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1948

The Baltimore Bullets overcome a 21-point halftime deficit to stun the Philadelphia Warriors 66-63 in game two of the BAA Finals and tie the series 1-1. It still stands as the biggest single game comeback in NBA Finals history.

1949

The first NBA dynasty gets started, with the George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers defeating the Washington Capitols 77-56 in game six of the BAA Finals to clinch their first of five titles. The Lakers are forced to host the game at a neutral site in nearby St. Paul, as their home arena was booked for a sportsman expo. In the ensuing off-season, Capitols coach Red Auerbach steps down and the franchise struggles to contend, ultimately folding in 1951.

1952

Marvin Webster is born in Baltimore, Maryland. In 2017, students from his alma mater, Edmondson-Westside High School, conducted an analytics research project on Webster’s collegiate career at Morgan State, which convinced the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame to induct him posthumously.

1965

Jerry West scores 42 points to lead the Lakers to a 117-115 win over the Baltimore Bullets in game six of the Western Conference Finals, clinching the series. West’s 46.3 points per game against the Bullets is still the all-time record for any player in any NBA playoff series.

1971

Charles “Bo” Outlaw is born in San Antonio, Texas. His alma mater, John Jay High School, retired his jersey in 2002.

1973

The Warriors complete a Western Conference Semifinals upset of the top seeded Bucks with a 100-86 victory in game six. It marks the first time in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career (then in his fourth season) that Milwaukee fails to advance to at least the Conference Finals.

1974

A Norm Van Lier steal on the final play seals the first playoff series win in Bulls history, with a 96-94 victory over the Pistons in game seven of the Western Conference Semifinals. Chet Walker leads all scorers with 26 points as the Bulls advance to the Western Conference Finals for the first time.

1979

Baron Davis is born in Los Angeles, California. He was named Gatorade Player of the Year while starring for Crossroads School in Santa Monica.

1980

Quentin Richardson is born in Chicago, Illinois. He led Whitney Young High School to the 1998 Illinois state title.

1986

The Celtics defeat the Nets 135-107 in Boston to finish the ’85-’86 season with a 40-1 record in home games. They are still the only team in NBA history to win 40 home games in a single season.

Alvin Robertson has six steals in a Spurs win over the Trail Blazers, becoming the first and only player to surpass 300 steals in a season, setting the still standing single-season record of 301.

1995

In his final season before joining the NBA, Arvydas Sabonis wins his first and only EuroLeague title, earning Final Four MVP for leading Real Madrid to a 73-61 victory over Olympiacos in the championship game.

2008

The SuperSonics play their final home game in Seattle, a thrilling (though meaningless) 99-95 comeback win over the Mavericks in front of a sell-out crowd chanting “Save our Sonics!” In the ensuing offseason, the Sonics re-locate from Seattle to Oklahoma City after being sold by Howard Schultz to Oklahoma businessman Clay Bennett.

2016

In his final NBA game, Kobe Bryant puts on a show, scoring 60 points in a 101-96 Lakers win over the Jazz.

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