Ray Allen Won’t Soon Forget Three-Pointer That Saved Miami’s Season


The man was brought in from Boston specifically for moments like last night—with the Miami Heat’s magical season about to go down in flames, Ray Allen rose up for a three-pointer that forced overtime in Game 6, and ultimately pushed the NBA Finals to a seventh and final battle. Allen says that shot ranks among the biggest and most memorable of his Hall of Fame career. Per ESPN: “Ray Allen has made more regular-season and playoff 3-pointers than anyone in NBA history. But when it comes to the biggest shot he’s ever hit in a game, the veteran sharpshooter will have a hard time topping the dagger he delivered Tuesday to bring the Miami Heat back from the brink of elimination and keep their title defense alive. ‘It’s going to be the shot that I’m going to remember for a long time,’ Allen said. ‘There are a lot of shots I’ve made in my career, but this will go high up in the ranks because of the situation. That right there was luck shining on our side.’ It involved a bit more than luck. The corner 3-pointer Allen drilled with 5.2 seconds left in regulation brought the Heat back from a five-point deficit with 20 seconds left, forced overtime and set the tone for Miami’s 103-100 overtime victory against the San Antonio Spurs to force Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Thursday. […] When Chris Bosh snagged the offensive rebound, Allen said his instincts took over and his feet got him in position. ‘When I saw [Bosh] get the ball, I just backpedaled right to the 3-point line, and I was hoping I was where I needed to be. I wasn’t quite sure. But from years of shooting, I got to my spot. We never give up. Just being able to be in that situation, where the ball bounces in our direction …’ […] ‘You can’t put it into words,’ Bosh said of Allen’s heroics. ‘He’s the best 3-point shooter of all time. And the fact that he was open is just unbelievable. He kept our season alive.’ Allen said there was no chance he was going to pass up the shot in that situation — even with (LeBron) James flailing his arms on the wing in an attempt to get Bosh to pass him the ball. Allen said he also saw James waving for the ball. But passing up the moment simply wasn’t an option. ‘If it’s not me taking the shot, I have no problem with Ray taking that shot,’ James said as he laughed off the snub. ‘He’s got ice water in his veins. Ray can be 0-for-99 in a game, and if he gets an open look late, it’s going down.'”