Screencap: YouTube
It’s impossible to get through March without at least once hearing the word ‘madness’ somehow attached to it. The hoops-crazed month fits the bill this year with a Loyola-Chicago team — some fans didn’t know existed — reaching the Elite Eight, and UMBC (that’s University of Maryland Baltimore County) knocking off No. 1 seeded Virginia in the first round.
That’s history, folks.
But the madness this year has even spread as far as Brazil.
Ever heard of Paulinho Boracini? He belongs in the ‘March Madness‘ Hall-of-Fame.
Just watch him knock down one of the most incredible buzzer beaters I’ve ever seen.
That’s Boracini at the free throw line, his Basquete Cearense pro team down by three points with just seconds to play.
The opposing team intentionally fouled him, using the strategic line of thinking that the worst case scenario would be giving up two free throws in order to get the ball back, thus sealing the win. Boracini had something else in mind.
Step 1: Making the first free throw to make it a two point game.
Step 2: Missing the second free throw on purpose, effectively ricocheting the ball off the rim and into the corner.
Step 3: Racing over to grab the rebound behind the three-point line.
Step 4: Knocking down the three-point shot at the buzzer to win the game by one point.
… All in a matter of seconds.
SE NÃO FOR PRA VOLTAR DE FORMA INSANA, a gente nem voltaria…..
@BasqCearenseIsso amigão, #ISSOÉNBB !!!
#NBB pic.twitter.com/G7Yibo4niH— NBB CAIXA (@NBB) March 22, 2018
Que bola mágica do iluminado Paulinho Boracini!#SouCarcará #NBB pic.twitter.com/tmb7vunWuu
— Basquete Cearense (@BasqCearense) March 22, 2018
Of course the drama, and the instant legendary status of the shot, is only enhanced by the fact that he gets tripped up and falls to the floor after the shot.
More craziness: Icelandic Basketball Announcer’s Buzzer-Beater Call Is Pure Insanity
Paulinho Boracini, ladies and gents.
I’m ordering a jersey right now.
QUE LANCE FOI ESSE?!?!
SIMPLESMENTE ÉPICO!#NBB #mito #SempreNovo #SempreBasquete #SempreNBB #NBB10 pic.twitter.com/O3velz8UwX— NBB CAIXA (@NBB) March 22, 2018
Josh Helmuth is a sports reporter in St. Louis who contributes for Mandatory. Follow him here!
