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Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Laettner's buzzer-beater ended '92 classic


ESPN Classic will present "Battle Lines," a series of one-hour journeys, hosted by Rich Eisen, that chronicle the greatest sports events in history. Each episode will focus on the plays, the personalities and the perspectives that have made these events so momentous. The lineup will feature a series of original documentaries for 2001,
Christian Laettner's last-second jumper gave Duke a 104-103 OT win over Kentucky in the 1992 East Regional Final.
including Duke's last-second win over Kentucky in the 1992 East Regional Final.

1992 East Regional Final
Duke vs. Kentucky
Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET

Hosted by Rich Eisen, the documentary looks back at one of the NCAA Tournament's greatest games. As time expires, Grant Hill's full court pass and Christian Laettner's turn around jumper from above the foul line give Duke a thrilling 104-103 overtime victory, sending the Blue Devils to the Final Four.

Classic moment
March 28, 1992: Duke's Christian Laettner shows he's not perfect when, with eight minutes left in the second half of the East Regional final, he stomps on the chest of a fallen Kentucky player, drawing a technical. But when it comes to shooting in the game, Laettner is perfect.

The shot that will be remembered as long as the game is replayed is Laettner's last one, the one that just beats the overtime buzzer in Philadelphia. Kentucky had just taken a one-point lead on Sean Woods' bank shot with two seconds left.

After a timeout, Duke's Grant Hill is left unguarded (Kentucky coach Rick Pitino's decision) and he flings the inbounds pass some 80 feet to a leaping Laettner, who's near the foul line with his back to the basket. The 6-foot-11 senior takes one dribble, fakes right, turns to his left and hits a 17-foot jumper to give Duke a 104-103 victory and its fifth consecutive trip to the Final Four.

Laettner, who makes two field goals and four foul shots in the final two minutes, finishes with 31 points on 10-for-10 shooting from both the field (including one 3-pointer) and the foul line.





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