Jazz-Cavaliers: D-League Callup Gaines' Buzzer-Beating Three Shocks Cleveland

Sundiata Gaines (far right) gets ready to launch the biggest shot of his young career.

With nowhere to go and the game-clock winding down, Utah Jazz guard Ronnie Price waited beyond the three-point line and shoveled a pass to rookie guard Sundiata Gaines , who had created some space between himself and the defender. Gaines collected the ball and immediately fired.

As it rainbowed through the air, he fell to the ground, and as it swished through the basket, he pumped his fist in euphoria. His teammates, including Memhet Okur, who had his arms thrust in the air as the shot was launched, rushed towards him and congratulated the rookie as the crowd cheered on their newest member of the team.

After being mobbed, Gaines jumped onto the scorer’s table with streamers falling from the rafters, and raised his arms just as Okur had, letting the biggest moment of his basketball life sink in.

Not two weeks ago, Gaines wasn’t in the NBA. He was playing for the Idaho Stampede , a Developmental League team, where he averaged numbers worthy of a callup to the big show. In 14 games, including 8 starts, he averaged 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists, astounding numbers that had the Jazz calling.

A call-up by Utah on Jan. 5 wouldn’t have been necessary if the team, for financial reasons, wasn’t forced to trade second-year guard Eric Maynor to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a widely criticized but understandable move.

This meant the Jazz would need a guard, and given their struggles to score at times this season, a guard of Gaines caliber who could do a little bit of everything. Though he’s unselfish and does the intangibles extremely well, he’s a scorer first, and a darn good shooter at that.

What events led up to the first three-pointer in the five-game career of Gaines? Mr. Do-Everything for the Cavaliers picked up his horrid supporting cast, scoring 20 points in the fourth quarter, the final two coming on free-throws that stretched Cleveland’s lead to six, 91-85, with 32 seconds left.

In need of a three-pointer, Price hit one on the Jazz’s ensuing possession, taking only three seconds off the clock to do it. Utah immediately fouled, though they could have played good defense, hope the Cavaliers miss, grab the rebound, and still have a chance to tie. It turned out fouling was the recipe for success, just not in this instance. Anthony Parker made both free-throws, giving the Cavaliers a five-point lead.

Price drove to the basket, looking for the quick two, and was fouled by guard Mo Williams. He made both free-throws after the Cavaliers guard did the one thing that you don’t want to do, stopping the clock and giving the Jazz two easy points.

Utah fouled immediately once more, and this time Parker only managed to split the free-throws. Still, his lone turned a one-possession game into a two-possession game, giving the Jazz the tall task of playing the clock and doing so perfectly. Seven seconds ran off the timer before Paul Milsap was fouled by Delonte West. He made both free-throws, putting pressure on the Cavaliers to make their free-throws.

Once again, Parker missed the first and made the second, giving the Jazz every opportunity to pull off the shocker. Price’s layup was blocked at the rim by Anderson Varejao, and if Cleveland corralled the rebound, the game would be all but over.

But Utah came up with the loose ball. Millsap passed to Kyle Korver, an excellent if a bit streaky long-range shooter. Korver was in a limbo, hounded 15 feet out on the left baseline. He went towards the end line, fending off defenders along the way and hoisted a wild, only-made-in-practice shot that went over the corner of the backboard and swished through .

Luck and timely misses by the opposition are needed to make a comeback of this magnitude complete. Out of a timeout called by Cleveland, big center Zydrunas Ilgauskas was fouled. Even if the 76 percent free-throw shooter made both, the Jazz would have a chance to tie. Like Parker before him, he clanged the first and made the second.

What was a five-point advantage with half a minute left turned into a two-point lead with five seconds still on the clock, plenty of time for the Jazz, and just enough time for Gaines to hoist the game-winner.

Reliving the shot, TNT announcer Reggie Miller yelled, “[Vice President of Basketball Operations] Kevin O’ Connor, [Head coach] Jerry Sloan, sign this guy for the rest of the season.” With just a ten-day contract in hand, that in-rhythm three most likely earned him a ticket to remain in Utah indefinitely, as a jubilant Miller said.

Now, sitting on cloud-nine, he can build upon this miracle that left James and his Cavs dejected, and become yet another D-leaguer to succeed in the NBA. O’Connor and Sloan should give him that chance.