Weekend Wake Up: Johnson Beats Buzzer, Refs Foul Aggies, Jennings’ Coup, LeBron’s Mark

Johnson > Jordan. Michael Jordan’s team losing on a buzzer-beater is rare, but Joe Johnson made it a little bit less so on Friday night. His jumper -- just his seventh make on 21 shots -- lifted the Hawks to a 93-92 overtime win over Jordan’s Bobcats.

Cinderella’s Big Feet. New Mexico State began Friday with an 11-0 record in games decided by six points or fewer. The Aggies ended it with a loss and a legitimate gripe about the way it transpired. First, a lane violation was called on a missed Michigan State free throw, which allowed Raymar Morgan to convert two foul shots and give the Spartans a three-point edge; then, after a potential game-tying three, the Aggies were left with .3 seconds instead of their rightful .7 or more. The Dagger has video, and NMSU has a beef, but given that this was possibly the most exciting moment of Friday’s NCAA Tournament action, the tremendous Thursday did not get a sequel.

Jennings Tops Kings, ROY. The NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award is still Tyreke Evans’ to lose. But on a night that Evans got hurt, one-time front-runner Brandon Jennings stole a little bit of the Kings’ crown prince’s shine. His 35 points powered the Bucks to a 114-109 double overtime triumph in Sacramento. Evans reportedly suffered a concussion and a broken jaw.

Reminder: LeBron is Good. LeBron James is so good, even his milestones seem ho-hum. Friday night, in an otherwise unremarkable win over the Bulls, James became the youngest player in NBA history to record 15,000 points. Better still? He beat Kobe Bryant’s old record by more than two years, and 127 games. But, at this point, don’t we expect the absurd from LeBron?

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