National Basketball Association

Pictures of Pelicans History: Anthony Davis' Buzzer Beater in Oklahoma City

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Pelican Debrief’s “Pictures of Pelicans History” is a series looking at the best and worst moments in the New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets history.

In the debut of Pictures of Pelicans History, it’s time to look back on an Anthony Davis buzzer beater that helped the New Orleans Pelicans steal a win on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

When talking about the best moments in the history basketball, even for Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans, the first place to look is buzzer beaters. They make up some of the most amazing moments in the sport of basketball.

Davis did have one of the best a year ago against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Time to flashback. It’s February 7th, 2015. The Pelicans are in a duel with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The game is tied. 1.2 seconds left on the clock. The game seems all but sure to go to overtime. Tyreke Evans is ready to inbound the ball.

He can’t get the ball in as he starts looks around. The referee is counting for a five-second violation.

One.

Anthony Davis is in the corner waiting.

Two.

Davis comes up as Eric Gordon sets the screen. Evans still can’t find a place to inbound.

Three.

Davis, seeing no one is open, moves towards half-court to get away from Kevin Durant.

Four.

Right before the refs mental clock expires, Evans throws the ball Davis’ way. Kevin Durant throws himself at the shot. Andre Roberson does the same. AD has to adjust his shot in mid-air to dodge Durant’s hand. He cocks it back and refocuses as he throws up the shot with only 0.3 left on the clock.

As the red buzzer sounds, the ball sails from Davis’ hands and swishes the net. Anthony Davis runs to the other end of the court in celebration. Quincy Pondexter grabs onto him. Tyreke Evans hops on his back in excitement. The officials go to the clock and confirm. The Pelicans win!

What that game meant for the New Orleans Pelicans surpassed the shot itself. New Orleans ended the season ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder by one whole game to reach the playoffs.

Without that miracle at the buzzer, the run to the playoffs probably never happens.

That’s what makes this moment one of the best in New Orleans basketball history. It not only gave fans a heart attack and got them to burst out in excitement, but it gave the Pelicans a season to remember.

This game was the spark plug to the second-half of the season run for the Pelicans in 2015. It started with this shot. Started with this amazing moment in the team’s history.

It’s hard to forget AD’s buzzer beater, especially with it changing how the Pelicans were seen not just by fans, but in the NBA as a whole. The team had their moment and season under the lights and showed the league what they were capable of. This moment was one of the greatest New Orleans basketball moment of 2015, if not the entire past half-decade.