Tag: basketball

Sports Throwback Thursday: 1983 NC State Title Run

NC State is one of the best stories in NCAA basketball history. This team had one of the most improbable runs in NCAA Tournament history. They weren’t the most talented team in the world, but they were the most determined and relentless team that season. The 30 for 30 documentary, Survive and Advance depicts all the moments of that 1982-1983 team. 

NC State head coach Jim Valvano set the tone from Day One when he told the team that his dream is to win the National Championship and cut down the net. The more the players heard it, the more they believed it and bought in. Jim Valvano’s father gave him more confidence about winning the national title. He told his son that he would be there when he won it. 

During the first three years of Valvano’s tenure with NC State, a lot of losing and early tournaments exists. 

NC State had players like Dereck Whittenberg and Sidney Lowe, who were entering their fourth year with NC State, and they wanted to go out as champions. NC State dealt with adversity, especially when Dereck went down with a broken right foot. He was supposed to miss the remainder of the season, but god was on his side, and he could compete. NC State had ten losses during the 1983 season. But coach Valvano told the team they needed to take one game at a time: Survive and Advance. NC State needed to win the ACC Tournament to enter the NCAA Tournament. 

NC State would defeat Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Virginia to win the ACC Tournament. NC State defeats North Carolina was massive because they were a great team during the 1980s led by a well-coached Dean Smith. 

NC State beat good teams in tight games against Pepperdine, Virginia, UNLV, and more. In the national championship game, they went up against Houston, also known as the “Phi Slama Jama.”

NC State knew they were going up against a really good led by two future hall of Famers: Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Fast forward to the game’s last possession; both teams were tied 52-52. Dereck Whittenberg missed it from 35 feet but Lorenzo Charles caught the ball and scored the winning basket at the buzzer. NC State beats Houston, winning 54-52. Houston almost stole the ball twice during that possession. 

Lorenze Charles will forever be remembered for this unforgettable moment in NCAA history. Unfortunately and sadly, Charles died in a bus accident on June 27, 2011. He was 47 years old. Charles’s death fueled Dereck to reach out to his teammates to reunite. The NC State team reunited the following year and reminisced their Cinderella 1983 story. 

Sunday Sports Shorts

Team Venezuela beat Team Dominican Republic for the first time in the World Baseball Classic tournament, 5-1. 

Fourteen years ago today, Syracuse and UConn went to six overtimes in the Big East Tournament Quarterfinals.

Marquette wins the Big East Championship. The Golden Eagles defeat Xavier to capture their first Big East title. Congratulations to Marquette! Well deserved! 

Duke wins the ACC Championship. The Blue Devils defeated Virginia on Saturday night. It’s their first ACC title since 2019. Duke has now won 9 in a row—one of the hottest teams entering the NCAA tournament. 

Howard University defeated Norfolk State Spartans 65-64. The win gives Howard its first NCAA men’s basketball tournament birth since 1992, the last time before this season that the Bison won the MEAC Tournament and regular season title. 

Edmonton Oilers took on the Toronto Maple Leafs in arguably the most anticipated Saturday night game. Connor McDavid scored No. 55. Oilers had a 3-1 lead, but then the Maple Leafs rallied. They scored five unanswered goals, and they never allowed Edmonton to gain confidence. The Maple Leafs won 7-4. Maple Leafs are a tough team to beat when all their key players contribute. 

Sports Throwback Thursday: Mickey Mantle, Wilt Chamberlain

Welcome to Sports Throwback Thursday! We have a good one to discuss today featuring two iconic legends: Mickey Mantle and Wilt Chamberlain. Yesterday, we marked the 54th anniversary since Mickey Mantle announced his retirement. Sixty-one years ago today, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game. A record that he still holds to this day. 

Mickey Mantle is one of the greatest to wear the Pinstripe uniform and one of the greatest baseball players ever. Over his 18-year career with the New York Yankees, he won seven World Series titles and the AL MVP three times. In 1969, he announced his retirement from the game of baseball. 

