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To those familiar with basketball history, the Golden State Warriors’ last-second desperation in Game 6 on Thursday probably spurred a wave of recognition.

With less than 10 seconds left in the game, the Warriors, trailing by a point, had an opportunity to — once again — improbably extend the finals against the Toronto Raptors. Danny Green, the Raptors guard, had just turned the ball over by throwing it away.

Klay Thompson, who had left in the third quarter with a knee injury, was not an option for a depleted Golden State team playing its final game at Oracle Arena. But still, the Warriors had made just enough baskets and just enough defensive stops to have a chance to win. They also still had Stephen Curry, a two-time most valuable player who has hit dramatic shots his whole career.

The last play, as it seemed to have been drawn up by Warriors Coach Steve Kerr, involved a risky cross-court lob from Andre Iguodala, who was inbounding the ball from the left side, to Draymond Green, who was battling the Raptors’ Pascal Siakam for position on the opposite block. The pass was long, and Green somehow wrangled it on the right side near the 3-point line. As the cross-court pass was in the air, Curry, who had started the play near the inbounder, used a back screen at the top of the 3-point to get free for an open look.