Talk about an unlucky miss for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill.
Merrill almost made the winning shot at the end of regulation of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. We reiterate almost.
Sam Merrill’s shocking miss may be the defining play of Game 1
With the Knicks and Cavaliers tied 101-101 and 2.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Cavaliers guard James Harden threw a behind-the-back pass to Merrill behind the three-point line. He then fired the 27-footer. The open shot looked clean as the ball left his hand, but it didn’t fall.
Merrill’s shot rattled in and out of the rim, forcing overtime. It’s even more surprising considering he’s a quality three-point shooter. Entering Tuesday night, the guard was shooting 40.4 percent from three in the playoffs after shooting 42.1 percent from three during the regular season.