Watch: Wizards' Poole hits step-back three to win game vs. Hornets

Washington Wizards guard Jordan Poole. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Watch: Wizards' Jordan Poole hits step-back three to win game vs. Hornets

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Dec 26, 2024 10:30 PM ET

Jordan Poole has always been confident, and he needed every bit of confidence on Thursday night with his Washington Wizards down a point to the Charlotte Hornets with seconds left.

Poole got the ball out of the in-bounds and started driving like he was going to make a run at the basket. That move naturally got his defender on skates going backward to try to protect the paint against the drive, so Poole hit the breaks, crossed over and then hit a filthy step-back three to win the Wizards the game.

It looked like this:

JORDAN POOLE HITS THE STEP-BACK THREE TO BEAT THE HORNETS

The confidence from Jordan Poole pic.twitter.com/7hwIf3u0Ut
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 27, 2024

Poole hit the deck as he was falling backward, but that shot was true right from the start. The Hornets were lucky that there wasn't a foul on Josh Green and a four-point play.

That shot put the Wizards up 112-110, and it was effectively the game-winner as Brandon Miller missed a three-pointer on the other end.

Poole finished the game with 25 points on 7-of-19 shooting (5-of-15 from three), but he made the big shot when it counted. Washington's record improved to 5-23 thanks to Poole's heroics.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

More must-reads: