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A Unique Buzzer-Beater Streak: DeMar DeRozan's Historic Days
USAWed Jan 01 2025
You won't believe what happened in the NBA! Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan just achieved something amazing. He became the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on two consecutive days. On one day, he scored the winning 3-pointer to beat the Washington Wizards, 120-119. The night before, he did the same to defeat the Indiana Pacers, 108-106. This is a super rare occurrence in the NBA.
Let's rewind a bit. Way back in 1902, the Michigan Wolverines squashed Stanford 49-0 in the first Rose Bowl game. Neil Snow scored four touchdowns, and they were nicknamed the “Point a Minute” team. The Rose Bowl didn't happen again until 1916, where Washington State beat Brown 14-0. Fritz Pollard, the first African-American player in the Rose Bowl, played for Brown.
Moving forward to 1934, Columbia pulled off a surprise win over Stanford 7-0 in the Rose Bowl. This happened when Al Barabas scored in the third quarter thanks to a hidden-ball play. The same year, Bucknell beat Miami 26-0 in the first Orange Bowl, and Tulane won the Sugar Bowl by a score of 20-14.
Fast forward to 1961, the Houston Oilers beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24-16 to win the first AFL Championship. Also, the same year, the Boston Bruins' Willie O'Ree, the first black player in the NHL, scored his first goal.
In 1971, Notre Dame finally stopped Texas' winning streak at 30 games with a 24-11 win in the Cotton Bowl. And in 1991, Georgia Tech finished their season unbeaten at 11-0-1 after routing Nebraska 45-21 in the Citrus Bowl.
The years 1992 and 1993 were big for Miami and Alabama. In 1992, Miami defeated Nebraska 22-0 in the Orange Bowl, and in 1993, Alabama won their first national championship in 13 years by beating Miami 34-13 in the Sugar Bowl.
In the new millennium, Georgia pulled off an incredible comeback in the 2000 Outback Bowl. They trailed Purdue 25-0 early in the second quarter but won 28-25 in overtime. And in 2006, New England's Doug Flutie did something really special — he made the NFL’s first successful drop kick in 64 years during a game against Miami.
The Fiesta Bowl in 2007 was a thriller. Boise State, after tying the game with seven seconds left, stunned No. 7 Oklahoma 43-42 in overtime. The game-winning play was a two-point conversion run by Ian Johnson after a fourth-down touchdown pass.
In 2008, the NHL held its first outdoor game in the US, called the Winter Classic. In front of a huge crowd, Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal in a shootout to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres.
Moving ahead to 2012, backup quarterback Matt Flynn set a franchise record by throwing for six touchdowns in a game, helping Green Bay beat the Detroit Lions 45-41.
Central Florida pulled off a massive upset in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl by beating No. 6 Baylor 52-42. This was the highest-scoring game in Fiesta Bowl history.
In the College Football Playoff semifinals of 2015, Marcus Mariota and the Oregon Ducks crushed defending national champs Florida State 59-20 in the Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, in the same year, Ohio State upset top-ranked Alabama 42-35 in the Sugar Bowl, with Ezekiel Elliott setting a Sugar Bowl record with 230 rushing yards.
The Rose Bowl of 2018 was a historic one. Sony Michel's 27-yard touchdown run in double overtime gave Georgia a 54-48 victory over Oklahoma. This was the first overtime game in the Rose Bowl's 104-year history, making it the highest-scoring Rose Bowl ever.
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questions
How do buzzer-beaters contribute to the long-term legacy and perception of a player’s career?
Was DeMar DeRozan’s performance pre-arranged by the NBA to increase viewership?
What strategies did DeMar DeRozan use to maintain his performance over two intense games?
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