Nikola Jokic is among the NBA more creative players. He’s never seen a pass or shot he wasn’t willing to at least try, but late in the third quarter in Saturday’s win against the Los Angeles Lakers, he hit a hard and fast roadblock within the NBA rule book.
The league adopted the Trent Tucker rule before the 1990-91 season to account for human error in scoring. From that point on, jump shots at the end of the quarter or the end of the timer were only possible with 0.4 seconds or more left on the clock. If an infraction enters the ball for a shot with 0.3 seconds or less remaining on any clock, only a touch or lob can legally count.
This posed a problem for the Denver Nuggets on Saturday because they were not close enough to the basket to attempt a lob or tip. After an Anthony Davis free throw cut Denver’s lead to 94-78 with 0.3 seconds left in the third quarter, the Nuggets only had time for one full-court point attempt. At first glance, that seems impossible.
But Jokic, ever the innovator, delivered a figurative and literal blow, sliding the incoming pass the entire length of the court and getting much closer to one of the NBA’s most incredible than you ever imagined possible. Take a look at his attempt from about 85 feet away from the basket:
There is a lot to analyze here. Obviously, the basketball IQ right now is remarkable. Who else thinks about the Trent Tucker rule in a full-court situation, especially when it’s not a final moment? Jokic knew the rule and was willing to try something ridiculous just to comply with it. Surprisingly, he managed to get the distance he needed to take the shot, but it was off center. This wasn’t even her only volleyball-style hit of the night. In the second quarter he managed to score.
Points aren’t awarded for spectacular mistakes, but applause certainly can. For any other NBA player, a full-court throw-in with 0.3 seconds left on the clock at the end of the quarter wouldn’t even represent a feasible try scenario. That Jokic even managed to try this is incredible, and who knows, one day he might pull one off and create one of the best buzzer-beaters in league history.
