2003 Pistons vs. Pacers Game 6: The 'Buzzer Beater' by Ben Wallace
Buzzer beaters: shots that win or tie the game as time expires.
A buzzer beater is a successful shot made as the clock expires at the end of a period or game, leaving zero seconds remaining. In basketball, it normally applies to baskets made at the end of a quarter, the second half, or overtime. A buzzer beater only counts if it leaves the player's fingers before the shot clock runs out; if the ball remains in the player's hands, the shot violates the Trent Tucker Rule and does not count. The term is most commonly applied to shots that win or tie the game as the game clock expires.
- Series Result
- Pistons defeated Pacers 4-2
- Key Player
- Ben Wallace (Defensive Anchor)
- Era Context
- 2003 NBA Playoffs, Eastern Conference Semifinals
- Team Identity
- Defense-first, physical playstyle
- Outcome Reality
- No buzzer-beater by Ben Wallace occurred in Game 6
Lore & Background
Officials in the NCAA, NBA, WNBA, Serie A (Italy), and the EuroLeague Final Four series (effective 2006) are required to use instant replay to verify whether a shot made at the end of a period was released before the game clock expired. Since 2002, the NBA has also mandated the use of LED light strips along the edges of the backboard and the edge of the scorer's table to identify the end of a period.
In Their Own Story
The air inside The Palace of Auburn Hills was thick with tension, smelling of sweat and polished hardwood. Ben Wallace stood under the rim, his eyes locked not on the clock, but on the trajectory of the ball as Reggie Miller drove toward the basket. There was no time for a final heave from deep; instead, Wallace leaped, his arms like steel bars, swatting the shot away into the stands. The roar that followed wasn't for a miraculous three-pointer, but for the sheer force of a defense that refused to yield.
Reader's Guide
Notable examples include: NCAA – Lorenzo Charles's dunk in the 1983 championship; James Forrest's three-pointer in the 1992 tournament; Christian Laettner's shot in the 1992 East Regional Final; P. J. Tucker's buzzer beater on January 5, 2004; Jordan Snipes's full-court shot on January 31, 2005; Jermaine Wallace's three-pointer in the 2006 tournament; Cliff Tucker's three-pointer in a 2010 game; Tyler Griffey's layup on February 7, 2013; Paul Jesperson's half-court shot on March 18, 2016; Bronson Koenig's three-pointer on March 20, 2016; Kris Jenkins's three-pointer on April 4, 2016; Chris Chiozza's three-pointer on March 24, 2017; Jalen Suggs's three-pointer on April 3, 2021; Lamont Butler's jumper on April 1, 2023. NBA regular season – Larry Johnson (January 14, 1992); Voshon Lenard (March 15, 1998); Gilbert Arenas (January 3, 2007 and January 15, 2007); Troy Murphy (December 2, 2008); LeBron James (January 23, 2009); Kobe Bryant (December 4, 2009); Sundiata Gaines (January 14, 2010); Josh Smith (March 25, 2010); Mike Dunleavy (December 21, 2010); Tyreke Evans (December 29, 2010); Kevin Durant (December 29, 2011); Jeff Green (November 9, 2013); Joe Johnson (November 15, 2013); Tobias Harris (February 7, 2014); Dirk Nowitzki (February 24, 2014); Courtney Lee (November 14, 2014).
Did You Know?
- A buzzer beater only counts if the ball leaves the player's fingers before the shot clock expires.
- The NBA has used LED light strips along the edges of the backboard and scorer's table since 2002 to signal the end of a period.
- The term 'buzzer beater' comes from the buzzer that sounds when a game clock expires.
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