Michigan's second-half comeback appeared like it would come up just one point short.
With 3.6 seconds to play in Thursday night's game against Rutgers at Crisler Center, the Wolverines trailed, 82-81, with 3.6 seconds to go. Michigan head coach Dusty May had just called a timeout, and the Wolverines walked onto the court with one opportunity to save their hopes of winning the conference.
However, the play that May drew up in the huddle for Danny Wolf to drive and make a play, was botched. Instead, Wolf was cut off, and he was forced to kick it out to Burnett, who was approximately 37 feet away from the basket.
"The play was completely botched," Burnett revealed after the game. "That was not the play."
But with time dwindling, Burnett didn't have time to improvise. He only had one option, and that was to shoot the deep 3-pointer, which went through the basket, touching nothing but the nylon, with no time left on the clock.
Michigan players chased Burnett around the court in celebration, similar to how the 2017-18 Wolverines ran down Jordan Poole after his buzzer-beater in the 2018 Round of 32 victory over Houston. Fittingly, Burnett's game-winner capped off Michigan's annual Pool(e) Party theme night.
"I told Danny [Wolf] before, I was like, 'If you see me, and I'm open, pass it to me, and I'll make it.' And God came through," Burnett said after the game.
"It feels great, of course, getting the win," Burnett said. "Me and Vlad [Goldin] were just talking about how we have to do a better job of dictating the pace, dictating how we play against any team we play against, but it still feels good to get the W."
Michigan trailed for 26:25 of the 40-minute game, but the Wolverines refused to give up, winning their ninth consecutive game by four points or fewer.
Not only did Burnett's 3-pointer give Michigan fans a memory of a lifetime, but it also keeps the Wolverines right in the thick of the Big Ten title hunt. The victory effectively knocks Wisconsin out of Big Ten title contention, making it a two-team race for the conference crown.
Michigan and Michigan State are yet again tied atop the league standings at 14-3. Ironically, both teams won their most recent games on last-second 3-point buzzer-beaters.
With just three games left on each team's regular-season schedule, Michigan State holds the head-to-head advantage over the Wolverines, but the rivals will meet at Breslin Center on Sunday, March 9 at Noon, where the winner will likely decide which team wins the conference.
"[The Big Ten title hopes are] definitely alive," Burnett said after the game. "We just plan to go into every game and controlling our own destiny. We are able to do great things for the rest of the season. And it's just game after game. So the next game, we're just locked into winning that. I think we're going to be even better."
Despite the euphoria of winning a close game in dramatic fashion, Burnett can't help but think about how the Wolverines can play much better than they have been as of late.
"Even though that shot went in — I was happy it went in — it made me think about the point that it got to. And we felt like the game was too close, especially at home."
Michigan will have two more games at home against Illinois (Sunday) and Maryland (Wednesday) before heading to the state's capital for the rivalry showdown next Sunday.
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