The NBA is the premier competition in basketball and remains one of the big four sports in America. While other basketball leagues globally might offer great action on-court, none can match what the NBA provides to supporters. This is no surprise when you think it is the home of pro ball and where the sport traces its roots back to. 

Of course, this league is also popular for other reasons. As well as delivering superstar names playing for top franchises in awesome games, the NBA is also great fun to bet on. This has helped it attract more fans over time, who have gotten into it after betting on it or have found watching games to be even more enjoyable when you wager on them. Just remember to find the best betting odds comparison sites before you put any money down. Doing this will help you to find the best value odds to take advantage of before betting on NBA games

As with other sports, fans love to follow the NBA for the controversy and drama it often provides. Very often, this can occur on-court with last second wins and buzzer-beating scores. But what have been some of the closest NBA calls ever to date? 

Last gasp win for Celtics in 1962 Finals

If we are talking about the closest calls in NBA history, surely the 1962 Finals has to be mentioned. This best of seven series was fought between the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics. Although checking out the Laker’s schedule for 2021-22 might be more tempting for Lakers fans than remembering this crushing last gasp defeat! 

Both teams had some really good players to call on in this series – with Elgin Baylor for LA and Bill Russell for Boston standing out. The series was neck and neck as a result and tied going into Game 7. It was impossible to separate the teams in regulation time of this final match and the game went into overtime. This proved to be a tense period for both teams but one which led to the Celtics nudging ahead to a 110-107 lead to take home the title. 

LA Lakers pinch Game 6 in 1988 Finals

The 1988 Finals series was between the Lakers and Pistons. In Game 6 of the 7-game series, the Pistons were up 3-2 and held a slim 102-101 lead going into the final few seconds of the match. The iconic Kareem Abdul-Jabbar then fired in a shot which hit the rim, but the ref also called a foul on him. 

Many fans think this ‘phantom foul’ was highly questionable and called to let Abdul-Jabbar off the hook for missing. In addition, some argue that Abdul-Jabbar was traveling before shooting and should have had a foul called against him. The controversy really blew up when Abdul-Jabbar hit both of his free throws to help the Lakers win the game right at the end and go on to win the Finals eventually. 

This close call of course not only relates to the late show LA put on to win the game but also the hotly contested nature of the referee’s decision. When you think of the most controversial calls made by NBA officials, this one from the 1988 Finals series certainly deserves a mention. 

DeMar DeRozan beats the buzzer – twice in as many days! 

To say that DeMar DeRozan has been one of the big success stories so far in the current NBA season is an understatement. He has been on fire for Chicago in most games and nothing shows this more than the two buzzer-beating scores he made in late December 2021/early January 2022. The first last gasp score was on  December 31st, 2021, when the Bulls played the Pacers. 

With Chicago behind 106-105 and the game almost done, he netted to give his team an unlikely victory. Not content with this, he also claimed another buzzer-beating win against the Washington Wizards just days later. Needing a score to edge past their rivals, DeRozan delivered again to hand them a last-second triumph. 

NBA has seen some close calls over time 

As the above shows, the NBA has had some pretty close calls in its history and some famous examples of games going to the wire. Of course, this is excellent for fans because it adds even more drama and excitement to the sport. It is not always quite so good if your team is on the receiving end! If the team you support is the one to benefit from these close calls and last gasp wins though, it feels amazing.