‘Like Kobe and D-Wade’- Jalen Suggs Talks Historic OT Game Winner To Keep Gonzaga Bulldogs Undefeated

Published 04/04/2021, 1:08 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

Jalen Suggs just put a dagger through the hearts of the UCLA Bruins and has started the process of reversing the years of bad fortune for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Bulldogs aren’t a basketball powerhouse by names like Duke or Kentucky, but they have become one of the most consistent D1 schools.

This season is the culmination of years of success, as Gonzaga are one win away from being undefeated NCAA Champions. However, the Bulldogs just won their Final Four game against the UCLA Bruins courtesy of Jalen Suggs and one of the greatest shots in NCAA history.

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Suggs spoke to the media after the win and opened up on how that shot helped him complete a dream of his – running up the scorer’s table after a buzzer-beating game-winner like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade.

“Oh my God. I don’t know what to say. I saw Jonny get the miss and put it back in. Corey took it out right away. ‘Corey, Corey, give it to me’. I took as many dribbles as I can, try to get as close as I can. He was actually right under me, but I put it up. I was fading away with it and dude, it went off the backboard and in. I’ve always wanted to run up the table like Kobe and D-Wade. That’s the first thing I did.”

Jalen Suggs: Greatest shot in March Madness history?

USA Today via Reuters

While there are a lot of fantastic shots in the history of the NCAA, this one has to be up there. Kris Jenkins sealed a title when he hit the shot against the UNC Tar Heels in 2017 for the Villanova Wildcats. Michael Jordan had one of the greatest shots as a freshman in 1982.

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Who can even forget about ‘The Shot‘ that Christian Laettner hit in the East Regional Finals for the Duke Blue Devils against the Kentucky Wildcats? The legacy of important game-winners in the tournament is rich.

But this was different. Suggs not only just hit an audacious near half-court three-pointer, but he eliminated a rival team in the UCLA Bruins.

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He helped the Bulldogs save an undefeated season, and now we get the matchup everyone has been waiting for. Baylor Bears vs Gonzaga Bulldogs for the National Championship. All because Jalen Suggs hit that shot.

 

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Written by:

Ishaan Bhattacharya

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is an NBA, NCAA Basketball, and Combat Sports writer at EssentiallySports. Currently, Ishaan is pursuing a Post Graduate Degree in Journalism from Xavier's Institute of Communication. Previously, Ishaan has written for The Indian Express, The Quint, Sportskeeda, and WrestleClub.
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