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Talk about an unlucky miss for Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> guard Sam Merrill.\u00a0<\/p>\n Merrill almost made the winning shot at the end of regulation of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks<\/a> on Tuesday night. We reiterate almost.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nSam Merrill’s shocking miss may be the defining play of Game 1<\/h2>\n