Deron Williams’ Buzzer-Beater Came At The Right Time

The Dallas Mavericks looked like they were about to extend their losing streak to three games before Deron Williams stepped in and saved the day.

The Dallas Mavericks had already fallen to the Sacramento Kings earlier in the season. After a disastrous third quarter, involving only 18 points, the Mavs were beaten by 14 and DeMarcus Cousins exploded for 31 points in the process.

Shades of that night were showing up again on Tuesday night as the Mavs had a short drought on the offensive end of the court, which allowed the Kings to get back into the game. Cousins was also working on another huge stat line as he would eventually finish the game with 35 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, six steals and a block.

After all was said and done, the Mavs and Kings found themselves in the midst of a double-overtime game. The Mavs led 109-108 with 3:30 left. Throughout the next 2:10, the Kings went on a 8-0 run, taking a 116-109 advantage with only 1:20 left in the game.

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Mars’ play-by-play announcer Mark Followill continued to express the fact that the Mavs would need nothing short of a “miracle” to win and they got just that. With some tight defense and a heavy dose of both Dirk Nowitzki and Deron Williams, the Mavs were able to erase a seven-point deficit and win the game on a buzzer-beating three, courtesy of Williams.

This buzzer beater could not have come at a better time for the Mavs. In their past two games against the Miami Heat and New Orleans Pelicans (both losses), they had struggled to shoot the ball effectively and never could make enough plays at the right times. Now, they don’t have that losing streak anymore and they have some momentum working on their side.

This game was a huge win for Williams. Besides the obvious buzzer-beater, it was important for him to get things going again. Williams recently missed four games due to a hamstring issue and was questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Kings.

In the two games in between that, he had a couple of subpar outings with just nine points and 11 points and he hadn’t looked like the Deron Williams we had seen before the injury.

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By being able to get stay on the court and eventually hitting the biggest shot of the game, Williams has more confidence again and he should be able to get back to playing at a surprisingly high level this season with a team that he calls it “a dream come true” to hit a game-winner for.

Another thing to take away from this game is the play we saw from JaVale McGee. He posted 13 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks in just 17 minutes of action and he managed to catch some pretty spectacular lobs throughout the course of the game.

If the Mavs would’ve went on to lose the game, that double-double would not have been as noticed. I would expect him to get some more minutes in the next few games to see if he can follow up a vintage McGee performance.

The Mavs needed a win in a close game. So far this season, they have only won four out of ten games when the final score is decided by five points or less. Out of those four wins, the Celtics are the only team that is currently better than .500.

Though the Kings are 14-21, they are just two games out of the playoff race in the West and the Mavs had to deal with a superstar in Cousins, which is something that not all teams have.

Williams bailed the Mavs out late in the second overtime after what looked to be a sure loss. Though the Mavs still have many things to work on, the buzzer beater was something that the team needed to gain a little more confidence as they head on the road for six of the next seven games.