Close calls, non-calls and spectacular endings. The sports year of 2019 had them all.
Kawhi sinks Sixers
Kawhi Leonard was sitting in the corner, out of bounds as his shot in the fourth quarter of the Raptors’ Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Sixers danced on the rim. After bouncing around three times, it fell and Toronto was on its way to the Eastern finals against Milwaukee.
Auburn-Tech; Texas Tech-Virginia
The Final Four produced two incredible finales. First, Virginia advanced past Auburn when Kyle Guy made three free throws with 0.6 seconds left, after a controversial sequence sent him to the line, and Virginia beat Auburn 63-62 in the Final Four. Auburn led 61-60 after Guy made an off-balance 3 with 7.6 seconds left. The Tigers’ Jarred Harper then made a foul shot and Auburn had fouls to give and did so twice. On one of them, it looked as if Virginia’s Ty Jerome double-dribbled into a decisive turnover. Jerome also might have been fouled before the mishandle. But there was no whistle for either, setting the stage for Guy. On to the Final, where Virginia connected on a game-tying 3-pointer with 12 seconds remaining in regulation and then used an 11-0 run in overtime to win its first national title.
Djokovic-Wimbledon
It was an epic men’s final at Wimbledon, which came to a conclusion only because of a twist in the rules in 2019. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic battled through five sets before The Joker came away with the victory in a tiebreaker. This marked the first year a tiebreak was played when the score reached 12–12 in the final set at Wimbledon.
Damian Lillard vs Nuggets
Damian Lillard waved goodbye to the Denver Nuggets, closing out the Western Conference semifinal in five games for Portland by hitting a 37-footer at the buzzer.
Illinois State edges Missouri State
Jarred Dixon banked in a half-court shot just before the final buzzer to help Missouri State beat Illinois State, 66-65, in February. Leading 65-63 with 7.8 seconds left, Illinois State turned it over on an inbounds play. The ball changed hands several times, leading to multiple players diving for the loose ball and it finally fell to Dixon, who took one dribble and launched it off the backboard before getting tackled by his teammates.
Andy Ruiz Jr. wins heavyweight crown
“The Mexican Rocky” Andy Ruiz Jr. was a massive underdog to champion Anthony Joshua. Mattered not as Ruiz dropped the champ four times en route to stopping him in the seventh round of their heavyweight championship bout. The third round (video, below) was arguably the round of the year.
Deontay Wilder flattens Luis Ortiz
Luis Ortiz was having a strong fight against Deontay Wilder. Then, with one punch, he was done. Wilder clocked Ortiz and knocked him to the canvas in the seventh round and the fight was finished.
Wade beats Warriors
Dwyane Wade hit a buzzer-beater to give Miami a one-point win over Golden State at the end of February. Wade’s first attempt was blocked by Golden State’s Jordan Bell. But Wade regained possession and shot off one leg for the game-winner.
Packers beat Lions MNF
Mason Crosby’s 23-yard field goal as time expired won it for the Packers, who overcame deficits of 13-0 and 22-13. They took nearly seven minutes off the clock on their winning field goal drive. The Lions, out of timeouts with the Packers well into field goal range, attempted to allow the Packers to score a touchdown near the game’s end to get the ball back with a chance to win. But Green Bay running back Jamaal Williams wouldn’t allow it, going to the turf on his own with a wise sit-down maneuver.
Altuve home run sinks yankees
The Yankees had stunned the crowd in Houston when they tied Game 5 of the ALCS on a home run. In the bottom half, Jose Altuve crushed an Aroldis Chapman fastball to, as Joe Buck says, “send the Astros to the World Series.”
Saints beat texans on 58-yard fg
Will Lutz was the hero as the Saints downed the Texans, 30-28, on a last-second field goal from 58 yards. The game saw Houston take a late lead only to have Drew Brees lead New Orleans into field goal position and Lutz delivered with a huge boot.
Tulane beats Houston
The game was tied at 31 and it appeared Houston and Tulane were headed for overtime as the Green Wave appeared ready to take a knee. Fooled you, Cougars. Tulane got a large chunk of yardage on the clever running play and went on to score in the waning seconds to stun Houston.
Nevada kicker wins game, earns scholarship
The best way to earn a scholarship is to nail a field goal and give your school and upset of a Big Ten team. That’s what Brandon Talton did early in the season as Nevada came back from a 24-7 deficit and downed Purdue, 34-31, on the kicker’s 56-yard field goal.
Baylor women beat ND
With 3.9 seconds left, point guard Chloe Jackson drove past Notre Dame’s defense to put Baylor ahead at 82-80. The Irish had a chance to tie the game around when Arike Ogunbowale was fouled going for a layup. But, Ogunbowale missed her first free throw with 1.9 seconds remaining and Baylor held on.
Kentucky Derby finish
There had a never been a winner disqualified from first in the Kentucky Derby on the day of the race until the stewards took 22 minutes to decide Maximum Security had interfered with horses and moved up long shot Country House to first. The irony is one of the people to lodge a foul claim was the jockey on Country House … and he was not one of the horses bothered by Maximum Security.
1000Bulbs500… Blaney beats Newman
Sharks wins over Golden Knights, Blues
The San Jose Sharks were at the center of a pair of controversies in the Stanley Cup playoffs before being eliminated by the St. Louis Blues. First, the Sharks benefited from a five-minute major called on the Vegas Golden Knights’ Cody Eakin. in Game 7. The league apologized and admitted that officials wrongly gave Eakin a cross-checking major in Game 7 that paved the way for the Sharks to score four goals on the ensuing power play, allowing them to climb back in the game and eventually win in overtime. Against the Blues, The Sharks won Game 3 of their Western Conference Final series as Erik Karlsson scored his second goal of the game to give San Jose the 5-4 victory. Karlsson’s goal was made possible by an apparent hand pass from teammate Timo Meier, who swatted the puck out of mid-air to help his team gain possession and set up Karlsson’s winner.
Eric Collins calls Zach LaVine
Talk about being behind the right mic at the right times. First, Eric Collins gets to call the 3-pointer Zach Lavine hits to cap a 49-point performance to give his Bulls a victory over the Heat. And four days later …
Eric Collins calls Stephen F. Austin
He sits behind the mic two days before Thanksgiving as Stephen F. Austin goes into Cameron Indoor Stadium and staggers Duke.
Seahawks-Niners finish
The Seahawks and unbeaten 49ers met in a MNF classic. Chase McLaughlin, replacing an injured Robbie Gould, missed a field goal in overtime and Jason Myers kicked a 42-yarder as the Seahawks handed the San Franciscon 49ers their first loss, 27-24.
Kawhi blocks the Celtics
Kawhi opened this gallery by closing out the 76ers in a playoff series for the Raptors and he closes it with a different team, the Clippers, closing out another Eastern woe, the Celtics, with a spectacular walkoff block on Nov. 20.
