Paul Westphal's Clutch Theatrics in the NBA's Greatest Game (25 Pts, Triple OT - 1976 Finals)

June 4, 1976 - In what is widely considered the greatest game in NBA history, Phoenix Suns guard Paul Westphal kept his team afloat in Game 5 of the 1976 NBA Finals scoring 25 points off a dazzling array of turnaround jumpers, aggressive forays to the rim, and even a spinning 360 leaner in one instance. In addition to his offense, Westphal's daring steal and save late in the second overtime (2:05 in the clip above) briefly gave Phoenix a one-point lead and following John Havlicek's near game-winner a moment later, it was Westphal's quick thinking that set up Gar Heard's shot heard 'round the world. Knowing his team would be unlikely to execute a scoring play 94 feet away from their hoop, Westphal called a time-out his team didn't have, resulting in a technical foul but allowing his team to advance the ball to half-court, thus setting up Heard's triple-overtime-inducing turnaround from the elbow (the no-time-out loophole has since been closed). While the Suns ultimately came up short, Westphal's performance was just the tip of the iceberg of a 12-year NBA career that included five consecutive all-star appearances as a member of the Suns and Seattle SuperSonics. A semi-unorthodox leaper (he preferred jumping off his right foot as a right hander) with one of the sharpest mid-range strokes in the league, Westphal topped out as a 25.2-points-per-game scorer near the end of the pre-3-point era. Following his playing career, Westphal reemerged on the Phoenix basketball scene as head coach of the Suns, most notably guiding a Charles Barkley-led team to 62 wins and an NBA Finals appearance against the Chicago Bulls in 1993. 1976 Finals, Game 5 Box Score: https://www.basketball-reference.com/...