5/10/1974 - Kareem sky-hook beats Celtics
Today in Sports History: May 10th
One of the best games in the 1970’s ends on a signature move from one the league’s best players. In Game 6 of the 1974 NBA Finals, John Havlicek hit an impossible shot over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with only seven seconds remaining in double overtime. The Boston Celtics held a precarious 101-100 lead over the Milwaukee Bucks, and Havlicek -- who had also sent the game to the first and second overtimes on shots -- was poised to be the hero.
But Adbul-Jabbar was not dismayed. On the Bucks’ next possession, the 7’2” center received the ball from the top of the key, dribbled to the baseline and put up a running, 17-foot sky-hook. The game-winning shot was nothing but net and tied the series at three games apiece.
“It was supposed to be (Jon McGlocklin’s) shot, but everybody else was covered, so I took it,” Kareem said.
“It’s a tough shot for him to take,” Havlicek said. “But what can you say? He’s been shooting and hitting on the sky-hook the entire series.
In Game 7, a resilient Celtics team responded in a big way by winning the decisive game handily, 102-87. Milwaukee could take solace that they at least won a championship in 1971, becoming the fastest expansion team to ever win a title. Just a few years later, the Bucks traded Abdul-Jabbar to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won five additional NBA titles -- in contrast, Milwaukee wouldn't win another title for the rest of the century.
5/10/1987 - The unstoppable Sleepy Floyd
Not to be outdone by an Isiah Thomas game-winner and a double overtime Celtics-Bucks game, both of which had occurred earlier in the day, Eric “Sleepy” Floyd put on one of the most tremendous performances in playoff history. Down 14 coming into the 4th period, Floyd scored 29 points in twelve minutes to propel his Warriors to a victory over the championship-bound Los Angeles Lakers. He made 12 consecutive shots and wound up with 51 total points.
Floyd’s performance gave him the playoff record for field goals in a half, points in a half, field goals in a quarter, points in a quarter, and consecutive field goals. The feat has since gone largely unnoticed since the Warriors lost the series and Floyd wasn’t as epic a star as LeBron James, Reggie Miller, or Michael Jordan. It would be another 20 years before the Warriors won a semi-finals game.
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