‘So…This Happened’ is our quick-hitting weekly round-up of some of the biggest stories in sports. Take a read and own the water cooler sports conversations, if any of you actually have a water cooler that you hang out by to talk sports.
We are getting to that time of year when the NBA absolutely DOMINATES. The Playoffs are down to four teams. The Playoff action and drama is dialed up to 11. And as if that wasn’t enough, yesterday was the NBA Draft Lottery. So here we go, with our All NBA Edition of So…This Happened.
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1. Kawhi!!
We had a Game Seven situation in the culmination of the Eastern Conference Semifinal series between the Toronto Raptor and Philadelphia 76ers. And it came down to the wire. With the game tied and 4.2 seconds left on the clock. He was forced into the corner baseline and with Joel Embiid leaping out to challenge the shot, he faded away and released.
Time froze.
Kawhi crouched and watched. Embiid turned and watched. Everybody watched.
The ball hit the side rim, bounced, hit the side rim again, and then bounced up and over to the the far side of the rim and…bounced…IN (!) as the buzzer sounded.
It was the first buzzer beater in a game 7 in the history of the NBA. (Surprising, right?)
And It. Was. Pandemonium.
People danced in the streets and jumped up and down with glee in bars and outside the Raptors stadium in Toronto.
KAWHI. AT THE BUZZER. TORONTO GOES WILD. pic.twitter.com/jXsFVcrCpl
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People even wrote haikus!
Kawhi sets and fades
The shot is up. Time freezes.
It’s in!! We The North. pic.twitter.com/0GeeDEg5lc— @New-ku (@Newku8) May 13, 2019
Like I said, it was just nuts.
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2. Hey Jennifer; CJ McCollum Not Only Tried, But He Succeeded
That wasn’t even the only Game 7 of the evening.
Earlier that day, the Portland Trailblazers CJ McCollum, who is usually the Robin to Damian Lillard’s Batman, put the team on his back and delivered a 37 point 9-rebound effort to clinch the series win over Denver and send them to their first Western Conference Final in 20 years.
Years ago, during Portland’s long playoff drought, CJ McCollum’s Twitter reply to a then-random-Portland-fan, Jennifer, went viral.
Im trying Jennifer
— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) August 15, 2018
This time, he took the path of Yoda. There is no try. Only do.
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3. The NBA Draft Lottery: Where In The World Will Zion End Up?
If you’ve been living under a rock, Zion Williamson is the one-and-done Duke freshman with the Charles Barkley build and the Dominique Wilkens hops. His dunks have been the stuff of internet highlight reels since his early teens. During his one season at Duke he showed that he is far more than that, displaying a great handle, tremendous second-jump rebounding skills, terrific shot-blocking abilities, and solid court vision. He is the most consensus Number One draft pick to come along in a while.
Folks are using the “generational talent” phrase. It’s hard to watch this burly kid’s energy and athleticism without salivating.
So this Draft Lottery was all about who wins the rights to draft Zion.
Well, we got our answer on Tuesday night. And … it was NOT the New York Knicks, who had the worst record in the NBA. Nope. The New Orleans Pelicans, who had a 6% chance to move into the number one position, won the Zion Lottery. He looks to be the new centerpiece for the organization, with former No. 1 pick and superstar Anthony Davis having requested a trade.
Sometimes in life its better to be lucky than really bad at winning basketball games.
The Lucky Pelicans have themselves a Zion.
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Photo Credit: AP Photo/Gerry Broome
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