Wilt Chamberlain is one of the most dominant centers ever to play the game of basketball. Wilt might have passed away over 20 years, but he is still talked about by players and is one of the most revered players ever. It’s been 61 years since he scored 100 points. Kobe Bryant, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, and David Robinson have come the closest to that record, especially the late great Kobe Bryant. We don’t know if we will ever see someone break the record, but anything is possible. Look at Lebron James. He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the NBAs all-time scoring list – a record that no one thought would ever break. Let’s see if the same thing can happen to Wilt’s record in the future. 

FILE – Wilt Chamberlain, of the Philadelphia Warriors, holds a sign reading “100” in the dressing room in Hershey, Pa., March 2, 1962, after he scored 100 points, as the Warriors defeated the New York Knicks. Wednesday marks the 60th anniversary of the greatest scoring effort in NBA history — 36 field goals, 28 free throws, 100 points for Chamberlain, in the Warriors’ 169-147 win in a game played before about 4,000 people in Hershey. It might be the closest thing the NBA has to a single-game record that will never be broken. (AP Photo/Paul Vathis, File)

Sunday Sports Shorts

Duke was in command against Virginia Tech in this ACC matchup. Duke went on multiple runs throughout the second half. It’s an impressive victory for the Blue Devils as they had former alumni and hall of Famer Grant Hill watching them from the stands. The Blue Devils won 81-65. 

Jason Tatum silenced and stunned Philadelphia with a late game-winning three points to lead the Celtics to victory over the Sixers, 110-107. Joel Embiid finished with a game-high 41 points for the Sixers. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 26 points. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets gave a lot of problems to the Edmonton Oilers’ goalies. Edmonton came back to tie the game 4-4 after trailing 4-0, but the Blue Jackets attacked two more goals in the third period to win the game, 6-4. Connor McDavid finished with 4 points (2 goals and two assists). 

Baseball is back. Spring Training is here. The Mets and Yankees lost their games on the road against the Astros and Phillies. Baltimore Orioles beat Minnesota Twins, 10-5. The Toronto Blue Jays played a great game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Vlad Jr, Santiago Espinal, and Addison Barger all homered on Saturday. Pitcher Yusei Kikuchi played a good game with five strikeouts and no earned runs allowed through two innings. Blue Jays won 9-7. 

Sports Throwback Thursday: Aaron Afflalo’s Buzzer Beater

February 10, 2011, the Dallas Mavericks took on the Denver Nuggets. The game was televised on TNT, and Kevin Harlan announced the play-by-play. Former Denver Nuggets guard Aaron Afflalo hit a game-winning jump shot against the eventual champions, Dallas Mavericks. The Nuggets were trailing 120-119 late in the game. Carmelo Anthony was not in the game because he had fouled out.

If it weren’t for that, Melo would’ve taken the last shot in the game. But since he wasn’t in the game, someone else needed to take the shot. That’s where Aaron Afflalo stepped up. He nailed a buzzer-beater against the Mavericks, and the Nuggets won the game 121-120. Kevin Harlan’s commentary was great at that moment, “Aaron Affalo is an assassin!!!” Harlan’s voice is impeccable. 

It was one of the best games of the regular season in 2011. Mavericks guard Jason Terry’s face is priceless. He couldn’t believe Affalo had won the game. Affalo finished the game with 24 points. 

1993 NBA All-Star Game in Utah

Almost 30 years ago, The 1993 NBA All-Star Game occurred at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. 30 years later; the All-Star Game weekend returned to Salt Lake City. The 93 ASG game had many Hall of Famers: John Stockton, Karl Malone, David Robinson, Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, Scottie Pippen, and many more.

The hometown heroes, John Stockton and Karl Malone, one of the greatest duos in NBA history, lead the West to victory 135-132. Stockton and Malone were named Co-MVPs at the All-Star Game. Karl Malone finished with 28 points and ten rebounds. Stockton added 9 points with 15 assists. In the East, Michael Jordan would’ve won the All-Star Game MVP had the East defeated the contest. Jordan led the East with 30 points 

Who will be the 2023 All-Star Game MVP in Salt Lake City? Utah has only one All-Star, Lauri Markkanen, his first All-Star Selection. He would have to steal the show to walk away with the trophy like Stockton, and Malone did thirty years ago. 

