I witnessed Christian Laettner’s shot. UConn’s game-winner from Braylon Mullins was better
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- UConn's Braylon Mullins hit a dramatic 35-foot game-winning 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to defeat Duke and send the Huskies to the Final Four, a shot hailed as more magical than Christian Laettner's iconic 1992 buzzer-beater.
- Mullins overcame an early shooting struggle, missing 17 of the Huskies' first 18 three-point attempts, but nailed four of the last five, including the decisive shot after a key defensive play by Silas Demary Jr. helped force a turnover.
- UConn coach Dan Hurley, who had considered resigning after a difficult previous season, credited the team's fire and intensity for the comeback, and celebrated the victory as a vindication of his coaching and the roster he built.
- The win carried historical significance, as it reversed past heartbreaks against Duke dating back to the 1990s, with Mullins, who Duke unsuccessfully tried to recruit, now crushing their Final Four hopes.
- The moment was widely praised by basketball legends and observers as one of the most incredible in college basketball history, symbolizing the emergence of a new clutch performer and the enduring drama of March Madness.
