THE SHOT CLOCK ticked under one second, and in an attempt that would be considered outrageous for some, and audacious for even him, Luka Doncic stepped back to evade the reach of Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels' 6-foot-11 wingspan and launched a parabola toward the Crypto.com Arena ceiling.
The ball landed softly in the net, beating the shot clock and lifting the Lakers to a one-point lead with 6:30 remaining in the fourth quarter of Game 5 on Wednesday night.
"Lu-ka! Lu-ka!" chants filled the building. Doncic sneered as he backpedaled down court, wielding his patented mix of will and savvy -- even as his body was betraying him after tweaking his back during a first-half collision with Wolves guard Donte DiVincenzo.