The Kansas City Chiefs were victorious in Thursday’s season opener by the length of a toenail, and one team that knows that feeling very well is the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.
Kansas City beat the Baltimore Ravens by the final of 27-20 after a potential game-tying touchdown catch by Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely at the end of regulation was ruled just barely out of bounds (with Likely’s toe grazing the out-of-bounds line in the very back of the end zone as he came down with the ball). You can watch the video of the play here.
The Bucks went viral for an absolutely priceless post to their official page on X in reaction to the Chiefs-Ravens ending.
“Game of inches,” they wrote, along with a shoe emoji.
Game of inches.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) September 6, 2024
What made that post from the Bucks so phenomenal? Well, you may recall that they were able to win the NBA title in 2021 thanks in part to a toe.
During Game 7 of their second-round series against the Brooklyn Nets that year, Nets star Kevin Durant hit a turnaround jumper from the top of the arc to tie the game in the final seconds of regulation. But Durant missed out on the shot being a potential game-winner thanks to his toe just barely being on the three-point line (meaning that the shot was a game-tying two instead of a game-winning three). The Bucks went on to win in overtime to take Game 7 and eventually would take home the championship as well.
Likely’s catch on Thursday seemed to be out of bounds by just about the same margin, making that post from the Bucks so very fitting. Maybe the Ravens can expect a sympathy bouquet from Durant after that brutal loss.
