a heave in traffic. This miracle shot ended up going in to seal a victory for Denver.
2) Max Strus, 2024
Max Strus' shot against the Mavericks is the second-longest game winner in NBA history. The Cleveland Cavaliers forward drilled his buzzer-beater from just under 60 feet away.
Similar to Dr. J's shot, Strus got the ball after inbounding to start the play. Evan Mobley got the ball back to him with a chance to seal the game. With nobody around, he was able to get off a clean look and actually end the game in thrilling fashion.
1) Devonte Graham, 2021
The player with the longest game winner in history is Devonte Graham. He achieved this feat in 2021 during his time with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shit a miracle shot from beyond the arc just moments before to tie the game. Then, with just over one second left, Graham iced things with a 61-foot heave from beyond halfcourt.