Battier's Greatest Play

[Truth&Justise]

The article on the front page discusses Shane Battier's "greatest play" at Duke--and they go with his block & save in the second half of the '01 title game. It's an incredible sequence, particularly because it was on the game's biggest stage, sandwiched between two Mike Dunleavy threes (and here's the link to the correct video, since the front page has a clip from the '01 semifinal against Maryland instead).

But it got me thinking about what other choices there might be. And for whatever reason, the one that will always stick with me, that exemplifies Battier as a player, is this chase-down block of Joe Forte at UNC:



It's the first thing I think of when I think of Shane.

What other plays would you consider among Shane's greatest?

[chrishoke]

His block of the Juan Dixon layup attempt at the end of the Gone in 50 seconds game.

[gumbomoop]

Lots of ‘em. I’ll add his backhanded pinkie-ring finger tip-in at the 3:41 mark of the 2001 Final. Here’s the last 5 minutes of that Final. A minute or so after the live-action play, we get a replay.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZaUoDNVFhQ

[AGDukesky]

These are all good ones but the two I always associate with him are the Forte block and the backhand tip-in. Well and of course the bajillion charges drawn…

[grad_devil]

Lots of ‘em. I’ll add his backhanded pinkie-ring finger tip-in at the 3:41 mark of the 2001 Final. Here’s the last 5 minutes of that Final. A minute or so after the live-action play, we get a replay.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZaUoDNVFhQ

Of course, I had to re-watch this video.

With 47 seconds left, while waiting for some free throws, they talk about how Coach K's 2nd grandchild was just born - his namesake. Michael Giovanni Savarino.

[UrinalCake]

I can't believe there was still 16 minutes left in the game when that sequence happened - in my memory it was crunch time and Dunleavy's three put the nail in the coffin. But I'd have to put that block and save at the top of the list. Other memorable moments include him breaking out for like 25 points in a game against Maryland during his sophomore year when up until that point he had been entirely a defensive specialist, and another time when he mentioned in a postgame interview that he was studying world religions and had achieved his inner chi, leading to some of the Crazies dressing up as Buddhist monks. From his NBA career he hit 7 or 8 threes in game seven of the Finals against the Spurs. Probably my favorite Duke player of all time.

[Billy Dat]

It felt like he made so many plays in the 2001 National Title game. The block/save was relatively early in the second half but the last 5 minutes he made play after play:

-Up 3 with 4:27 left, he corrals a Boozer missed lay-up for a follow-up dunk to put us up 5.
-Up 3 with 3:39 left, Dunleavy takes a foul-line jumper and Battier somehow twists into position and tips in the miss with the back of his hand to put us back up 5
-Up 5, 3:19 to go, solid D on Walton leads to a missed baseline jumper
-Up 3 with 2:30 to go, he makes a nice off ball cut and gets a dish from JWill for a dunk to put us up 5
-Up 5 with 1:39 to go, springs JWill at the top of the key with a screen, JWill 3, Duke up 8
-Up 8 with 1:32 to go, blocks a Gilbert Arenas driving lay-up. Arizona retains possession, takes timeout, sets up a jumper out of the TO and Battier rebounds the miss
-Up 9 with 45 seconds to go, rebounds JWills missed FT to retain possession

Amazing rewatching this how Arizona did not foul to stop the clock as early as they should have.

So, the final 5 minutes, 6 points, 1 block, a couple of boards...WINNER!

[chrishoke]

It felt like he made so many plays in the 2001 National Title game. The block/save was relatively early in the second half but the last 5 minutes he made play after play:

-Up 3 with 4:27 left, he corrals a Boozer missed lay-up for a follow-up dunk to put us up 5.
-Up 3 with 3:39 left, Dunleavy takes a foul-line jumper and Battier somehow twists into position and tips in the miss with the back of his hand to put us back up 5
-Up 5, 3:19 to go, solid D on Walton leads to a missed baseline jumper
-Up 3 with 2:30 to go, he makes a nice off ball cut and gets a dish from JWill for a dunk to put us up 5
-Up 5 with 1:39 to go, springs JWill at the top of the key with a screen, JWill 3, Duke up 8
-Up 8 with 1:32 to go, blocks a Gilbert Arenas driving lay-up. Arizona retains possession, takes timeout, sets up a jumper out of the TO and Battier rebounds the miss
-Up 9 with 45 seconds to go, rebounds JWills missed FT to retain possession

Amazing rewatching this how Arizona did not foul to stop the clock as early as they should have.

So, the final 5 minutes, 6 points, 1 block, a couple of boards...WINNER!

I remember Coach K called those last few Battier plays "an out of body experience."

[UrinalCake]

I remember Coach K called those last few Battier plays "an out of body experience."

He was literally on fire

[MChambers]

It felt like he made so many plays in the 2001 National Title game. The block/save was relatively early in the second half but the last 5 minutes he made play after play:

-Up 3 with 4:27 left, he corrals a Boozer missed lay-up for a follow-up dunk to put us up 5.
-Up 3 with 3:39 left, Dunleavy takes a foul-line jumper and Battier somehow twists into position and tips in the miss with the back of his hand to put us back up 5
-Up 5, 3:19 to go, solid D on Walton leads to a missed baseline jumper
-Up 3 with 2:30 to go, he makes a nice off ball cut and gets a dish from JWill for a dunk to put us up 5
-Up 5 with 1:39 to go, springs JWill at the top of the key with a screen, JWill 3, Duke up 8
-Up 8 with 1:32 to go, blocks a Gilbert Arenas driving lay-up. Arizona retains possession, takes timeout, sets up a jumper out of the TO and Battier rebounds the miss
-Up 9 with 45 seconds to go, rebounds JWills missed FT to retain possession

Amazing rewatching this how Arizona did not foul to stop the clock as early as they should have.

So, the final 5 minutes, 6 points, 1 block, a couple of boards...WINNER!

I also remember Shane diving for a loose ball and tapping it to Nate. I think it was during the stretch you describe.

[chrishoke]

His block of the Juan Dixon layup attempt at the end of the Gone in 50 seconds game.

Here's a link. Go to 3:15 for the beautiful game winning block.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeI82rqx2QU