Sunday Sports Shorts

The Washington Wizards took on the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. The nets didn’t have Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the building. The Wizards didn’t have Bradley Beal on the court. Wizards gave up a 20-point lead. The Nets fought and rallied in the second half. Both teams exchanged baskets in the 4th quarter, but the Nets came out victorious, 125-123. Cam Thomas led the Nets with 41 points. Kristaps Porzingis finished with 38 points. Kyle Kuzma left the game with an injury. The nets had one of the most impressive comeback victories of the season. 

The Clippers had a 17-point lead entering the fourth quarter on the road against the Knicks. The almighty Knicks rallied back to take the lead in the fourth quarter. They almost stole this game from the Clippers, but Nicolas Batik’s three-pointer tied the game at the end of regulation to force it to overtime. That’s where the Clippers took advantage of the momentum. The Clippers won 134-128. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George combined for 65 points. Norman Powell added 24 points. It’s a crushing loss for the Knicks. 

Michigan State Spartans took on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a fascinating Saturday afternoon game. Rutgers played outstanding against the Spartans, thanks to Paul Mulcahy. Paul led Rutgers to victory, 61-56, after scoring all 17 points in the second half. The Scarlet Knights improve to 16-7. 

Atlantic Division drafts Central Division to win the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Florida. Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist. He was named the MVP of the All-Star Game. 

Nuggets Stay Hot, Concerns for Jamal Murray

The Phoenix Suns are dealing with all sorts of injuries. The suns started off the season hot, but then some problems started escaping within their team, and now they are trying to make some changes or would need to regroup somehow. The suns took on the first-place Denver Nuggets.

The Nuggets were dominant in this game. Terrific ball movement, and everyone contribute offensively. Nikola Jokic had a strong performance by recording 21 points and 18 rebounds. Jamal Murray left the game with a left leg injury. Denver fans are holding onto their breaths and hoping this is not a severe injury. Murray was already out for over a year due to a torn ACL. The nuggets will need him to compete for a championship. He’s very valuable to this team. 

The Nuggets won this game, 126-97. Nuggets improved to 28-13 in the season, while the Suns dropped to 21-22. 

Mitchell Returns to Utah

Donovan Mitchell made his return to Utah. He receives a standing ovation before the game from the Utah fans. Mitchell is a 3-time All-Star. He took the Jazz to the playoffs every season during his tenure there. 

Mitchell, now a Cleveland Cavalier, scored 46 points against his former team. However, Jordan Clarkson, former teammate and former sixth man of the year, who’s now in the starting lineup because of Mitchell, spoiled his performance. Clarkson scored 32 points on 11 of 19 shooting from the field. Lauri Markkanen, former Cavalier and potential All-Star, finished the game with 25 points and 16 rebounds. 

Jazz won the game 116-114. The Jazz outrebounded the Cavs 54 to 37. After the game, Mike Conley and Jordan Clarkson embraced Donovan Mitchell with a group hug. 

Sunday Sports Shorts

Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas had the game of his life. He scored a career-high 33 points off the bench while shooting 13-for-20 from the field and going perfectly from the perimeter. Thomas led the Bets to victory 136-133 over the Indiana Pacers. 

The battles between Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets are always exciting. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic had a monster game, scoring 31 points with 12 boards, 14 assists, and four blocks to help the Nuggets win 115-110. Jazz shooting guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker had a season-high 27 points, hitting five threes in 40 minutes of playing time. 

BYU hands Creighton their fourth straight loss on Saturday. After starting the season 6-0, Creighton seems out of focus and can’t seem to finish games. BYU won the battle in rebounding and points in the paint. Rudi Williams led BYU with 26 points. Forward Arthur Kamala led Creighton with 27 points