The Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers played a four-overtime classic on Friday. Brings to mind some of the classic contests that went beyond … and beyond.
Colts-Giants 1958 championship
Yankee Stadium was the venue and the Giants and Colts played to a 17-17 tie in the 1958 NFL Championship. After the Giants went three-and-out, the Colts drove 80 yards in 13 plays. The drive concluded when Alan Ameche scored on a one-yard run after 8:15 of overtime to give the Colts the NFL Championship.
Dolphins ruin Ed Podolak’s effort
The player best remembered from the Miami Dolphins-Kansas City Chiefs divisional round game was on the losing side. After 82:40, the Dolphins came away with a 27-24 victory. KC RB Ed Podolak piled up 350 yards of total offense in the loss. “Finally, I think in the sixth quarter, I looked at (Dolphins linebacker) Nick Buoniconti after we’d run into each other for about the 30th time that day, and I said, ‘Do you think this thing will ever be over?’” the 68-year-old Podolak said years ago. “At that point, it was almost like sleepwalking.” Podolak carried the ball 17 times for 85 yards and caught eight passes for a career-high 110 yards, with a touchdown both through the air and on the ground. He also returned three kickoffs for 153 yards, including a 78-yarder.
Patriots stun Falcons in Super Bowl LI
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The Atlanta Falcons would love to forget Super Bowl LI. They surged to a 28-3 lead before the Patriots launched an historic comeback. They tied the game at 28 to force overtime and James White scored the TD that gave Tom Brady, Bill Belichick & Co. another ring.
Celtics-Suns triple overtime
The Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns put on a classic in what is known to many as “Greatest Game Ever Played” … in the NBA. The Suns trailed by double digits after one quarter but managed to close to within five with a minute left. Former Celtic Paul Westphal led a dramatic charge that forced overtime. John Havlicek gave Boston a one-point lead in the second overtime, which was pushed to two points following a free throw after a technical foul. With two seconds left, Phoenix inbounded the ball to Garfield Heard, who hit a game tying basket to extend the game. It wasn’t enough as Boston went on to win Game 5 in the third overtime and the championship in the next contest.
Keith Primeau pops Penguins
The game was played 19 years ago to the date on Saturday. Keith ended the third-longest game in NHL history with his first career playoff goal at 12:01 of the fifth overtime. The goal tied the conference semifinal at 2-2 and the Flyers went on to take the series in six.
Pat LaFontaine
Islanders goaltender Kelly Hrudey made an astounding 73 saves and Pat LaFontaine scored 8:47 into the fourth extra session as the Isles doused the Capitals, 4-3, in a first-round game.
Pete Stemkowski drops Blackhawks
The Rangers’ season was on the line in 1971 as they faced the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden. The game went on and on and on until Pete Stemkowski scored at 1:29 of the third overtime. The Blackhawks bounced back to win Game 7 and the series.
Dodgers-Red Sox 2018 World Series
The 2018 World Series went to the Boston Red Sox in five games. The one victory for the Los Angeles Dodgers was memorable as Max Muncy hit a home run in the 18th inning to win the game. The teams used 18 pitchers and 46 players combined, postseason records.
Syracuse-UConn six overtimes
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The good old days of the Big East saw Madison Square Garden as the usual host venue for the conference tournament in 2009. Syracuse outlasted UConn, 127-117, in a quarterfinal. “I’ve got no words,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. “I’ve never been prouder of any team I’ve coached.” The game ended at 1:22 a.m. Eastern Time. And of the 244 points, 102 came in the 30 minutes of overtime.
LSU-Texas A&M seven overtimes
A college football marathon ended when Kellen Mond found Kendrick Rogers for a two-point coversion in the seventh overtime to give Texas A&M 74-72 victory over No. 7 LSU in a 2018 game that tied the NCAA record for most overtimes in an FBS game. Greedy Williams was called for pass interference on the first 2-point conversion try, giving the Aggies another shot. After a false start by Texas A&M, Mond found Rogers to end it.
Miami-Ohio State national championship
Ohio State made the most of a controversial second chance to win the national championship in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. A controversial pass interference call gave the Buckeyes life in the first overtime and they tied Miami forcing a second session. Ohio State scored there to take a 31-24 lead and shut down the Hurricanes to win the national crown.
Alabama-Georgia national championship
Tua Tagovailoa came off the bench to lead a rally that culminated withn a 41-yard touchdown to DeVonta Smith that gave Alabama a 26-23 overtime victory against No. 3 Georgia for the College Football Playoff national championship in January of 2018.
Isner 70-68
The Wimbledon fifth set of all fifth sets. No tiebreaker. No end in sight. Jon Isner of the USA outlasted Patrick Mahut 70-68 to advance in 2010.
Mets-Astros 1986, Game 6 NLCS
The Mets scored three runs off Bob Knepper and Dave Smith in the ninth inning to force extras. The teams traded runs in the 14th. The Mets then scored three more times in the 16th The Astros rallied for two in the bottom half and had the tying run in scoring position with two outs. Jesse Orosco struck out Kevin Bass to end the game and series.
Mets stagger Red Sox
The game went 10 innings but it felt like it when three times that long. The Red Sox were ready to celebrate their first World Series championship since 1918. The Mets trailed 3-2 in the Series and were down two runs in the 10th inning and down to their last out. And then, the stunning comeback. The game was tied before Boston knew what happened. Then Mookie Wilson hit a slow roller up the first-base line and it went by Bill Buckner. The Mets had life, which they savored and used in winning Game 7.
Yankees-Red Sox 2004 ALCS
The Red Sox were as good as done, in a 3-0 series hole in the 2004 ALCS. The “Curse of the Bambino” was going to continue for another year. Then, magic happened. They tied the game against the legendary Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning of Game 4 and David Ortiz hit a home run in the 12th inning. The BoSox had won and went on to take the next three games and make baseball history.
Jordan stuns Suns
The Phoenix Suns were once again on the short end of a triple-overtime thriller. This one happened in Game 3 of the NBA Finals in 1993. Michael Jordan scored 44 points as Chicago was headed to another of its six championships with His Airness.
Brenden Morrow boosts Stars
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Dallas’ Brenden Morrow made 19 hits in the game but his biggest moment came when he ended a conference semifinal against the San Jose Sharks that saw four of six games go to overtime. Morrow’s power-play goal came in the fourth overtime in 2008.
Nationals outlast Celtics
Bob Cousy scored 50 points — going 30-of-32 from the foul line, but was unable to lift the Celtics past the Syracuse Nationals in the second — and final game — in a best-of-three in 1953. Red Rocha and Paul Seymore played 67 minutes for the Nats. Cousy checked in at 66 minutes for Boston.
Blazers survive Nuggets
This brings us to Friday night in Portland. The game was never going to end. The teams battled and battled through four overtimes. Rodney Hood came off the bench to put a spark into Portland and hit a 3-pointer with 18.6 seconds left to give the Blazers a 2-1 edge in the series.
