Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label basketball. Show all posts

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Revisiting Jordan’s Last Game as a Chicago Bull

It was the shot that ended the Bulls’ NBA dynasty: with six seconds left, Chicago down by a point, Jordan shoots over Bryon Russell just above the free-throw line, his shooting hand hanging in the air a second longer on the follow-through as though offering the grandest of farewells.

Image source: nba.com
It goes in, the winning point in that last Chicago championship, Michael’s last game in a Bulls uniform. Let’s go back to the final few minutes of that 1998 Chicago-Utah finals game six, and see what Jordan did to make it an extra-memorable goodbye, one that would generate the highest rating for an NBA game in U.S. TV history.

2:55 left: Jordan stops a fastbreak pass
Michael misses a three-point attempt, but manages to intercept a fastbreak pass from Hornacek that could have increased the Jazz lead to four.

2:07 mark: Jordan hits two free throws
With five seconds left on the shot clock, Jordan drives and gets fouled, nailing both shots to cut the lead down to two.

One minute left: Jordan hits two more free throws to tie the game Fouled by Stockton on another drive, Jordan makes another set of free throws and ties the game.

43 seconds left: John Stockton makes a huge three Karl Malone passes to Stockton for a clutch three-pointer that got the Utah crowd roaring. Jazz up by three, 86-83.

37 seconds remaining: Jordan gets two points on a drive After a Bulls time out, Jordan drives hard to the basket and earns quick a two-pointer.

Image source: youtube.com
  
21 seconds left: Jordan steals the ball from Malone Jordan breaks up a Malone post play and steals the ball. Chicago down by one. Michael milks the clock a little, looking for the proper time to launch the shot that made history. “Jordan… open… Chicago with the lead!”

My name is David Berkowitz, and I am a big basketball fan, particularly of the Duke University Blue Devils. And yes, I love Michael Jordan. More info about me here..

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

The Three Greatest NCAA Teams Of All-Time

Image source: espn.com
Throughout the years, NCAA Men’s Division 1 basketball has had countless teams that have dominated tournaments. But among these powerhouses, there were a few that have achieved feats that were unprecedented and unheard of. These were the teams that were so elite, that even today, people still talk about them in reverence and awe. Here are the three greatest NCAA Men’s Division 1 basketball teams of all-time.

The 1996 Kentucky Wildcats

In 1996, the Kentucky Wildcats had what many college basketball experts regard as the deepest roster in NCAA history. There were five NBA first-round draft picks in Antoine Walker, Tony Delk, Ron Mercer, Walter McCarty, and Derek Anderson. There were also four more Wildcats from that team that made it to the NBA. That year, the team set a Wildcats record by winning 27 consecutive games.

The 1992 Duke Blue Devils

Image source: cheatsheet.com
Some basketball experts regard this Blue Devils team to be the greatest NCAA basketball team in history. They had Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, and a host of other all-time NCAA greats. Laettner even hit “The Shot”, which is widely considered to be the greatest moment in college basketball. Duke then went on to massacre Michigan State in the finals to cap off one of the greatest performances by an NCAA team in a single season.

The 1972 UCLA Bruins

There is very little doubt that the 1972 UCLA Bruins were the best basketball team to ever play in an NCAA tournament. They had a perfect 30-0 record, led by NBA legend Bill Walton. They beat everyone by an average margin of 32 points. They of course, won the title that year.

My name is David Berkowitz and I love the Blue Devils. For more on the stuff I love, follow me on Pinterest.