Alba Berlin tops the Spurs on Jamel McLean’s crazy buzzer-beater (Video)
Some preseason games exist more as promotional opportunities than real basketball contests. For instance, when the NBA sends various teams overseas, they’re doing so to reach out to foreign fans, not because a trip abroad is the only thing that can help the Cleveland Cavaliers reach their championship goals. The basketball is usually secondary.
What luck, then, that a heck of a game broke out between the San Antonio Spurs and Alba Berlin on Wednesday. With 5.1 seconds on the clock and the Spurs up 93-92, Berlin stole Tim Duncan’s inbounds pass and ran up the court to get a last-ditch attempt at the win. Forward Jamel McLean, perhaps familiar to American fans from his time at Xavier, finished the fast break with a running bank shot from just inside the three-point line:
This was the last of 24 turnovers by the Spurs, who probably need a bit of fine-tuning before they’re ready to defend last June’s NBA title. McLean’s winner was the topper to a few uncharacteristic mistakes by San Antonio — Tony Parker missed two free throws with 14.1 seconds remaining to allow Alba Berlin a chance at the win, and the Spurs held a 16-point lead early before the hosts fought back.
Recording artist Lady Gaga, in attendance for some reason, seemed to have a good time:
The Spurs play one more game overseas against Fenerbahce in Istanbul, Turkey on Saturday. We will see if they give fans their money’s worth once again.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
