Spurs: Ranking Every Game-winning Buzzerbeater Since 2000


8. Tim Duncan Sinks a Turnaround Over Pau Gasol (2002)
Long before he won titles with the Los Angeles Lakers and eventually went to the Spurs, Pau Gasol spent many years losing to Tim Duncan with the Memphis Grizzlies. In fact, Gasol was just 3-22 against Duncan while playing in Memphis from 2001 until he went to L.A. in 2008.
One of those meetings ended with probably the most difficult buzzerbeater Duncan ever hit in his career. After already having scored 27 points and pulling down 14 boards, Tim got the ball on a post-up with 2.6 seconds left on the clock and the score tied at 101. As you can see in the clip, even two outstretched arms from the 7-foot center weren't enough to stop him from sealing the win.
The Spurs went on to win the NBA title that season behind Tim Duncan having one of the best individual seasons anyone has ever had.
7. Rudy Gay Calls Game Against the Phoenix Suns (2019)
Although it ended with a disappointing Game 7 loss to the Denver Nuggets, the 2018-19 season was the last one in which the Spurs had a winning record. In the midst of their run to make the playoffs for a record-tying 22nd straight time, Rudy Gay thrilled the home crowd with a game-winning buzzerbeater over Kelly Oubre Jr.
The game-winner.@RudyGay | #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/kxH7ExPJWb
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 30, 2019
Of course, the Spurs would've been happy with a more convincing win against a struggling pre-Chris Paul squad, but Gay's timely basket helped them avoid overtime against Devin Booker, who had already scored 38 points.
"You don't shoot them unless you think they're going in," he said after the game. This one certainly did.
6. Manu Ginobili Sidesteps the Bucks for a Game-clincher (2010)
On a night when he got a rare spot in the starting five, Manu Ginobili made the most of his opportunity against the Milwaukee Bucks. Starting off with a staggering 20-3 record in the 2010-11 season, the Spurs were getting all they could handle from --*checks notes* -- Chris Douglas-Roberts (21 points) and Drew Gooden (20 points) until the final possession.
Taking an inbound from Matt Bonner with the score knotted at 90 and 9.5 seconds left, Ginobili drove the ball a few steps inside of the 3-point line in an isolation play. With the clock about to hit zero, he hit Luc Mbah a Moute with a huge sidestep jumper that hit nothing but the bottom as time expired.