The ball was in Damian Lillard’s hands with 20.6 seconds left and the game tied. The ending appeared inevitable.
The Phoenix Suns had done so much right in their game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. They played tough, physical defense. They got contributions from several players, including a long-awaited solid game from Marquese Chriss.
They played so well, in fact, that with 7:26 left in the fourth quarter, they held a 93-78 lead. For the first time in February, it seemed, they might be able to celebrate a win.
But the Suns' offense went cold – Phoenix made just three field goals after taking its 15-point lead – and Lillard got hot, scoring 19 of his game-high 40 points in the fourth quarter.