It was the greatest shootout in NBA history…but the players were not on the same court.

The 1977-78 NBA scoring title came down to the final day of the season. Heading into their last games, San Antonio's silky-smooth forward George Gervin was averaging 26.8 points per game. High-flying Denver showman David Thompson was at 26.6. Thompson had the greatest game of his career, shattering Wilt Chamberlain's record for most points in a quarter. When Gervin took the court later in the day, he knew that he had to respond with a masterpiece of his own—or else risk losing the crown.

Peabody-Award winning director Dan Klores (Crazy Love, Black Magic, Winning Time) collaborated with producer Chris Isenberg (Dock Ellis & the LSD No-No) and animator Andy Baker. The film uses interviews with Gervin, Thompson, and others along with Baker's distinctive water-color driven style to recreate action from two legendary games which left no surviving footage.

Dan Klores’ Basketball: A Love Story, a 20-hour documentary series, premieres Tuesday, October 9th on ESPN.