NBA Will Credit Long Buzzer-Beater Misses to Teams, Not Players
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The NBA has approved a scoring change for the 2025-26 season that will assign missed desperation shots at the end of quarters to the team instead of the individual player.
League governors finalized the rule Wednesday, 10 September 2025. Under the new guideline, any attempt launched from at least 36 feet within the final three seconds of the first three quarters—on a play that begins in the backcourt—will be logged as a team field-goal attempt and will not affect a player’s shooting percentages.
The adjustment was tested during July’s Summer League and received support from the competition committee. Officials believe the change will encourage players to take more last-second heaves without worrying about their personal statistics.
SportRadar data show that players converted roughly 4 percent of these long shots last season. Golden State guard Stephen Curry made four such baskets, and Denver center Nikola Jokić hit three.
The policy applies only to unsuccessful attempts; made shots will still be credited to the shooter.
Source: ESPN
