Gary Neal's game-tying basket at the buzzer waved off in loss to Blazers
Gary Neal nearly sent Tuesday night's game against the Trail Blazers in Portland to overtime.
With the Hornets down by two and less than four seconds remaining in regulation, Neal caught an inbounds pass, drove past Damian Lillard and dropped in a layup at the buzzer.
Upon review, officials determined that Neal had not released the ball before time expired, clinching a 102-100 win for Portland.
The Blazers won despite trailing by as many as 23 points and not taking their first lead until late in the fourth quarter.
Lillard led Portland with 29 points and seven assists and LaMarcus Aldridge added 25 points and 14 rebounds. Neal finished with nine points and three assists in 24 minutes.
The win improves the Blazers' record to 5-3 and drops Charlotte to 3-5.
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