[Vocabulary] What does “won” mean in “the shot that won”?

[Mori]

Ralph and Gary are talking about the basketball game they saw on TV last night:

Ralph: Did you watch the game last night?


Gary: I sure did. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!


Ralph: I think it was one of the best games I’ve ever seen.


Gary: Me, too. I thought both teams played super ball.


Ralph: Too bad one had to lose.


Gary: Yeah, they were evenly matched. It could have gone either way!


Ralph: The shot that won in the last fifteen seconds was really something.


Gary: I agree with you there.

Source: ILI English Series, Intermediate 2, Student's book, Page 81

P.S. Also asked here.

 

[Tarheel]

It was the shot that made the difference between winning and losing. Or the the game might have been tied at that point and that shot put one of the teams ahead to stay.

 

[Tarheel]

Don't they have sports in Iran?

 

[Mori]

It was the shot that made the difference between winning and losing. Or the the game might have been tied at that point and that shot put one of the teams ahead to stay.

Thanks for the answer and your good sense of humor!
Actually I have no difficulty understanding the meaning of the whole sentence. What I don't get is the meaning of win, which doesn't seem to match any of the senses here - people win, not things. That's why it seems awkward to me.

 

[Tarheel]

When they say "That shot won the game" what is meant is that shot won the game for that team. In the example given the shot the player made won the game for his team.

Dan: Did you watch the game last night?
Matt: Yes! What an ending!
Dan: The Blues were behind by two points when Marcus made that three that won the game.
Matt: A buzzer beater!
Dan: Wow!
Matt: The Blues beat the Reds 80-79.
Dan: What a game!

 

[Tarheel]

That term is only going to be used for late in the game in close games.