Marcus Morris hits a game-winning shot over his twin brother, Markieff Morris
Chalk up another first for the NBA, some 70 years into the league’s existence. A twin brother out here just hitting a game-winning shot over his other, NBA-playing, twin brother.
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Detroit Pistons forward Marcus Morris nailed a tip-in over his twin brother Markieff at the buzzer, giving the Pistons a 113-112 victory over the Washington Wizards. Watch:
Following the win, Marcus copped to a bit of driveway shenanigans in playing against his brother in the final seconds of what usually is a referee-less NBA close contest. From Vince Ellis at the Detroit Free Press:
“I grabbed him,” Morris said with a grin afterward. “I grabbed him and put my hand on his shoulder. … I knew that was him. You can’t make that call at the end of the game. That’s what it is.”
I mean:
I'm guessing that was the 1st ever NBA game-winning, buzzer-beating shot made by a guy over the extended hand of his own brother.
— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) January 22, 2017
“Twin” brother, Mr. Schuhmann.
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The 27-year old Marcus finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds, uncharacteristically taking the Pistons lead in scoring in contributing his second-highest scoring total of the season thus far alongside just his third double-double of the season so far.
Brother Markieff (also, um, 27 years of age) added 19 points and nine rebounds of his own in the loss, with both players (Marcus: 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds a night; Markieff: 13.5 points, 6.4) outpacing their usual totals after entering the contest averaging the same amount of points per game.
That’s right, the game-winning basket that one twin hit over another twin helped push one twin’s scoring average to 13.75, leaving brother Markieff’s scoring average to wallow in the 13.69-range.
That is to say, Marcus had himself a night.
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The novelty works as one more anecdote for the Palace of Auburn Hills, which is set to say “goodbye” to the Pistons this fall as the team moves on to a new arena in downtown Detroit. Two twin brothers, working the paint as they have for years, this time topping each other in a game that counts:
It is safe to assume that this NBA oddity likely won’t be replicated any time soon. It’s a one-in-kajillion shot that two twins are playing in the NBA as it is, so for one to hit a game-winner over another? These things just don’t happen.
Of course, the Pistons play the Wizards again on April 10 …
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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!